Cyprus Resumes Regular Visa Processing in Russia

July 6, 2026 The Cyprus Embassy in Moscow. Alexxx1979 (CC BY-SA 4.0) Cyprus has resumed visa processing at its third-party centers across Russia, nearly a month after a contract lapse forced the country’s consulates to temporarily take over operations. Visa processing through private operator BLS International resumed Monday. The service had been suspended on June 13 following the expiration of the company’s previous agreement, forcing the Embassy of Cyprus’ consular section in Moscow, alongside consulates in St. Petersburg, Yekaterinburg and Krasnodar, to handle all applications directly. BLS International’s visa application centers operate in eight Russian cities, including Moscow, St. Petersburg, Yekaterinburg, Kazan, Samara, Nizhny Novgorod, Rostov-on-Don and Novosibirsk. On the company’s homepage, BLS International confirmed it has resumed operations in Russia. Cyprus is a member of the European Union, which suspended its visa facilitation agreement with Russia in 2022 and moved to deny Russian citizens multi-entry visas last November. Those collective restrictions have dramatically curbed travel, slashing the number of EU visas issued to Russians from several million annually to hundreds of thousands. Last month, a group of European countries urged the EU to adopt “new restrictive and binding visa measures” for Russian nationals looking to vacation within the Schengen area. Russian opposition figure Yulia Navalnaya spoke out against the proposal in September, warning that broad bans would be a “serious mistake” by reinforcing the Kremlin’s narrative that Europe is inherently hostile to all Russians. Read more about: Cyprus , Visas Sign up for our free weekly newsletter Our weekly newsletter contains a hand-picked selection of news, features, analysis and more from The Moscow Times. You will receive it in your mailbox every Friday. Never miss the latest news from Russia. Preview Subscribers agree to the Privacy Policy We sent a confirmation to your email. Please confirm your subscription. A Message from The Moscow Times: Dear readers, We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent." These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia. We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help. Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact. By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us. Once Monthly Annual Continue Not ready to support today? Remind me later. × Remind me next month Remind me Thank you! Your reminder is set. We will send you one reminder email a month from now. For details on the personal data we collect and how it is used, please see our Privacy Policy. Read more Cyprus Stops Accepting Visa Applications at Centers in Russia, Shifts Operations to Consulates Cyprus will suspend visa processing at its third-party centers across Russia and temporarily route all applications directly through its consulates. 2 Min read EU Unveils Stricter Visa Scrutiny for Russians The European Union Friday unveiled tighter visa requirements for Russians that would throw difficult — and, for some, impossible — hurdles... Russians Scramble for Visas as EU Mulls Travel Restrictions "What if the borders are closed and my mother will not be able to visit me?” said one Russian citizen living in Europe. U.S. Citizens Targeted in Russian Visa Clampdown An increasing number of Americans are facing visa problems or deportation from Russia due to worsening political ties, the Kommersant newspaper reported...