OREANDA-NEWS Some EU countries, which do not formally prohibit the entry of Russian tourists, make obviously impossible demands on them. This was announced by the State Secretary-Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Russia Yevgeny Ivanov. These states, for example, require payment of visa fees through Western banks or the provision of a medical insurance policy by a foreign insurer, which is "extremely problematic in the face of unprecedented Western sanctions."

"The processing of multiple—entry visas for Russians has been minimized," Mr. Ivanov told TASS. He recalled that Russian tourists are prohibited from entering Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Finland, the Czech Republic and Estonia.

The simplified visa regime with the EU has been suspended since September 12. Russians have increased the visa fee from €35 to €80. The deadline for consideration of applications from Russia has also increased. Several EU countries have stopped issuing tourist visas to Russians.