One of the resort countries has tightened visa requirements for Russians.

The consulate of Cyprus has informed Russian tour operators about changes in visa requirements for Cyprus. In particular, the processing Time for applications has been increased. It is now necessary to submit documents at least 15 days before the planned trip. Previously, this period was 3-4 days. New document requirements have also been added: a statement from the Social Fund of Russia for 10 years, bank account statements with detailed transactions for 3 months, salary data for 6 months, and a full copy of the Russian passport with stamps on all pages.

These changes complicate the process of obtaining a visa for Russian citizens and increase the time required to obtain a permission to enter.

It is emphasized that currently, it is difficult for Russians to enter Cyprus due to the lack of direct flights from Istanbul. Flights from Dubai and Doha are limited. The most popular option remains transit through Yerevan, but it does not provide a significant tourist flow.

According to the European Commission, the most Schengen visas were issued to Russians by Italy, Spain, and France. In 2023, 520,000 visa applications were submitted, with refusals occurring in 10.6% of cases.

According to the European Commission, compared to 2019, the number of refusals has increased more than 13 times. The highest number of refusals for Russians has come from Malta, Estonia, Sweden, Austria, and Germany.