Russian trips through Europe despite sanctions cause displeasure

Russian trips through Europe despite sanctions cause displeasure

Influence of the political situation when traveling

After the invasion of Russia to Ukraine in February 2022, the direct flights between Russia and the EU were discontinued. In September of the same year, the EU exposed the visa -relief agreement with Russia, which means for Russian citizens that they have to go through a longer and more expensive process to maintain a visa for entry into the EU.

increased visa costs and requirements

The processing fees for Schengen-Visa, which enable non-EU citizens to travel within the 29-country Schengen area, have increased due to the suspension of visa-free agreements. Some EU countries, many of them on the border with Russia, offer fewer consular appointments for Russians. The EU has also asked the member states to thoroughly examine Russian visa applications.

trips to Europe remains possible

The new rules do not prevent Russian tourists from traveling to Europe - however, it makes the process more complicated and more expensive. Latvia, Norway, Poland, Finland, Estonia, Lithuania and the Czech Republic have even issued complete visa bans for Russian citizens. Nevertheless, Melo reported on his Instagram account, which "should show that travel in Europe is accessible to everyone" that he "has already been to two of these countries with a tourist visa in recent years."

alternatives for Russian tourists

his advice? Get a visa of another Schengen country: "For example, fly to Italy and travel from there to these countries." Melo rejected a request from CNN to talk about his claims. The ban on the Baltic States only applies to Russian citizens who cross the external Schengen border-not for entry from other Schengen countries.

Difficulties in visa procurement

Melo is not only in his continued journey. The Interior Minister of Latvia recently convicted the records presented at an EU meeting and said that over 565,000 Schengen visa on Russians were granted in 2024, 90 % of them for tourism. This is a massive decline compared to the four million that were granted before the pandemic in 2019, but an increase of 25 % compared to 2023. The rejection rate for Russians shows significant differences between the Member States - from 1 % to 65 % in the first half of 2024.

experiences of Russian travelers

A well -known travel blogger from Russia who wants to remain anonymous confirmed the statement of the Russian travel industry. He recently visited Norway, a country that has no longer exhibited visas for Russian tourists since May 2024. "At the moment, applying for a visa requires many additional documents that were previously not necessary, such as booked plane tickets, hotel reservations or even control certificates," he reported.

exceed borders without problems

Even without an EU residence permit, it is possible to enter Russia via Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland. "That is why there are long snakes on the Narva-Vangorod border in summer, as flights to Tallinn are cheap and many tourists prefer the way back across the Estonian-Russian border," says the blogger.

tourism despite political tensions

Russian travel companies continue to offer tours to countries that allegedly blocked visas for Russian tourists. A well-known company currently offers a 15-day tour of Finland, Sweden, Norway and Latvia. "How easy is it really to get a visa?", It was asked if you could enter Latvia's third country. The sales consultant of an agency in St. Petersburg stated that they could help with the entry "over a third country" and recommended France for visa procurement.

conclusions and outlook

While the discussion about Visa for Russian travelers continues, frustration is growing. Critics of the visa restrictions argue that they are not lawful and that EU law break. The important questions that arise from this situation concern the legal and moral aspects of tourism in times of geopolitical tensions.