Finland Urges EU-Wide Tourist Visa Ban for Russian Citizens

Finland called on European Union member states on October 12, 2026, to immediately stop issuing tourist visas to Russian citizens. Finnish Minister for Foreign Affairs Elina Valtonen announced the push for an bloc-wide ban, arguing that Russian nationals should not be allowed to travel freely across Europe while their government continues its military offensive against Ukraine, lsm.lv reported.

Finland Urges Complete European Union Ban on Russian Tourist Visas

Valtonen stated on the social media platform X that she has invited other member states to join a letter addressed to the European Commission demanding the restrictions. We must stop issuing tourist visas for Russian citizens across the EU, Valtonen wrote, according to lsm.lv. I have invited other member states to join a letter addressed to the European Commission. I am calling for a complete EU ban on Russian tourist visas for as long as Russia continues its war of aggression.

It is not right that Russians can travel to Europe to enjoy the way of life and freedoms here while their country bombs the homes of Ukrainians, Valtonen said, as reported by lsm.lv.

We must stop issuing tourist visas for Russian citizens across the EU. I have invited other Member States to join a letter addressed to the European Commission. I am calling for a complete EU ban on Russian tourist visas for as long as Russia continues its war of aggression. It is not right that Russians can travel to Europe to enjoy the way of life and freedoms here while their country bombs the homes of Ukrainians. Issuing visas to Russians for non-essential travel was banned in Finland already in 2022. The same must finally happen at the EU level. I am also calling for a ban on Schengen visas to Putin’s inner circle, visa restrictions for Russian athletes, and the effective implementation of the visa ban on Russian combatants. The EU must act together.

Elina Valtonen

Schengen Area Visa Volumes and Targeted Restrictions

Finland itself instituted a national ban on tourist visas for Russian citizens back in 2022, permitting entries solely under strict emergency conditions. Data from the Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs shows that Schengen area member states issued nearly 500,000 tourist visas to Russian citizens during 2025, lsm.lv reported.

Alongside the broad tourist visa cutoff, the Finnish foreign minister pressed for targeted measures against specific individuals and groups linked to the Russian state. Her proposal includes prohibiting Schengen visas for Russian President Vladimir Putin’s inner circle, applying direct visa restrictions to Russian athletes, and enforcing the existing entry ban on Russian military combatants across all member states.