Portugal Cancels All Work-Seeking Visa Appointments Effective Immediately

Russian nationals must apply for single-entry visas for each trip to the EU under the Commission's implementing decision, which went into effect on November 7.
The stringent visa history criteria have a few exceptions: family members need three prior visas for one-year permits, and transport workers need two prior visas for nine-month permits.
From 4 million in 2019 to 552,629 in 2025, the number of Russian visas issued decreased by 86%. While Italy, France, and Spain make up the majority, the Baltic republics are still subject to almost total restrictions.

Brussels, November 7 The European Commission imposed new restrictions on Russian nationals seeking visas in an implementation decision.

As of Wednesday, November 7, the European Commission will no longer provide multiple-entry Schengen visas; instead, Russian nationals would have to apply for a new visa for each visit to the EU.

The Commission's implementing decision, swiftly approved by all 29 Member States in the Schengen area, represents a major restriction on travel to the European Union as the crisis in Ukraine nears its fourth year.

The decision was made in compliance with Article 24(2d) of Regulation (EC) No 810/2009 (Visa Code) after an assessment conducted within the local Schengen cooperation in the Russian Federation.

According to SchengenVisaInfo.com, the Commission's decision was driven by the need to "engage in meticulous and regular assessment" of visa applications to avert possible security risks arising from Russia's aggressive campaign against Ukraine.