Authorities in Russia have decided to make citizens from specific European Union countries pay the full visa fee for a Russian visa, a measure already applied by the EU towards Moscow since last year.
The decision affects Denmark, Iceland, Norway, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and the European Union as a whole.
The announcement has been made by the Russian Foreign Ministry and became effective on December 24.
In spite of the fact that Moscow had previously agreed to facilitate visa issuance with these groups through international treaties, these agreements were put on hold last year, following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Moscow clarified that it is following its partner’s example and switching from the visa fees mentioned in international agreements to the tariffs stated in its own national law.
The new decision means that citizens of Europe are now required to pay an entire visa fee, along with extra charge based on how urgently they need it and the number of times they can enter.
Those who were previously exempted from the visa fees are now required to pay them, including certain groups like close relatives of Russian residents, as well as students and participants in various activities, truck drivers, business men among others. The previous $35 visa fee is suspended, and now the visa cost will vary from $50 to $300 depending on how urgently it’s needed.
In August last year, foreign ministers of EU countries agreed to temporarily halt an agreement that makes it easier for Russians to acquire a visa. It means that Russians may have to wait longer and also pay more for their visas. However, there was not a unanimous agreement reached by EU countries after they were split over an outright EU travel ban.
Suspension of the facilitation agreement is almost certain.
Back then, the German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock backed the idea of not taking additional steps.
It is crucial not to punish dissidents who are trying to leave Russia.
In September 2022, the Commission proposed to entirely suspend the EU’s Visa Facilitation Agreement with Russia.
A country like Russia, waging a war of aggression, should not qualify for visa facilitations as long as it continues conducting its destructive foreign policy and military aggression towards Ukraine, demonstrating a complete disregard to the international rules-based order.
The Commission said that the suspension came as a response to increased risk and threats to the Union’s security and the national security of its EU Member States, due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
