According to EU Helpers, the RST asserts that, aside from certain Schengen Area nations that have placed restrictions on Russian travelers, there are other nations that grant Russian nationals visas more quickly and others that have a higher issuance rate, giving them a better chance of getting one.
A survey from the corporate tourism firm Russian Aeroclub states that, as of 2023, Switzerland ranks seventh among the countries to which Russian passport holders have applied for visas.
Spain and Italy Are "the Most Loyal" to Russian Travelers
Italy and Spain are at the top of the list of nations that grant Russians visas the most frequently. They are dubbed "the most loyal" by the RST to Russian travelers.
According to Interfax, applicants submitting files at this Russian consulate must wait four to six weeks for a response.
According to Schengen Visa Statistics, 154,450 out of 603,955 Schengen visas issued in 2022—one-fourth of those obtained by holders of Russian passports—were issued by the Spanish government.
In contrast, the Italian consulate takes 30 to 45 days to make a decision after receiving an application. Visas issued at this embassy have a validity period of three to six months, though occasionally one year visas are also granted.
In 2023, the Italian visa was the third most sought-after in Russia, according to the corporate tourist organization Russian Aeroclub.
Russia is given visas from France that have the longest validity.
Russian tour providers claim that France is the nation that offers visas with the longest validity. Furthermore, applications are processed in a little two and a half weeks.
Nevertheless, scheduling an appointment at this consulate is a major hassle. Despite these obstacles, 11% of all visa applications submitted to Russia in 2023 were submitted to French consulates, which rank second in terms of the total number of applications received, right behind China.
Hungary is another nation that Russians hold in high regard for its "loyalty." Seventy percent of the visitors that the operator "Turtrans-Voyage" brought on board were granted multiple-entry permits from Hungary, according to Irina Gusakova, Director of Development.
Greece exclusively issues visas for the necessary dates of the intended travel, despite its high issuance rate and short processing time of 2.5 weeks.
According to the Union of Travel, Croatia is the nation that takes the longest to grant a Schengen visa in Russia; applicants may have to wait up to two months for a response. Even yet, there is still little demand for visas from this nation in Russia because it only joined the Schengen area on January 1, 2023.