EU seeks to ban Russian diplomats from travelling outside host countries

On 12 October, the EU Foreign Affairs Council will discuss the possibility of introducing further restrictions on the movement of Russian diplomats between EU member states, potentially including a complete ban on travel outside the country to which they are accredited.

Source: European Pravda, citing several European diplomats and a senior EU official familiar with the preparations for the discussion

Details: European Pravda's sources indicate that the EU wants either to ban Russian diplomats from travelling outside their host country altogether or require them to obtain prior permission from any EU member state they intend to travel through.

The diplomats noted that several EU countries support significantly tightening restrictions on Russian diplomats' freedom of movement within the Schengen area.

Quote from one diplomat: "Until now, Russian diplomats have been able to notify their host country and travel wherever they want. Now we want to impose a blanket restriction."

Details: Another European Pravda source stressed that a significant proportion of Russian diplomats in the EU are intelligence officers, which is one of the main reasons the EU wants to restrict their freedom of movement.

Quote from another diplomat: "The logical next step would be to allow Russian diplomats to travel only within the country to which they are accredited. For example, a Russian diplomat accredited in France would not be allowed to travel to Germany or Belgium."

Details: Meanwhile, the EU is also considering a less restrictive option: requiring Russian diplomats to obtain permission from both their host country and the countries they intend to visit, rather than simply notifying them of travel within the Schengen area.

European Pravda's sources also highlighted the large number of Russian diplomats accredited to international organisations based in European capitals. They said the EU is interested in reducing their numbers and tightening oversight.

European Pravda notes that the EU Foreign Affairs Council meeting on 12 October will be for discussion only, with no decision on new restrictions on Russian diplomats expected.

EU diplomats first want to gauge the level of political support for further measures restricting Russian diplomats' travel.

Furthermore, on 14 October, the EU Council's visa working group is due to discuss a German initiative on a common restrictive approach to issuing visas to Russian citizens, the use of visas with limited territorial validity and visa-related provisions in the EU's 21st package of sanctions against Russia.

Background:

• In October 2025, as part of the 19th package of sanctions against Russia, the EU introduced a requirement for Russian diplomats to notify EU member states in advance of any travel outside the country to which they are accredited. The rules came into force on 25 January 2026.
• Since the summer, the EU has also been discussing restricting visa issuance to those who have fought in Ukraine for Russia. The EU included a mechanism to ban visas for Russian military personnel in its 21st sanctions package, but the ban itself has not yet come into force.
• In September, Hungary announced its decision to expel 10 staff members of the Russian embassy for activities deemed "unacceptable for diplomats" under the Vienna Convention.
• In early September, Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski called for Russian diplomats to be allowed to travel only within the countries to which they are accredited, and for limits to be imposed on the number of accreditations they can hold.

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