Share of Russian visas in total Schengen visas issued 2021, by country

Around 76 percent of all Schengen Area visas for Finland were issued to Russian citizens in 2021. Estonia ranked second with over 53 percent of the total. The most common category of Schengen visas, type C, allows its holders to stay in the Schengen Area for up to 90 days. In 2022, the European Union (EU) suspended the visa facilitation agreement with Russia in response to the invasion of Ukraine, thus making it more difficult for Russians to apply for a Schengen visa. Furthermore, the Baltic states and Poland stopped allowing Russians with Schengen visas to enter their territories, while Finland restricted entry of Russian tourists. A total of 513.8 thousand Schengen visas of type C were issued from applications to consulates in Russia in 2021. The country that issued the most Schengen visas of that type to Russians was Greece.