Finland's proposed EU ban on Schengen tourist visas would hit Russian nomads

What Finland is asking for

Finland has asked the European Union to stop issuing Schengen visas to Russian nationals for tourism and other discretionary travel for as long as Russia's war against Ukraine continues.

Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen made the request in a letter dated Oct. 12. Finland has refused these visas nationally since 2022 by government resolution. Other Schengen countries still issue them: close to 500,000 tourist visas went to Russians in 2025, mostly from Greece, Italy, France and Spain.

The letter asks the European Commission to tighten its guidance on Russian visa applications and to change EU law to allow a ban. Valtonen invited other member states to sign on. The letter also calls for a Schengen visa ban on President Vladimir Putin's inner circle, visa refusals for Russian athletes with close ties to the government and enforcement of the agreed ban on Russian ex-combatants.

Valtonen said she would back Germany's idea of visas valid only in the country that issues them, but only as an interim step.

Where the proposal stands

Nothing has changed yet for applicants. A bloc-wide ban would require an amendment to the EU visa code, which needs a qualified majority: 55% of member states representing 65% of the EU population. France, Spain and Italy have opposed past attempts to ban Russian tourist visas.

After EU leaders met in mid-October, a Commission spokesman said visas are issued by individual member states, each judging applications case by case. The Commission is expected to propose a tougher visa law in January.

Today's rules still apply. Since November 2025, Russians can't get multiple-entry Schengen visas, so they need a new visa for every trip.

Which Russian travelers and nomads would be caught

• Russians living in Russia on short trips: they would be hit directly if the ban passes, because Schengen tourist visas are the route they use for short stays.

• Russians on long-stay national visas: the November 2025 tightening covered only short-stay visas and left long-stay Type D visas for work and study open. Finland's letter targets tourist visas. That suggests national nomad and work visas sit outside its scope, but no final legal text exists yet.

• Russians with EU citizenship or residence: the 2025 rules didn't apply to them.

• Nomads of other nationalities: the proposal doesn't affect them.

For Russian nomads planning short Schengen trips, the practical step is to apply trip by trip under the current single-entry rules and to check the Commission's January proposal before booking travel for later in 2027. Finland itself has been closed to Russian tourist visas since 2022. Our Finland guide covers entry routes for other travelers.