Fresh figures from the European Commission’s internal “Schengen Barometer” reveal that member states approved more than 620,000 visas for Russian nationals in 2025—10 % above the previous year—despite the ongoing war in Ukraine. France accounted for the largest jump, granting 23 % more visas and handling three-quarters of all Russian applications together with Italy and Spain. The leak, first reported by RBC-Ukraine, has reopened intra-EU fault-lines. Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland—whose own consulates issue almost no tourist visas to Russians—accuse Paris of profiteering from high-spending visitors and undermining the EU’s 2025 decision to suspend the Russia–EU visa-facilitation agreement. French officials retort that denying ordinary Russians contact with Europe only fuels Kremlin propaganda and that many applicants are students or family-reunion cases. In practical terms, the numbers explain why appointment slots at France-Visas centres in Moscow and St Petersburg remain fully booked until mid-July, complicating corporate mobility planning.
![New EU data show France issued 23 % more Schengen visas to Russians in 2025, angering Baltic and Polish governments]()
For organisations or travellers who can’t afford long queues or shifting documentation rules, VisaHQ can streamline the process. Its France portal (https://www.visahq.com/france/) tracks real-time Schengen requirements, automates application paperwork and secures consular appointments on clients’ behalf, giving mobility teams timely alerts if new caps or route restrictions are introduced.
French Riviera hoteliers, who rely on long-stay Russian guests, consider the trend a lifeline, while luxury-goods groups fear Brussels could impose a blanket cap if the controversy escalates. EU interior ministers will revisit the issue at the 23 May Justice and Home Affairs Council. Mobility teams should prepare for potential policy swings—ranging from stricter scrutiny of multi-entry requests to a coordinated Baltic-Nordic travel-ban proposal that could force rerouting through Istanbul or Dubai.
For organisations or travellers who can’t afford long queues or shifting documentation rules, VisaHQ can streamline the process. Its France portal (https://www.visahq.com/france/) tracks real-time Schengen requirements, automates application paperwork and secures consular appointments on clients’ behalf, giving mobility teams timely alerts if new caps or route restrictions are introduced.
French Riviera hoteliers, who rely on long-stay Russian guests, consider the trend a lifeline, while luxury-goods groups fear Brussels could impose a blanket cap if the controversy escalates. EU interior ministers will revisit the issue at the 23 May Justice and Home Affairs Council. Mobility teams should prepare for potential policy swings—ranging from stricter scrutiny of multi-entry requests to a coordinated Baltic-Nordic travel-ban proposal that could force rerouting through Istanbul or Dubai.
