logo
Russians are still traveling around Europe despite sanctions. Not everyone's happy about it

Russians are still traveling around Europe despite sanctions. Not everyone's happy about it

CNN23-04-2025
Since the start of 2022, Russian influencer Egor Melo has been traveling around Europe. Last year, he went to Zurich to see Taylor Swift's Eras Tour, celebrated New Year's Eve in Paris, and enjoyed the historical sights of Nuremberg, Germany.
After Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, direct flights between Russia and the EU were suspended. In September of the same year, the EU suspended its visa facilitation agreement with Russia, making Russian citizens face a lengthier, more expensive visa approval process to enter the EU.
Processing fees for Schengen visas — which allow non-EU citizens to travel within the 29-country European Schengen area — have increased due to the suspension of visa-free agreements, some EU countries, many of which border Russia are offering fewer consular appointments for Russians, and the EU has advised member states to scrutinize Russian applications thoroughly.
The new rules don't prevent Russian tourists from traveling to Europe — nor is there anything illegal about their trips. It's just making the process more difficult and expensive.
Latvia, Norway, Poland, Finland, Estonia, Lithuania, and the Czech Republic have gone even further — issuing full bans on almost all tourist visas for Russian citizens.
But on his Instagram, dedicated 'to showing that travel in Europe is accessible to everyone,' Melos claims he's 'been in two of these countries in the past year with a tourist visa and had no problems.'
His advice? Obtain a visa from another Schengen country. 'For example, fly to Italy and from there travel to these countries.'
Melos declined a CNN request to talk about his claims.
The Baltic states' ban only applies to Russian citizens who cross the external Schengen border — not entry from other Schengen countries.
'Once you are in the Schengen zone, you can travel within the Schengen zone anywhere, because there is, in principle, no internal control (…) This is not unlawful. This is the Schengen system,' Sarah Ganty, co-author of a 2022 Yale Journal of International Law paper that opposed the visa bans, told CNN.
Melo isn't alone in continuing to travel. The interior minister for Latvia reportedly condemned data presented at an EU meeting, which stated that 565,069 Schengen visas were issued to Russians in 2024: 90% for tourism. It's a massive drop from the four million issued pre-pandemic in 2019, but an increase of 25% from 2023. The visa refusal rate for Russians diverges strongly among member states — from 1% to 65% in the first half of 2024, according to an EU report.
'The stabilization of Schengen visa issuance' has contributed to the growth in demand for travel to Europe, the vice president of the Russian Union of Travel Industry (ATOR), claimed in an interview with Russian publication Vedomosti.
One well-known travel blogger from Russia, who asked to not have their name included for fear of future visa applications being denied, agreed with ATOR. They've recently visited Norway — a country that stopped issuing visas to Russian tourists in May 2024.
'Right now, obtaining a visa requires many additional documents that weren't needed before, such as purchased flight tickets, hotel bookings, or even tax certificates,' they said. 'Jokes about needing a doctor's note (to travel) soon are becoming more common.'
But they still see travel as accessible.
'Let's be honest — getting an EU residence permit, like a Spanish digital nomad visa, isn't that difficult right now. Some people are opting for a three-year EU residence permit instead of a visa, which has also become a common practice,' the blogger said. 'For example, if you have children living in the Baltics, the easiest way to get there is through Italy, France or Spain. The scheme is simple: you fly to Rome, spend some time there, and then travel through the Estonia-Russia border after first flying to your relatives.'
No direct flights means that 'Turkey, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia and Serbia' had become the main transit countries for those living in Russia's West, while 'if you live in the Russian Far East, for example, in Vladivostok, it might be easier to fly through China,' according to them. But there are ways to avoid the extra costs when returning to Russia.
Related video
North Korea welcomes tourists again. Who is visiting?
Even without an EU residence permit, it is possible to enter Russia through Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland, the travel blogger said.
'That's why, in the summer, there are long queues at the Narva-Ivangorod border, as flying to Tallinn is cheap, and many people with tourist visas prefer to return via the Estonian-Russian border rather than through, say, Istanbul or Antalya.'
Russian travel companies are still offering tours to countries that have supposedly blocked visas for Russian tourists. For example, one company, YouTravel, is currently offering a 15-day road trip through Finland, Sweden, Norway and Latvia in June. All these countries, apart from Sweden, have banned Russian tourists. The agency says it will assist in obtaining a visa free of charge.
So how easy is it really to obtain a visa? Asked about the process to obtain a visa to Latvia, which has a complete ban on issuing tourist visas to Russians, a sales assistant at St Petersburg-based agency Visateka said they could help obtain entry 'through a third country.' They advised that the easiest document-wise for a June travel date would be France.
For the equivalent of $300, the sales assistant said Visateka could reserve flights and a hotel, and prepare documents to take to the French embassy for a visa appointment. Visateka claims that for France, Italy and Spain, the chances of having a visa approved were around 93%. Their website claims that in the first two weeks of April, they've obtained 20 visas for Russian citizens to enter Latvia, 93 to Lithuania and 20 to Poland.
'Last year, we visited Riga to see the Christmas markets,' Daria from St. Petersburg told CNN. She requested her last name be omitted in fear of her next Schengen visa application being denied. With a Spanish visa, she flew to Istanbul, then to Madrid, before boarding a flight to the Latvian capital on the same day.
'No questions were asked at the airport,' she said about the use of her Spanish visa to visit Riga. 'It's common practice.'
'I'm not part of this war, I don't support Putin. I don't understand why I should be discriminated against and treated as if I'm a threat.'
The Vinsky online travel forum is populated with similar stories. One holder of a French visa shared their experience of flying via Vienna, then taking a plane to Riga in the evening: 'I was worried about what to say, but in the end (at Vienna airport) they asked exactly zero questions.'
Another, who had been granted an Italian tourist visa, said they flew to Rome and then on to Riga. One traveler from Moscow asked, 'If you enter Italy with an Italian visa and fly from Milan to Amsterdam a few days later, what are the risks?' Another responded, 'Once you get a visa, you'll be able to travel along the route you've planned without any stress.'
Regarding the increase in visas issued in 2024, the EU Commission told CNN that it 'closely monitors the implementation of the guidelines through the Blueprint Network.' The Blueprint Network is the EU's framework for monitoring migration. 'The Commission is working with Member States to promote consistent implementation of the guidelines.'
Last year, Hungary extended visa exemptions to Russians and Belarusians, and according to the European Travel Commission's statistics, Russian arrivals to Hungary increased by a third. In April 2024, Romania restarted issuing short-stay visas to Russian tourists on a discretionary basis after experiencing a drop in tourist revenue, another ETC report states. In early December, Italian visa centers in Moscow reduced processing times for visas.
As the war grinds into its fourth third year, frustration is growing. Rihards Kozlovskis, Latvia's minister of internal affairs, has called on EU countries to join Latvia in banning Schengen tourist visas for Russian citizens. Speaking at a meeting of the EU Justice and Home Affairs Council in Brussels, he said it is member states' 'moral duty to deny such a service.'
'We are facing both illegal border crossings and acts of sabotage, such as the burning of the Museum of the Occupation, drones crossing the border, propaganda attempts to influence public opinion, etc.,' Kozlovskis said. 'Therefore I urge all member states to take this threat seriously.'
The Russian travel blogger CNN spoke to said he would be 'disappointed' if such sanctions were introduced.
'Russia has its own restrictions on travel to so-called 'unfriendly' countries. Police officers, judges and government employees are already prohibited from traveling, so those connected to the state are not going anywhere anyway,' he said. 'I don't think ordinary Russian travelers pose any kind of threat to the Latvian minister with their presence.'
A European Commission spokesperson said that the organization had 'adopted clear sets of guidance to support Member States to deprioritize visas for Russians and focus on security and border control. Heightened scrutiny should be performed in a way that preserves the right to seek asylum and prevents risks of non-refoulement.'
Ganty, the law academic, argued that such bans were never lawful. She described the de facto national-level ban against Russian citizens — introduced by Poland, Finland and the Baltic States — as a breach of EU law.
'These Russians who are applying for Schengen visas have mainly been depicted as tourists having fun in Europe, but there are lots of people who have family members across the border, there are people who are dissenters, there are health reasons why someone might need a short-stay visa,' she said.
'I think we really need to continue the dialogue with Russian citizens, especially those who are trying to flee the regime and oppose the regime. I think it's really important to be welcoming towards them.'
When Mark Temynsky, a Ukrainian-American and fellow at the Atlantic Council's Eurasia Center, visited Montenegro in 2023 with his cousins, he was surprised at the number of Russians who were also there — and the reaction they got from the Russians while posing with a Ukrainian flag by St John's Fortress, a historic landmark overlooking the town of Kotor.
'We got some looks and stares from Russian speakers who were making comments (…) we're just taking photos with the flag,' he said.
'In Greece, as well as in Cyprus, when I was there in August of 2023, it was still very heavily visited by ethnic Russians and Russian speakers who were on holiday there and just again — from a moral perspective — it just did not sit with me that these people are supporting the country's war and then go on vacation.
'I have many family and friends in Ukraine who haven't been on vacation in several years because they don't know where to go, and many of them are not permitted to leave the country and fear for their safety. It's very strange.'
He said he wants the EU to go further with bans on tourist visas.
'I would argue that European countries aren't doing this to punish the Russians, just for the sake of punishing the Russians. It's to explore other avenues to put additional pressures on Russia. And I think at this point, you gotta get creative, and if this is another way to do that, then I think there's no harm in trying to see what happens.'
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

France faces rearmament strain as NATO steps up defence demands
France faces rearmament strain as NATO steps up defence demands

Yahoo

time17 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

France faces rearmament strain as NATO steps up defence demands

NATO's rearmament plans could generate an annual market of €45 billion over the next decade in France and create more than 500,000 jobs. But the country's industrial capacity is currently insufficient to meet this increased demand. RFI spoke to Romain Lucazeaux of the Caisse des Dépôts, the investment arm of the French State, and asked: is France ready for rearmament? The question is worrying companies across France's Defence Industrial and Technological Base (BITD), the network that designs, builds and maintains military equipment. With increased demand stemming from NATO's pledge to hike defence spending to 5 percent of members' GDP and the European Union's ReArm Europe Plan, pressure is growing on producers to respond quickly. Russia's war in Ukraine has only added urgency. At stake is France's position as the world's second largest arms exporter. But factories are already running at over 90 percent capacity. NATO set to unveil ambitious spending target at key summit In June, the Caisse des Dépôts published a report warning that France's current system may not be able to deliver. Lucazeaux, who wrote the report, said the country is at a turning point. "The challenge for France's [BITD] is to move from a small-scale model tailored to the needs of France, which is a small-scale major power, to one capable of serving the needs of our NATO partners – particularly the German and Polish markets," he told RFI. "This is an opportunity not to be missed, and it requires ramping up capacity, taking risks – but also the ability to internationalise and pursue commercial strategies. "This costs money and requires skills that French players do not necessarily have, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises [SMEs] and certain mid-cap companies." EU chief unveils €800bn plan to 'rearm' Europe and support Ukraine Regional strategy The key to success, insists Lucazeaux, lies in diversifying to make full use of France's regional production capabilities. "There is a geography of defence that dates back to the 19th century, which means that companies are located mainly in the west and south – far from the German border. Except that our manufacturing capabilities are not necessarily there," he explains. "The question is whether we will have enough engineers and senior technicians, and whether we have the right collaborative research and development programmes, in which companies partner with a university or training centre to build solutions, move forward together and hunt as a pack. He added: "These are not national solutions, but territorial ones. The risk is that we will have the funding, the best technology, and an army of employees who value production, but we will not find the employees and projects that enable these ecosystems to perform well." As Europe pours money into defence, reliance on US remains a sticking point Increased production is an achievable goal, however, provided France focuses on certain key sectors such as advanced military equipment, said Lucazeaux. "There are two levels of exports. First, you have the platform-based systems – for example, selling Rafale fighter jets – and then there are components and equipment. These are much less visible, less spectacular, but our ability to supply such equipment, the kind integrated into platforms like tanks and aircraft, still creates significant added value." The BITD, spread across more than 4,000 companies, could create between 500,000 and 800,000 jobs over the next 10 years. Lucazeaux said: "Our goal is to be able to export, and in these very promising sectors, the potential benefits in terms of wealth and job creation can be considerable." This article was adapted from the original version in French.

The politics behind Trump's historic tariffs
The politics behind Trump's historic tariffs

CNN

time17 minutes ago

  • CNN

The politics behind Trump's historic tariffs

The politics behind Trump's historic tariffs President Trump has announced historic US tariffs on countries across the globe. CNN's Kevin Liptak breaks down Trump's motives for imposing the new trade deals. 01:30 - Source: CNN Three things to know about Trump's new tariffs President Trump has announced a slew of new tariffs on America's trading partners. But what does that really mean for US consumers, and America's relationships with its allies? And will these new measures be implemented at all? CNN's Anna Cooban explains. 01:34 - Source: CNN GOP lawmaker faces raucous crowd in Wisconsin Republican Rep. Bryan Steil faced tough questions and booing by attendees of a town-hall style event in Wisconsion. Audience members confronted Steil on topics including the economy, immigration policy, and the war in Gaza. 02:08 - Source: CNN Biden warns country is facing 'dark days' under Trump During the National Bar Association's annual gala in Chicago, former President Joe Biden warned that the country is facing 'dark days' under President Donald Trump's watch, saying the executive branch 'seems to be doing its best to dismantle the Constitution.' 01:12 - Source: CNN Harris gives Colbert her first interview since losing election Former Vice President Kamala Harris reflected on her decision not to pursue a gubernatorial run in California, citing systemic dysfunction, while speaking in an interview on "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert." 00:44 - Source: CNN Virginia Giuffre family's message to Trump about Ghislaine Maxwell pardon CNN's Kaitlan Collins speaks with the family of late Virginia Giuffre, one of Jeffrey Epstein's sex-trafficking accusers, about their response to President Trump potentially pardoning Ghislaine Maxwell. 00:50 - Source: CNN Kerrville mayor admits to missing emergency briefing call CNN's Shimon Prokupecz speaks with Kerrville Mayor Joe Herring Jr. about not seeing emails regarding an emergency preparation call before the deadly July 4 floods. 01:47 - Source: CNN $200 million 'Trump-style' ballroom coming to the White House Construction for a new ballroom on the White House campus will begin in September on a $200 million, 90,000-square-foot ballroom, fulfilling a 15-year ambition by President Trump to construct an event space on the White House grounds that expands the building's entertaining capacity. 01:16 - Source: CNN Trump's tariff deadline looms over world economy President Trump's self-imposed midnight deadline is rapidly approaching for countries to strike a trade framework with the United States or face significantly higher tariffs. In a new development today, President Donald Trump announced a 90-day pause on higher tariffs on Mexico. 01:26 - Source: CNN Trump's tariffs might make coffee in the US more expensive CNN's Isa Soares examines Trump's proposed tariffs on Brazil, and how it may impact coffee prices once they go into effect. 01:34 - Source: CNN US diminished a key weapons stockpile fighting Iran The US used about a quarter of its supply of high-end missile interceptors during the Israel-Iran war, exposing a gap in supplies, and raising concerns about US global security posture. CNN's Tamara Qiblawi reports. 01:35 - Source: CNN Education Dept. resumes collecting student loans in default The Department of Education will start sending federal student loans in default to collections again, ending a pandemic-era pause that began roughly five years ago. CNN's Sunlen Serfaty explains what you need to know. 01:42 - Source: CNN Democrats cite arcane law in letter demanding Epstein files CNN congressional correspondent Lauren Fox explains how a law from the 1920s could help Senate Democrats on the Homeland Security Committee access to the Epstein files. 01:31 - Source: CNN Tapper presses Pelosi on Trump's insider trading allegations CNN's Jake Tapper spoke to former House Speaker Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), who reacted to President Donald Trump accusing Pelosi and her husband of insider trading, calling the allegation "ridiculous." 01:08 - Source: CNN Johnson says he wants 'everything on Epstein evils' to be released In an interview with CNN's Jake Tapper, House Speaker Mike Johnson said he wants everything possible on the Epstein files to be released, something he says the president wants as well. 01:55 - Source: CNN Ghislaine Maxwell's attorneys lay out conditions to be met before she gives testimony to Congress Jeffrey Epstein accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell has offered to testify before Congress, but with major conditions, including immunity. CNN's Kaitlan Collins breaks down the list of demands sent to the House Oversight Committee by her attorneys. 01:20 - Source: CNN Trump and Netanyahu spar over starvation claims President Trump told reporters that the imagery out of Gaza was 'real starvation' and that 'you can't fake that' in a rare rebuke of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu who claimed over the weekend that there is 'no starvation in Gaza.' A recent UN-backed agency alert, meanwhile, warned that the 'worst-case scenario of famine' is unfolding in Gaza. 01:12 - Source: CNN Preventing 'woke' AI is President Trump's latest target in an Executive Order. But can AI be 'woke?' The 'Preventing Woke AI in the Federal Government' executive order requires government-used AI large language models – the type of models that power chatbots like ChatGPT – adhere to President Donald Trump's 'unbiased AI principles.' Audie Cornish speaks with CNN Business Tech Editor Lisa Eadicicco on whether AI can be ideologically biased, or 'woke' to begin with. 01:27 - Source: CNN

Switzerland, the land of luxury brands, could see prices skyrocket from Trump's 39% tariffs
Switzerland, the land of luxury brands, could see prices skyrocket from Trump's 39% tariffs

Los Angeles Times

time18 minutes ago

  • Los Angeles Times

Switzerland, the land of luxury brands, could see prices skyrocket from Trump's 39% tariffs

Prices for the eponymous Swiss watches, Swiss chocolate and Swiss cheese could skyrocket in a week as a result of President Trump's trade war. Switzerland, home to some the world's most recognizable luxury brands, now faces an upcoming 39% tariff from the U.S. Industry groups on Friday warned that both Swiss companies and American consumers could pay the price. Trump signed an executive order Thursday placing tariffs on many U.S. trade partners — the next step in his trade agenda that will test the global economy and alliances — that's set to take effect next Thursday. The order applies to 66 countries, the European Union, Taiwan and the Falkland Islands. In Switzerland, officials failed to reach a final agreement with the U.S. after Trump initially threatened a 31% tariff in April. Swiss companies will now have one of the steepest export duties — only Laos, Myanmar and Syria had higher figures, at 40-41%. The 27-member EU bloc and Britain, meanwhile, negotiated 15% and 10% tariffs, respectively. The Swiss government spent Friday — the country's National Day — reeling from the news. Swiss President Karin Keller-Sutter said that the 39% figure was a surprise, because negotiators had hashed out a deal last month with the Trump administration that apparently wasn't approved by the American leader himself. 'We will now analyze the situation and try to find a solution,' Keller-Sutter told reporters. 'I can't say what the outcome will be, but it will certainly damage the economy.' The U.S. goods trade deficit with Switzerland was $38.5 billion last year, a 56.9% increase over 2023, according to the Office of the United States Trade Representative. Keller-Sutter said that she believes Trump ultimately chose the 39% tariff, because the figure rounded up from the $38.5 billion goods trade deficit. 'It was clear that the president was focused on the trade deficit and only this issue,' she said. For Swiss watch companies, whose products already come with price tags in the tens of thousands — if not the hundreds of thousands — of euros, a timepiece for an arm could cost a leg, too, come next week. The 39% figure was especially galling to the Federation of the Swiss Watch Industry, because Switzerland in 2024 got rid of import tariffs on all industrial goods. 'As Switzerland has eliminated all custom duties on imported industrial products, there is no problem with reciprocity between Switzerland and the U.S.,' the federation said in a statement. 'The tariffs constitute a severe problem for our bilateral relations.' Swiss watch exports were already facing a prolonged slowdown, with significant declines in the United States, Japan and Hong Kong, according to the federation's June figures, the most recent available. Swatch and Rolex declined to comment Friday. Representatives for Patek Philippe, IWC and Breitling didn't respond to requests for comment. Multinational chocolatiers Nestlé and Lindt & Sprüngli said they have production lines in the U.S. for American customers. But small- and medium-sized Swiss companies are predicted to suffer under the tariffs. Roger Wehrli, chief executive of the Association of Swiss Chocolate Manufacturers. also known as Chocosuisse, said Switzerland exports 7% of its chocolate production to the U.S. It's not just the 39% tariff that's the issue. Once the manufacturers factor in the exchange rate between U.S. dollars and Swiss francs ($1 to 1.23 francs on Friday), Wehrli said, it's close to a 50% increase in costs for the Swiss companies. And that's a big number to pass on to American consumers, if the already-slim margins aren't further reduced. 'I expect that our industry will lose customers in the United States, and that sales volumes will decrease heavily,' he told The Associated Press. Wehrli said that he wants Swiss chocolatiers to sell to other markets around the globe to make up the difference. Still, he hopes American customers remember that Swiss quality beats cheaper quantity. 'I think even if prices for Swiss chocolate increase due to the very high tariffs, I think it's worth (it) to buy Swiss chocolate,' he said. 'It's worth (it) to really eat it consciously and to really enjoy it instead of eating a lot.' Swiss pharmaceuticals powerhouse Roche says that it's working to ensure its patients and customers worldwide have access to their medications and diagnostics amid the Trump tariff war. 'While we believe pharmaceuticals and diagnostics should be exempt from tariffs to protect patient access, supply chains and ultimately future innovation, we are prepared for potential tariffs being implemented and confident in managing any impacts,' the statement said. The company in April announced that it plans to invest $50 billion in the United States over the next five years, creating 12,000 jobs. The company already employs more than 25,000 people in the U.S. Meanwhile, Novartis, another major Swiss pharmaceutical firm, said in a statement that it was reviewing Trump's executive order. 'We remain committed to finding ways to improve access and affordability for patients,' it said. Dazio writes for the Associated Press. AP writers Pietro De Cristofaro in Berlin, and David McHugh in Frankfurt, Germany, contributed to this report.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store