Slovakia Suspends Short-Stay Visas for Russian Tourists Through Summer

July 7, 2026 Ian Brown (CC BY-SA 2.0) Slovakia has suspended short-stay visa applications for Russian nationals through the end of the summer, though processing for long-stay visas will remain open. Private visa operators BLS International and VFS Global both said Slovakia’s visa application centers will cancel all existing appointments scheduled for July and August. The companies said applicants who have already paid booking fees will receive full refunds. “During July and August 2026, Slovakia’s visa application centers will exclusively accept Schengen visa applications under the ‘Sports’ travel category, alongside National visas for all eligible long-stay purposes,” said VFS Global. For the remaining long-stay national visas — typically issued to students, employees and family members of Slovakian citizens — processing times have been extended and could take more than 30 days, BLS International warned. The Association of Tour Operators of Russia (ATOR) said Slovakia’s suspension of summertime visa processing is unlikely to cause major problems given that the country is not a popular travel destination among Russian tourists. ATOR said Slovakia issued just 1,149 visas to Russians last year. Slovakia 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: Slovakia , 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 EU Bans Russians from Multi-Entry Schengen Visas The decision was taken to allow the bloc to conduct “close and frequent scrutiny of applicants to mitigate any potential security risk,” it said. 2 Min read Navalnaya Warns EU Against Tourist Visa Ban for Russians Italian media reported this week that EU members were weighing stricter tourist visa rules after a spike in Russian applications over the summer. 2 Min read Passports and War Driving Pregnant Russians to Give Birth in Argentina The country has become a destination of choice for Russian expectant parents fleeing the threat of conscription and seeking new passports. 3 Min read 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...