A senior official from Russia’s Foreign Ministry observed a growing interest among international travelers in visiting the country. The remark came from the head of the consular department, and it was reported by TASS.
The diplomat said Moscow drew this conclusion after reviewing visa requests. In the previous year, Russian missions and consular offices issued 840,000 paper visas and 170,000 electronic visas.
He noted that a portion of the total visas, specifically 221,000, were issued to citizens from nations listed as foreign states and territories taking actions deemed hostile toward the Russian Federation.
Looking ahead, the Russian side signaled a willingness to keep its doors open to foreign visitors, particularly those who maintain friendly relations with Russian citizens.
On February 11, Artem Studennikov, the head of the First European Department at the Russian Foreign Ministry, reported that refusals for Schengen visa issuance to Russian nationals are not common. He added that consulates in Italy, France, and Spain continue to issue such documents.
Earlier, within the European Union, there was discussion about changing the fee structure for Schengen visa applications.
These developments illustrate ongoing efforts by Moscow to manage international travel and asylum procedures while signaling openness to tourism and business travel from countries with constructive ties to Russia. The information reflects official communications and briefings released by Russian authorities and covered by international news agencies.