Russian water polo team plans camps in visa-free Serbia and Montenegro

Dejan Stanojević, the Serbian head coach of Russia's men's water polo national team, says visa restrictions are shaping where the squad can prepare. Speaking during the Eurasian Water Polo League round in Kazan, he said the team can travel without visas only to Serbia and Montenegro, so its next training camps will be held in those two countries.

Key facts

• Visa-free travel for the Russian squad is limited to Serbia and Montenegro, according to Stanojević.
• Hungary, Italy and Spain are named as countries where visas are required.
• The next training camp with sparring matches is planned for Montenegro in December, followed by Serbia in January.
• The Netherlands and France refused to issue visas to the team for international tournaments, the coach said.
• Russia is due to start a qualification tournament for the 2028 European Championship in March 2027.

Which countries can the team travel to without a visa?

According to Stanojević, only two destinations are open to the squad without visa applications: Serbia and Montenegro. He described this as a problem, because those are also the countries with strong national teams and clubs that can provide quality sparring opponents.

Other nations with strong water polo programmes — Hungary, Italy and Spain — require visas, he said. The coach added that the Netherlands and France refused to issue visas when the team wanted to take part in tournaments held in those countries.

How does this affect the team's plans?

The next training camp with practice matches will take place in Montenegro in December, and another is planned for Serbia in January. Stanojević said these camps will let players measure the technical, tactical and physical level they must reach to compete with Serbia, described as three-time Olympic champions, and with competitive Montenegro.

He also said it is difficult to plan preparation for competitions because the team does not know in advance whether visas will be issued.

Could visa issues affect upcoming qualifiers?

Russia is due to begin qualification for the final stage of the 2028 European Championship in March 2027. A qualifying tournament for Olympic participation is also expected in 2027.

Stanojević raised the possibility that Russia's qualification group could be assigned to a country that would not grant visas to Russian athletes. He called this a political matter and declined to comment further.

What this means for travellers

The coach's comments highlight the same entry rules that apply to other Russian passport holders: Serbia and Montenegro are described as destinations where no visa is needed, while travel to Hungary, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands and France requires a visa. Anyone planning trips connected to the team's schedule should confirm the current visa rules for their own nationality before booking.

No further announcements about the team's travel plans have been made beyond the December camp in Montenegro and the January camp in Serbia.