The issuance of Schengen visas to Russian tourists with a validity of more than 1 year has been suspended.

According to the information reported by the Moscow correspondent of APA referring to the Association of Russian Tour Operators, after the cancellation of the agreement on the simplification of the visa regime between the Russian Federation and the European Union, the consulates of European countries stopped issuing Schengen visas to Russians for more than a year.

In most cases, visas are issued for the duration of the visit.

"The visa process has been seriously tightened both in terms of conditions and required documents. But the most unpleasant thing is the short-term validity of the visas. If earlier Russians received two-, three-, and often five-year visas, now multiple-entry visas are valid for a maximum of six months and it can be issued for a period of one year or for a period of one year. Those who have a poor visa history are issued a visa only once during the visit," the information stated.