TL;DR
Get smart everyday buys delivered free with Prime
- Fast, free delivery on millions of items
- Prime Video, Amazon Music and more included
- Member-only deals all year
Germany reportedly proposed issuing Russian citizens limited-territorial-validity visas for nonessential travel, which would restrict them to the Schengen countries named on their visas. EU officials discussed the proposal on October 14, but the document is not public and no final decision or implementation details have been confirmed.
EU officials discussed a German proposal to restrict where Russian citizens can travel on visas for tourism and other nonessential trips, according to a report by the outlet Rapporteur. The measure would use limited territorial validity (LTV) visas, which permit travel only to the Schengen countries listed on the visa, rather than across the zone. No decision to adopt the proposal has been reported.
The proposal was considered on October 14 by the Council of the EU’s visa policy working group at a meeting in Brussels, according to Meduza, citing Rapporteur. Rapporteur said it had reviewed a document describing the German proposal. The document has not been made public, leaving the proposed scope and any conditions for issuing the visas unknown.
An LTV visa is not a new visa category. Unlike a standard Schengen visa, it names the country or countries where its holder may travel. A traveler with a visa valid only for Italy, for example, would not be permitted to visit neighboring Switzerland or transit through another Schengen country. Travel outside the listed territory would violate the visa’s conditions.
Meduza reports that 12,000 Russian citizens received LTV visas in 2025. The Ark, a human rights organization, says they are commonly issued to people holding Russia’s five-year, nonbiometric international passports. The report links this to 15 Schengen countries no longer recognizing nonbiometric Russian passports. The figure is a count for 2025; the supplied reporting gives no broader comparison baseline.
How a Country-Limited Visa Would Work
If adopted and used more widely, the proposal could make a Schengen visa less useful for Russian travelers by limiting trips to a subset of participating countries. It would also create practical restrictions on transit and onward travel: a traveler could not assume that a visa for one destination allows passage through another Schengen country.
The measure could offer a compromise between countries seeking tougher restrictions and those opposed to a complete halt on Russian tourist visas. The Ark founder and lawyer Anastasia Burakova told Meduza that LTV visas could be acceptable to countries that reject a blanket tourist-visa ban. That is her assessment, not an EU decision or an official explanation of the German proposal.
The security case remains contested. The European Commission has previously cited concerns including espionage, property damage and sabotage as reasons to tighten visa rules. Burakova argued that restrictions on tourist visa holders would not improve security, saying, “This is meant to reassure people in countries that are under greater pressure. But it won’t make any difference to security at all.” That is an attributed view, not an established finding about the proposal’s effects.
Schengen visa holder travel accessories
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
EU Debate Over Russian Visas
The reported proposal comes amid wider discussion of restrictions. In January 2026, the European Commission proposed developing visa measures for citizens of countries involved in what it called “hostile activities against the EU.” Meduza reported that the work could include changes to the EU Visa Code, the legal framework governing visas.
Calls for further restrictions have also come from individual European governments. On October 11, Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo proposed a complete halt to tourist visas for Russians, according to Meduza. That proposal and Germany’s reported LTV approach are different: one would stop tourist visas, while the other could limit where a visa holder may travel.
EU countries have not all backed the same approach. The reported LTV proposal has drawn criticism from Ireland, Meduza said, but the available material does not specify the full basis of that objection or the positions of other governments. The meeting therefore signals discussion, not agreement among EU member states.
“The Commission cited threats of “espionage, property damage, and sabotage” in discussing tighter visa rules for Russians.”
— The European Commission, as described in Meduza’s report
travel document organizer for visas
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
Proposal Details Remain Unpublished
The document reportedly setting out Germany’s proposal is not publicly available. It is therefore unclear how many Russian applicants might receive LTV visas, which destinations could be listed, what criteria consulates would use, or whether the proposal would apply to particular passport holders or categories of travel.
There is also no reported EU agreement, adoption date or timetable. The source material does not establish whether the proposal would require changes to existing rules or could be carried out through current visa procedures. Burakova told Meduza that LTV visas might be issued at scale under the current system, but that remains her assessment, not a confirmed implementation plan.
Although routine internal border checks are generally absent between Schengen countries, member states can temporarily reintroduce checks. Burakova said travelers could also face scrutiny during identity checks or when using services such as hotels, airlines or hospitals. The reporting does not specify how authorities would enforce any new restrictions in practice or what penalties would apply under this proposal.
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
EU Members Weigh the Proposal
The next step is for EU governments and officials to continue discussing the reported measure. The available reporting does not give a date for a decision or say when any new rule could take effect. Until an official text or decision is published, the proposal’s scope and prospects remain uncertain.
Further developments to watch include publication of the document, statements from Germany and Ireland, and any formal proposal from the European Commission or Council. If the measure advances, the details will need to clarify eligibility, permitted destinations, transit rules and how travelers would be informed of the territorial limits on their visas.
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
Key Questions
What has Germany reportedly proposed?
Germany reportedly proposed that Russian citizens seeking visas for tourism or other nonessential travel could receive limited-territorial-validity visas. These would allow travel only to the Schengen countries named on the visa. The proposal has not been confirmed as adopted.
What is an LTV visa?
An LTV visa is valid for travel only in the country or countries specified on it. It does not provide the same freedom to travel throughout the Schengen zone as a standard Schengen visa, and travel through an unlisted country is not allowed under its conditions.
Has the EU approved the reported measure?
No approval is reported in the source material. Officials discussed the proposal on October 14, but the document is not public and the available reporting says no final decision has been made.
How many Russians received LTV visas in 2025?
Meduza reports that 12,000 Russian citizens received LTV visas in 2025. That is a year-specific count; the source material does not provide a comparison baseline.
When could any new restrictions take effect?
No implementation date or timetable has been reported. The proposal’s criteria, scale and legal route are also unclear while the underlying document remains unpublished.
Source: rss
Halloween Picks
halloween
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
