BRUSSELS, September 13. /TASS/. The European Union is preparing to tighten its position on issuing visas to Russian citizens, Politico reported, citing a European Commission source.

According to the newspaper, the EU will publish new regulations by the end of the year that will contain stricter recommendations for issuing visas to Russians.

Politico noted that the EU’s eastern countries have long lobbied for the adoption of such restrictions. However, the issuance of visas remains within the competence of EU member states. Therefore, the European Commission cannot impose a total ban on Russian citizens entering the bloc. As a result, visa policies vary greatly among member states.

According to the latest EU data, Russian citizens were issued approximately 542,000 short-term visas in 2024 to travel to EU countries and other Schengen zone countries, including Switzerland. This figure is approximately 20% higher than in 2023 but significantly lower than in 2019.