Russians Returning to Europe: Growing Demand for Visas and Flights

In the spring of 2025, Russian travelers have shown a notable increase in interest toward trips to the European Union, reports Kommersant. According to various agencies, demand has grown by 10–20%, and experts expect further increases despite ongoing restrictions.

Employees at Continent Express report that in March and April, demand for business and tourist visas increased by 12% compared to the same period last year. Daria Lukyanova-Zubritskaya, director of travel booking service Rakete, stated that in the first quarter, Schengen visa applications were up 17% year-on-year. Aeroclub noted an even sharper rise of 20%, while Natalia Volkova from VisaHod reported a 10% increase in applications in March compared to last year.

Russians are especially applying for visas to Italy, Spain, and France—these destinations lead in ticket bookings for May–August 2025. Italy accounts for 3.3% of all international bookings, Spain for 3.2%, and France for 2.9%. According to OneTwoTrip, European destinations now represent 22% of all international orders, up from 16% in 2024.

Earlier, the Association of Tour Operators of Russia also reported a noticeable rise in demand for sightseeing tours to Europe in 2025, with sales for spring and summer programs up 15–50% over the previous year.

Experts attribute this growth to several factors:
- Expanded routes via Istanbul, Tbilisi, Yerevan, and Baku, especially toward Southern and Eastern Europe.
- Lower airfares and adaptation to new Schengen visa procedures.
- Pent-up demand from the pandemic and initial sanction periods.

In 2024, Russians received more than 565,000 Schengen visas, a 25% increase over 2023. Italy led with 143,517 applications from Russians, representing 28% of total submissions, and issued 134,141 visas—30% of all approvals. France and Spain also issued significant numbers of visas.

Despite this growth, challenges remain: limited visa center appointments, shorter validity periods, and new restrictions. For example, France stopped accepting older five-year passports, complicating entry for some travelers.

Nevertheless, Julia Lipatova, managing director of Aeroclub, expects strong demand for Schengen visas to persist. She anticipates business trips and the summer tourist season will continue driving applications, aided by partial resumption of direct flights and increased mobility.

At the same time, visa-free destinations remain popular among Russians. According to Aviasales, top destinations for spring and summer 2025 include Turkey, Georgia, Armenia, Montenegro, Belarus, UAE, South Korea, Serbia, Uzbekistan, and Sri Lanka, accounting for 52% of all international bookings.