Greece has started to massively deny Schengen visas to citizens of Russia, the Association of Tour Operators of Russia (ATOR) reported on Wednesday, July 29. According to them, among some tour operators in Russia, the share of refusals for obtaining Greek Schengen visas reached up to 50% at the peak of the season. Independent travelers are reportedly receiving refusals even more frequently - in almost 70% of cases, claims one source from the publication "Vestnik ATOR". Russian tour operators note that Greek visas are being denied even to tourists whose trips are fully paid for and whose accommodations are confirmed by receiving companies in Greece. In one case, a repeat applicant received a refusal despite having confirmation of property ownership in Moscow and "impeccable," as stated by "Vestnik ATOR," banking documents. "Direct refusals of this magnitude have not been observed before," noted one Russian travel company, struggling to name the reason. In 2025, Greece issued about 59,000 visas to Russian citizens, of which 41.6% were multiple-entry. Negative decisions were made on 11.2% of applications compared to an average of 6.4% across Schengen zone countries, according to official statistics. ## ## Russians have started to receive more Schengen visas - but not any kind In 2025, citizens of Russia received more than 620,000 Schengen visas - 10% more than the previous year. The number of applications for Schengen visas from Russians also increased compared to 2024 - by 8.42%, reaching 674,000. However, the share of multiple-entry visas issued to Russians fell from 57% to 12% in just two months following the European Commission's decision to tighten the rules. Almost three-quarters of all Schengen visa applications from Russians in 2025 were for France, Italy, and Spain. These countries issued 68% of all visas to Russian citizens. While Italy reduced the number of visas issued to Russians by 5.8%, and Spain's figure remained almost unchanged compared to 2024, France issued nearly 30% more visas to Russian citizens than the previous year - approximately 173,000. In November 2025, the European Commission banned the issuance of multiple-entry visas to Russians, citing security risks for European Union countries due to the war in Ukraine. ATOR explained that this was the reason for the increase in visas issued to Russian citizens: "If previously travelers could use one multiple-entry visa for several years, now they are forced to apply for permits much more frequently."