Sweden, along with ten other European states, has urged the European Union (EU) in a letter sent to foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas and migration commissioner Magnus Brunner to tighten rules on Russian tourist visas, as they continue to rise despite Russia’s war in Ukraine.
“I want there to be no more fancy trips to Europe while Ukrainians are dying on the battlefield,” Swedish Migration Minister Johan Forssell said on Thursday. “This situation is completely insane, and it needs to stop.”
A New Approach Needed
Poland, the Czech Republic, the Netherlands, the Baltic states, Sweden, Finland, and Denmark, as well as Norway and Iceland stood up against “visa shopping” by Russian tourists.
“It is deeply troubling to witness increasing numbers of Russian tourists enjoying leisure travel on European beaches and in European resorts while missiles and drones continue to strike civilians and civilian infrastructure in Ukraine,” the letter said.
“A coherent and coordinated approach is essential not only for the credibility of our common foreign and security policy but also for the effectiveness of the restrictive measures we have adopted.”
Demands include uniform visa laws across the EU, complete with screening mechanisms to block any individuals with current or past Russian military connections from entering the Schengen area – that would include Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland, as well as all EU member states.
An Increase in Russian Tourist Visas Despite the War
While the war rages on, many Russians continue to live a lavish lifestyle, traveling and enjoying luxury holidays in Europe.
Euractiv’s confidential files reveal that Russian nationals received over 447,000 tourist visas in 2025. That is 77% of all visas granted to Russians, representing an 8.4% increase compared to 2024.
France, Italy, and Spain accounted for almost three-quarters of all applications. Italy leads with 161,121 Schengen area visas at two Russian consulates – about 8,900 more than last year and around 27,000 more than in 2023. France issued 156,547 visas in 2025, surpassing the previous year by 32,657, representing a 26% increase. Spain issued 123,359 this year, with an increase of 11,822.
Russia’s war has disrupted tourism in other countries. On the island of Gotland in Sweden, NATO has been regularly conducting war games and military exercises to ready troops for a potential Russian attack.
The island was always a popular destination that is now disrupted by the sounds of war. “The situation has become more serious. There have been a series of incidents involving undersea cables,” Swedish Gotland Regiment Commander Dan Rasmussen told Deutsche Welle in 2024. Then, sabotage attacks were already common for the new NATO member state.
Since then, Ukraine has also taken part in exercises on Gotland to aid Swedish and American soldiers in drone warfare, testing what NATO members must do if Article 5 were even invoked. “In theory, it could happen tomorrow,” Rear Adm. Jonas Wikström, director of the exercise, told the Associated Press last month.
No Russian Response
Russian officials have neither responded officially nor answered Reuters’ inquiry. However, many have stated that European countries have been in an anti-Russian hysteria, accusing them of being openly xenophobic against Russians.
Both Moscow and Kyiv have denied targeting civilians in the war; however, many Russian drone strikes have ended with civilian casualties in Ukraine, while Ukrainian drones penetrate increasingly deep into Russia’s territory.
