Information about a possible end to the issuance of Schengen visas to Russians is not just a political threat, but a real risk. This was reported by TASS expert of the Russian Union of Travel Industry (RST), head of the visa agency Visantium Egor Kail.
"In my view, such a scenario cannot be viewed merely as a political threat. This is a very real risk, because in the last few years we have not seen an easing, but a consistent tightening of visa regime for Russians by European countries,' he said.
And it is unlikely that tomorrow all Russians will stop being admitted to all the countries of Europe. Such a scenario depends on political consensus and the specific legal form of the solution. But additional constraints seem quite realistic. Rather, the question is not whether new tightening attempts will be made, but how quickly they will be implemented and how tough they will be, the expert explained.
According to him, different options are possible: from further restriction of multiple-entry visas and stricter screening of applicants to the prohibition of individual categories of travel or individual categories of citizens. In Europe, for example, there is already a discussion of a tougher approach to tourist visas and individual measures against current or former combatants. That is, it may be about both point restrictions and a broader tightening for tourist trips in general.
"The practical lesson for Russian tourists is simple: if a trip to Europe really matters, I would not recommend putting it on hold for an uncertain future. Planning such trips is now better with time constraints, the largest possible package of documents, and no expectation that rules will remain the same. We cannot predict the exact date and form of future decisions, but the current trend is clear: the European visa direction for Russians is gradually becoming more difficult rather than easier,' Kail summarized.
Previously, the newspaper "Izvestia" with reference to the source reported that the European Commission is discussing the possibility of a complete ban on the issuance of tourist visas to citizens of Russia
Information source "TASS": https://tass.ru/ekonomika/27870957
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