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Finland pushes EU to halt tourist Schengen visas for Russians until war ends

Finnish Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen is urging EU partners to adopt a blanket ban on tourist Schengen visas for Russian citizens until Moscow ends its war against Ukraine, and has circulated a joint letter to the European Commission with five specific proposals. Schengen states issued nearly 500,000 tourist visas to Russians in 2025.

Key points

  • Finnish Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen called on EU countries to fully stop issuing tourist Schengen visas to Russian citizens until the war against Ukraine ends.
  • She urged EU member states to join a joint letter to the European Commission demanding a tougher visa policy toward Russian citizens.
  • Schengen countries issued almost 500,000 tourist visas to Russian citizens in 2025, according to the Finnish Foreign Ministry.
  • Valtonen's letter sets out five proposals, including a mandatory visa ban for his inner circle and entities under EU sanctions, restrictions on Russian athletes with state ties, and an amendment to the EU Visa Code to allow rapid, mandatory visa restrictions when relations with a third country deteriorate.
  • Finland banned tourist visas for non-essential purposes at the national level in 2022 and is now pushing for the same approach across the entire EU.
  • The European Commission plans to present new visa policy proposals in January that are expected to take a tougher approach toward security risks, putting Finland's initiative on an active EU agenda.

Why it matters

Finland is trying to convert its own national tourist-visa ban for Russians into an EU-wide measure, which would close one of the last major routes for Russians to enter the Schengen area. By packaging the request as a direct response to Russia's war against Ukraine, Helsinki is also tying EU visa policy to the conflict. The five proposals go beyond ordinary tourist travel to target Putin's inner circle, sanctioned individuals and entities, and Russian athletes with state ties. The Commission's plan to table new visa proposals in the same timeframe gives the Finnish push a live policy window.

What happened

Finnish Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen is pressing EU partners to stop issuing tourist Schengen visas to Russian citizens until Russia ends its war against Ukraine, and has circulated a joint letter to the European Commission with five concrete proposals. Finland banned such visas at the national level in 2022 and is now seeking the same approach EU-wide. According to the Finnish Foreign Ministry, Schengen countries issued nearly 500,000 tourist visas to Russians in 2025. Valtonen is also asking the Commission to issue stricter recommendations on Russian visa applications and to amend EU legislation to enable a pan-European tourist-visa ban. Her five proposals include a mandatory visa ban for Putin's inner circle and for persons and organizations under EU sanctions, restrictions on Russian athletes and sports staff with close ties to the Russian state, and an amendment to the EU Visa Code to create a mechanism that lets the Union quickly and mandatorily impose visa restrictions when relations with a third country deteriorate sharply for political or security reasons. The Commission is due to present new visa policy proposals in January, expected to take a harder line toward states it considers security threats, including Russia.

How Ukrainian sources describe it

Ukrainian coverage frames the story through the lens of the war against Ukraine, foregrounding Valtonen's justification that Russians should not be able to enjoy European mobility while their country bombs Ukrainian homes. The push for a Schengen-level tourist-visa ban is presented as a direct response to that war rather than as a generic migration or security question.

Background

Finland first banned the issuance of tourist visas to Russians for non-essential travel at the national level in 2022 and is now seeking the same measure across the entire EU. Earlier EU-level restrictions on former Russian military personnel were agreed in principle but were softened during implementation because of disagreements among member states.