Germany plans to further restrict Schengen visas for Russian nationals.

The German government intends to work towards further restrictions on Schengen visas for Russian nationals at the European level. The Federal Foreign Office explicitly stated in early September 2026 that, from Germany's perspective, too many so-called C visas are still being issued to Russian nationals within the European Union.

This could further exacerbate the already difficult situation for Russian visa applicants.

From our legal practice, we have observed for some time now that visa procedures for Russian nationals can be particularly difficult.

What are the German government's plans regarding visas for Russian nationals?

The German Foreign Office formulated its position unusually clearly on September 2, 2026. The European Union has been pursuing a more restrictive visa policy towards Russia since 2022. Among other measures, the visa facilitation agreement between the EU and Russia has been completely suspended.

Germany now apparently wants to go even further.

According to the German Foreign Office, the European policy is being implemented with varying degrees of strictness by the individual member states. Germany sees a need for improvement in this area. When asked what this need specifically entailed, a spokesperson for the Foreign Office explicitly stated that the number of C visas issued to Russian citizens for holiday travel to the EU is too high.

The German government therefore wants to discuss the matter with its European partners.

Why is Germany tightening its position right now?

This development is related to the significantly strained German-Russian relations. Germany blames Russia for an attempted drone attack on Leipzig/Halle Airport. Russia denies the allegations.

The German government subsequently announced several countermeasures. These include diplomatic measures, further efforts to impose sanctions, and possible additional travel restrictions for Russian citizens.

The discussion about visas has therefore now explicitly become part of the security and foreign policy debate with Russia.

How difficult is it for Russian citizens to obtain German visas today?

In our experience, visa procedures for Russian nationals are already extremely difficult in some cases.

In our legal practice, we frequently encounter lengthy security clearance processes. This can significantly prolong proceedings. Furthermore, there are sometimes rejections whose justifications, in our view, appear very superficial and where it may seem that the overall political situation played a considerable role in the decision-making process.

However, a distinction must be made between the security interests of the state and those of the specific applicant.

Of course, German and European authorities are permitted to consider actual security risks. However, nationality alone says little about whether a specific individual poses a threat.

Is a blanket restriction on Russian nationals justified?

From our perspective, a blanket assessment of Russian nationals is problematic.

The average Russian citizen bears no personal responsibility for the policies of the Russian government. This is especially true for people who want to leave Russia and may therefore seek a future in Germany or another European country.

A visa policy that effectively treats applicants worse solely because of their Russian nationality can therefore be discriminatory.

The political dispute with the Russian government must not lead to the individual examination of a visa application being replaced by a blanket political assessment.

From a rule-of-law perspective, the focus must therefore remain on the specific individual case.

Does this development also affect national visas for Germany?

The current political discussion focuses in particular on short-term Schengen visas, or C visas. These must be distinguished from national visas for longer-term stays.

For example, anyone wishing to work, study, or live with family members in Germany typically applies for a national visa. Different legal frameworks and requirements apply in this case.

However, security checks and the generally tense political situation can also have practical implications for such procedures. Russian applicants should therefore carefully examine the reasons actually cited by the diplomatic mission, especially in cases of unusually long procedures or rejections that are difficult to understand.

Are visas for Russians now being completely discontinued?

No. There is currently no talk of a general visa freeze.

The German government is instead calling for a further reduction, especially of tourist C visas, and additional controls or travel restrictions.

How far Germany will be able to assert itself at the European level remains to be seen.

However, for Russian nationals, it is already becoming clear that visa procedures in Europe are likely to become more difficult, both politically and practically.