Russians keep traveling to Europe despite ongoing war

Despite war, Russians are still traveling to Europe

Almost all European Union countries consequently continue to issue some form of visa to Russian citizens. However national policies vary drastically. While no EU-wide ban exists, the process is now more difficult and expensive due to the suspension of the EU-Russia Visa Facilitation Agreement. It takes more time with stricter criteria to now get a visa for Russian citizens to visit the EU.

The most restrictive countries issuing a Schengen visa to Russians are countries with eastern borders. According to data for 2024 from the European Commission, the Czech Republic issued only 148 visas. It was followed by Poland with 251 visas, Finland with 3,211 visas and the Baltic States (Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania). The three countries collectively issued 3,882 visas.

Countries with the largest number of issued visas to the EU were Italy (152,254 Schengen visas), followed by France (123,890 visas), Spain (111,527 visas), Greece (59,703 visas) and Hungary (23,382 visas).

The European Commission reported an increase in visa application from 2024, Russian nationals in 2024. Data show that around 606,000 Schengen visa applications were submitted in 2024, up 16% compared to 2024.From that number, the European Union approved approximately 550,000 visas, up by 9%.

Lower numbers due to higher costs of traveling

Estimations point to about 1.4 million Russians trips to the EU in 2024. This represents a fraction of pre-war Russian travels. In 2019, EU member states issued visas to 4 million Russians. This number which can be compared to the total number of Russians who spent their holiday in Turkey: 6.7 million in 2024.

A deterrent factor for traveling to Europe is the lengthy way to arrive to the EU as flights are banned with consequently, additional costs.

Most Russians are traveling to the EU through Istanbul, the UAE, more rarely through Central Asian countries or Serbia. Belgrade airport is for example connected by Air Serbia to 4 cities in Russia with up to 24 weekly frequencies in 2024. Compared to a daily flight to Moscow prior to the war in Ukraine.

However, the total number of Russian travelers to the EU continued to grow this year. According to the Russian Association of Tour Operators (ATOR), Russian tourist trips to Europe during the summer season was up in a range of 15% to 20% compared to 2024.