Russians Subject to Long Waiting Times for Schengen Visas Due to Diplomatic Expulsions
Besides, limited appointment slots are available in the majority of embassy centres, with all slots at Greece, France, and Spain visa centres fully booked for this month, according to travel companies interviewed by the RBC, AtoZSerwisPlus.com reports.
The matter has raised Russian tourism agencies’ concern that European visa centres have a limited number of employees to process Russian citizens’ documents.
Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine has led authorities in European countries to impose harsh sanctions on Russia as a response to the war in Ukraine.
Up to this point, several Schengen countries, including the Czech Republic, Latvia, and Estonia, banned the issuance of tourist visas for Russian citizens.
Authorities in Russia also took similar measures towards countries that imposed sanctions on them.
Previously, Russia expelled eight Greek diplomats for what it called the latter’s “confrontational course” toward Moscow.
In addition, in May, Russia’s Foreign Ministry expelled dozens of French and Spanish diplomats in a “retaliatory” move for similar expulsions of Russian diplomats following the invasion of Ukraine.
The Greece Visa Application Center also announced on its website that the Consulate General of Greece in Moscow is experiencing a temporary shortage of staff processing visa applications. As a result, there may be delays in applications for a visa and passport return.
Besides, the director of a Russian travel agency, Lilia Feoktistova, said that the Spanish visa center in Russia offers only about 500-600 meeting places per day.
The Netherlands also stopped issuing visas for Russians, except for humanitarian visas and temporary residence permits, after the expulsion of Russian diplomats.
Poland is another country that also wants Schengen countries to stop issuing visas to Russians for short-term stays in the 26 Schengen countries due to the ongoing war in Ukraine.
However, it was reported that even before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the number of Schengen visas filed at the embassies of the Schengen countries in Russia marked a decrease.
