Latvia urges EU to shut visa door on Russians

Latvia’s Foreign Minister Baiba Braže has publicly urged European Union countries to halt the issuance of visas to Russian citizens, citing serious security concerns, according to her post on X on 26 May. Braže emphasized that the number of Schengen visas granted to Russian nationals had increased by 25% in 2024 compared to 2023.

Braže wrote:

"Latvia calls on the EU countries to halt visa issuance for Russian citizens, citing security concerns."

Calling on visa ban for Russian nationals, Braže reiterated the earlier appeal made by Latvia’s Minister of Interior, Rihards Kozlovskis, who also called on EU countries to end the issuance of visas to Russian citizens, warning that such travel poses risks to the bloc’s internal security.

Sharp rise in visas granted to Russian nationals

Braže referred to a March article highlighting the rise in Schengen visa approvals. According to data discussed at the Council of Ministers of Justice and Home Affairs of the EU in Brussels, 565,069 Schengen tourist visas were granted to Russian nationals in 2024. Notably, 90% of those visas were for tourism purposes.

Statistics from SchengenVisaInfo show that Italy received the most visa applications from Russians in 2023, handling 143,517 requests—28 % of the total. Italy also granted the highest number of Schengen visas to Russian citizens, issuing 134,141 visas, accounting for 30 % of all approved applications.