Italy Reduces Visa Processing for Russians to 45 Days

Italy has reduced visa processing for Russian citizens from 60 days to 45 days, the country’s visa service said.

“We hereby inform you that the processing time for tourist visa applications has been reduced from 60 to 45 days,” the visa service wrote on its website.

“Applicants are therefore advised to take these updated processing times into account when planning their trip,” it added.

Radio Liberty reported on Wednesday that EU Schengen countries issued 477,878 tourist visas to Russians in 2025, a record high. It added that most were issued by Greece, Italy, France, and Spain.

Russian state media RIA Novosti said Italy issued about 160,000, citing data from the Association of Tour Operators of Russia (ATOR).

The development comes as the EU eyes visa restrictions on all Russian nationals over fears of Russian hybrid attacks in recent proposals.

Under the proposals, Schengen tourist visa rules for Russian tourists would be tightened, while ex-combatants from Russia would be barred from entering.

Current considerations include tightening travel to the issuing country only, despite the Schengen area’s freedom of movement, and imposing quotas on visas issued to Russians.

Ukrainian media outlet Suspilne, citing unnamed EU diplomats on Friday, said France has eased its earlier opposition, while Italy has firmly opposed the ban.

“They talk about interpersonal ties with the Russians, which need to be maintained. But we understand that it’s about money,” one of the diplomats was quoted as saying.

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“We see that France’s position is changing towards agreeing to certain measures, but Italy is still blocking them.”

Paris and Rome previously opposed the bloc’s proposed ban in July, leading to a version that limits the measure to short-stay visas and only to those directly participating in Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Despite their opposition, the two countries have also been some of Ukraine’s strongest backers in Europe, with French President Emmanuel Macron boasting in January that Paris became a key intelligence provider to Kyiv, while Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has been the major advocate for security guarantees modeled after NATO’s Article 5 mutual defense clause.