‘Not Right’: Finland Seeks EU Ban on Russian Tourist Visas

Finland is asking the European Union to adopt a complete ban on tourist visas for Russian citizens during Russia’s war against Ukraine. Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen says the restriction should apply across the EU, not only in countries that have already tightened their own rules. Finland stopped issuing visas for tourism and other non-essential travel in 2022.

The proposal targets ordinary tourist travel, but it also goes further. Finland wants restrictions on Putin’s inner circle, sanctioned people and organizations, and Russian athletes with close Kremlin ties. It also wants the EU to enforce an existing entry ban for Russian combatants who participated in the war.

The issue matters because Schengen visas usually allow travel across much of Europe. Finland says separate national restrictions are therefore insufficient. The EU-wide ban has not been adopted and would require member-state agreement and changes to common visa rules.

A Schengen visa is permission to enter and travel within the Schengen Area, a group of European countries that generally operate without routine passport checks at their internal borders. The visa is usually issued by one member state, but it commonly allows short-term travel throughout much of the shared passport-free zone.

For example, a Russian traveler who receives a Schengen visa from one country can generally continue to other Schengen countries without applying for a separate visa at each internal border. This is the mechanism behind Finland’s concern. A restriction in Finland alone does not necessarily stop travel through the wider zone.

The article says Schengen countries granted nearly 500,000 tourist visas to Russian citizens in 2025. Finland therefore wants a common EU approach. An EU-wide restriction would close the gap created when national policies differ, though it would require changes to common visa rules.

Schengen countries reportedly issued close to 500,000 tourist visas to Russian citizens in 2025. The figure comes from Finland’s Foreign Ministry and is the article’s main measure of how much tourist access remained available despite restrictions imposed by some European governments.

The number matters because a visa issued by one Schengen country generally allows its holder to travel across most of the passport-free zone. As a result, Russian travelers may still reach other European destinations even when one member state has stopped issuing tourist visas. Finland says this weakens national-only policies.

Finland is using the figure to support a common EU response. Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen has asked other governments to join a letter urging the European Commission to propose legislative changes. The proposed EU-wide ban has not yet been adopted and would require agreement among member states.

If adopted, the proposal would make it much harder for Russian citizens to travel to Europe for tourism or other non-essential reasons. They would generally be unable to obtain the relevant EU tourist visa, rather than simply needing to apply through a different Schengen country. This would create a shared restriction across the passport-free zone.

The key mechanism is a common EU rule. Schengen visas issued by one country generally allow travel throughout most of the zone, so a ban applied by every member state would remove the route around national restrictions. Finland says this is necessary because individual policies are insufficient.

The proposal is not an automatic total closure. The article says it would not automatically prohibit entry for humanitarian reasons, family reasons, or Russians seeking protection from political persecution. The ban has not yet been adopted and would require member-state agreement and legal changes.

The proposal would focus on tourism and other non-essential travel rather than automatically blocking every Russian citizen from entering Europe. This distinction leaves room for cases that Finland describes as humanitarian, family-related, or connected to political persecution.

For example, a Russian seeking protection from political persecution would not automatically be covered by the proposed tourist visa ban. Someone entering for humanitarian reasons or to visit family could also remain outside the automatic prohibition. These travelers would still be subject to the applicable entry and visa decisions; the article does not promise automatic admission.

The proposal therefore combines a broad tourism restriction with exceptions for particular circumstances. Finland is also seeking separate measures against Putin’s inner circle, sanctioned people and organizations, athletes with close Kremlin ties, and Russian combatants. The EU-wide tourist ban has not yet been adopted.

Finland says individual member-state restrictions do not work well enough because the Schengen system connects national visa decisions. A Russian citizen refused a tourist visa by one country may still seek one from another Schengen state, then travel through much of the passport-free zone. Finland therefore wants the same rule applied across the EU.

The practical example is Finland’s own policy. It stopped issuing visas to Russians for tourism and other non-essential travel in 2022. Yet Finland’s Foreign Ministry says Schengen countries still granted close to 500,000 Russian tourist visas in 2025. That figure illustrates the limits of separate national action.

Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen has invited EU governments to support a letter to the European Commission. Prime Minister Petteri Orpo plans to raise the proposal at the European Council. A common ban would require member-state agreement and changes to shared visa rules.

Visa restrictions and sanctions are foreign-policy tools because governments can use access, money, and official privileges to respond to another state’s actions. In this case, Finland wants to limit Russian tourist travel while Russia continues its invasion of Ukraine. The measures also communicate that normal access to Europe is not continuing unchanged during the war.

The article gives several targets beyond ordinary tourists. Finland seeks visa restrictions on Putin’s inner circle, people and organizations under EU sanctions, and Russian athletes with close Kremlin ties. It also wants enforcement of an entry ban for Russian combatants who participated in the war. These measures combine political pressure with security screening.

The proposal is linked to alleged Russian sabotage, arson, and surveillance operations in Europe. It has not yet become EU policy. Adoption would require member-state agreement and changes to common visa rules, while humanitarian, family, and protection cases would not automatically be barred.