Tsikhanouskaya's Advisor Promised to Act Proactively in Case of Ban on Tourist Visas for Russians to the EU

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Belarusians are asking a question that has been raised repeatedly since the start of the full-scale war: could new measures sooner or later affect us as well?

Europe Prepares for a New Stage of Restrictions

Since the beginning of Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine, the European Union has already significantly complicated the process of obtaining Schengen visas for Russians. In 2022, the agreement on simplified visa regime between the EU and Russia was completely suspended. This made the procedure lengthy, expensive, and more complex.

In November 2025, the European Commission went even further: Russians effectively lost the ability to obtain multiple-entry Schengen visas. Now, in most cases, they need to apply for a new visa before each trip.

In early June, Sweden, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Poland, Denmark, Finland, Czechia, the Netherlands, as well as Iceland and Norway, advocated for new restrictions on Russian tourists. Their argument is related to security concerns and the need to deprive Russians of the opportunity to travel freely in Europe while the war in Ukraine continues.

Brussels has already confirmed that it is preparing new proposals to strengthen the visa regime for Russian citizens. However, for now, the discussion concerns targeted restrictions, not a complete ban.

Could Belarusians Be Affected?

For now, there are no decisions regarding citizens of Belarus.

Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya's advisor on diplomatic issues, Dzianis Kuchynski, noted in a comment to "Nasha Niva" that in recent years, the European Union has consistently adhered to the principle of separating the Belarusian people from the Lukashenka regime and Belarusians from Russians.

Павялічыць

Dzianis Kuchynski. Photo: "Nasha Niva"

"This is one of the most important results of the work of democratic forces after February 2022 — we managed to convey to our European partners that Belarus and Belarusians are not equal to the regime that serves the Kremlin and drags our country into a foreign war," he notes.

At the same time, Dzianis Kuchynski admits: the behavior of the Belarusian regime makes such discussions increasingly difficult.

"Support for Russian aggression, hybrid attacks against neighbors, the use of migration as a weapon, sending agents into EU countries, and creating threats to national security continue to pose additional risks. Therefore, the issue of maintaining a separate approach to Belarusians requires constant attention and work with our European partners," says Tsikhanouskaya's advisor.

According to him, there are currently no decisions to extend possible new restrictions for Russians to citizens of Belarus.

"We will continue to insist that Belarusians should not be punished for the actions of an illegitimate regime. On the contrary, the opportunity to travel to Europe, receive education, and maintain ties with the democratic world is an investment in the future of a free Belarus," emphasized Dzianis Kuchynski.

For many Belarusians, a Schengen visa provides the opportunity to study, work, maintain contact with relatives, participate in international projects, seek protection from persecution, or simply avoid being cut off from Europe. Therefore, any new discussion about visa restrictions causes alarm.

Dzianis Kuchynski says that he plans to discuss this issue with German politicians in the near future: "I will have consultations with German colleagues and will definitely raise this issue in my conversations, including with the Chancellor's team and the CDU party. It is important that Germany continues to remain open to Belarusians."

By the way, Germany remains one of the most important Schengen zone countries for Belarusians. According to data from the German Embassy in Minsk, approximately 42,000 Schengen visas were issued to Belarusians in 2025, making Germany one of the main visa destinations for citizens of Belarus.

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