European Council to decide on visa restrictions for Russia on September 9

By Trend

The European Council is set to decide on suspending the visa facilitation agreement with Russia on September 9, a diplomatic source in Brussels said on Wednesday, Trend reports citing TASS.

"The European Council will consider the decision to suspend the visa agreement on September 9," the diplomat said.

On Tuesday, European Commissioner for Home Affairs Ylva Johansson expressed hope that the decision will come into force by September 12.

The abolition of the agreement means prices for Schengen visas will increase from 35 to 80 euros, while processing time will extend from 10 to 15 days, and could be further extended to 45 days if additional checks are required. The number of documents required to go with a visa application will also be expanded, while the number of denials will increase. Multiple-entry visas will get much harder to obtain. In addition, EU countries will be able to cancel some of the multiple-entry visas already issued to Russians.