Kosovo Entry Rules Unchanged as EU Debates Limited Russian Schengen Visas

The European Union is considering wider use of Schengen visas valid only in certain member states for Russian tourists. A proposal on so-called limited territorial validity (LTV) visas was listed for the European Council's visa working group meeting in Brussels on 14 October 2026, amid security concerns.

The plan would draw on an existing visa category rather than create a new one. No start date has been announced, and the scope of the proposal remains unclear.

Key facts

• 14 October 2026: the proposal was on the agenda of the European Council's visa working group in Brussels.
• Germany put forward the initiative; Ireland has raised objections.
• EU Schengen countries issued 477,878 tourist visas to Russian nationals in 2025, a record high.
• Around 12,000 territorially restricted visas were issued to Russian applicants in 2025.
• Whether such visas become the default, who would qualify and when any change takes effect is not established.

What is being proposed?

The council's public register says the initiative concerns Russian nationals making non-essential trips. The underlying document is not publicly available, so the details have not been confirmed.

A standard Schengen visa allows travel throughout the Schengen area. An LTV visa, by contrast, permits travel only within the country or countries explicitly listed on it.

What would change for travellers?

A Russian tourist holding an LTV visa valid only for Italy could visit Italy but could not use that visa to travel to neighbouring Switzerland. It would also provide no authorisation to transit through other Schengen countries outside its territorial coverage.

That could complicate holidays involving several destinations, including bus tours and journeys requiring connections through another Schengen state.

Why is this being considered?

European governments cite risks including espionage, sabotage and infrastructure damage. Berlin has accused Moscow of involvement in the Leipzig airport drone incident, and multiple European intelligence agencies have warned of Russian assassination plots against arms executives.

Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo called on 11 October for a complete halt to issuing tourist visas to Russian nationals. Finland and several other European countries have already stopped issuing them, while France, Italy, Spain and Greece continue to do so.

In January 2026, the European Commission proposed developing visa restrictions targeting nationals of countries engaged in hostile activity against the EU, an effort that could involve amendments to the Visa Code, the legislation governing short-stay visas. The wider discussion on Russian visa bans gained traction in summer 2026; in July, Paris and Rome opposed a proposed ban, leading to a version limited to short-stay visas and only to those directly participating in Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

What visas are issued now?

The EU already issues territorially restricted visas to Russian applicants — around 12,000 in 2025, according to European Commission statistics. Such visas are particularly relevant to holders of five-year, non-biometric passports, which a growing number of Schengen countries no longer recognise. Territorial restrictions can keep a visa valid in countries that still accept that travel document.

There is precedent for other nationalities. Schengen countries issued more than 40,000 territorially restricted visas to Kosovo residents in 2011, when several European governments did not recognise Kosovo's independence or its passports. Visa-free travel for Kosovo passport holders took effect in 2024.

What this means for travellers

For now, no new restriction is in force and the proposal has not been adopted. Russian travellers planning trips to more than one Schengen country should check which countries their visa covers before booking, and holders of five-year non-biometric Russian passports should confirm which Schengen states still accept that document.

Kosovo passport holders have been able to travel to the Schengen area without a visa since 2024. The scope of the new initiative, who would qualify and any timing remain to be decided.