Russia has decided to mirror the European Union’s visa fee system, requiring citizens of several EU countries to pay the full visa fee when applying for a Russian visa.
The announcement, made by the Russian Foreign Ministry, came into effect from December 25.
Affected countries include Denmark, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland, and the European Union as a whole. While Russia had previously signed international treaties for simplified visa issuance with these entities, they were effectively frozen last year.
The ministry explained that it is following the example of its contractual partners, transitioning from visa fees specified in international treaties to tariffs outlined in national legislation.
Europeans will now have to pay the complete visa fee, including an additional charge based on urgency and the number of entries granted.
However, Russia intends to partially apply certain provisions of the agreements for specific categories of European applicants.
Businessmen, individuals involved in scientific, cultural, and sporting activities, schoolchildren, students, postgraduates, and others will continue to receive preferential terms.
The move aims to “synchronise Russian visa fee rules with the norms established by the European Union, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland”, according to the ministry.
On December 25, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a bill into law that reintroduces fees for issuing Russian visas to nationals of certain European countries.
The law suspends the provision that set the visa fee at 35 euros, and all European nationals will now be charged visa fees as determined by a Russian cabinet decree from 2010. The fees are expected to range from $50 to $300, depending on urgency and the number of entries sought.
The recent development follows the European Union’s decision to halt the issuance of visas under a simplified procedure for specific categories of Russians, eventually leading to the suspension of the agreement.
In response, Russia imposed restrictions on visa-free travel for diplomats from the affected countries, canceled visa preferences for various groups, including members of national and regional parliaments and governments, constitutional and supreme courts, journalists, and members of official delegations.
