Estonia backs Finland's call to restrict Russian tourist visas

Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna called on the European Commission and EU countries on October 13 to stop issuing tourist visas to Russians.

Tsahkna urged tighter visa policy across the European Union. Estonia joined an initiative published by Finland's Foreign Ministry the previous day.

The proposal also targets supporters of people under EU sanctions and Russian athletes and teams backing Russian government policy. Separately, the minister urged progress on an entry ban for people who served in Russian armed formations.

Estonia has imposed national restrictions on visas for Russian and Belarusian citizens since April 2022. They cover short-stay Schengen visas and long-stay Estonian visas.

The latest statement is an appeal to European institutions and member states. It does not mean that the EU has adopted a new blanket ban or automatically canceled previously issued visas.