Russians with tourist visas from any EU countries banned from entering Czechia starting 25 October

Russian nationals with valid Schengen visas issued by any member states of the European Union travelling for the purpose of tourism, sports or culture will be denied entry to Czechia starting 25 October, the country’s Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský says. Up to 200 Russian citizens arrive in Czechia by plane every day, as per the ministry’s data.

Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia agreed on barring Russian nationals with valid Schengen visas from entering their countries via land borders with Russia and Belarus. The ban does not extend towards family members, humanitarian visa holders, diplomats and people involved in transportation of cargo.

The EU countries agreed to suspend the 2007 visa facilitation deal with Russia in late August. The process of obtaining a Schengen visa would become more complicated for Russian nationals, extending the application review period up to six months and increasing visa fee up to 80 euro. There will be no complete ban, however.