Greece Significantly Increases Schengen Visa Refusals for Russian Tourists Amid Tighter EU Regulations
Greek consulates have sharply raised visa refusal rates for Russian applicants in 2025, impacting Russian tour operators and travelers during peak season.
In 2025, Greece has significantly increased its refusal rate for Schengen visa applications from Russian citizens, according to data from the Russian Association of Tour Operators (ATOR). At the peak travel season, some Russian tour operators experienced denial rates reaching as high as 50%, while independent travelers faced even higher rejection rates—up to 70%.
Impact on Russian Tour Operators and Travelers
Russian tour operators note that Greeks have denied visas even to fully prepaid tourists with confirmed accommodation bookings from hosting companies in Greece. One reported case involved a visa refusal despite the applicant owning property in Moscow and presenting flawless bank documents. This surge in refusals represents a marked shift, as "such high volumes of direct refusals had not been observed previously," said a representative from a Russian tourism firm, who declined to speculate on the underlying reasons.
“The volume of direct refusals we are seeing now is unprecedented compared to previous years.”
In 2025, Greece issued approximately 59,000 visas to Russian citizens, with 41.6% being multiple-entry permits. However, the rejection rate for Greek visas stood at 11.2%, nearly double the average of 6.4% across the Schengen area, according to official statistics.
Broader Schengen Visa Trends for Russian Nationals
Overall, Russians obtained over 620,000 Schengen visas in 2025, marking a 10% increase over 2024. Applications for Schengen visas by Russians rose by 8.42% to 674,000. Despite this growth in applications and issued visas, the proportion of multiple-entry visas granted to Russians declined drastically from 57% to 12% within just two months, following the European Commission’s decision to tighten visa issuance rules.
Nearly three-quarters of all Schengen visa applications by Russians in 2025 were submitted to France, Italy, and Spain. These countries issued 68% of all visas granted to Russian nationals during the year. Italy reduced the number of visas issued to Russians by 5.8%, Spain’s issuance remained largely steady compared to 2024, while France increased its visa issuance to Russians by almost 30%, reaching approximately 173,000 visas.
European Commission’s Policy Shift on Multiple-Entry Visas
In November 2025, the European Commission prohibited issuing multiple-entry visas to Russian citizens, citing security concerns related to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. ATOR highlighted that this policy shift explains the paradoxical rise in the total number of visas issued to Russians in 2025. Previously, travelers could use a single multiple-entry visa valid for several years; now, they must apply more frequently for new visas, driving up the volume of applications and issued permits.
