Slovakia suspends Schengen visa applications from Russian nationals
Slovakia's visa centers in Russia will stop accepting Schengen visa applications in July and August, except for sports-related ones. National visas for study, family reunification, and specialized work will continue.
Slovakia's visa centers in Russia are temporarily suspending the acceptance of Schengen visa applications from Russian citizens. According to BLS International, citing the Slovak embassy, the suspension will be in effect for July and August. Only applications related to sports events will be exempted. Meanwhile, national visas for study, family reunification, and specialized work will continue to be processed.
The Association of Tour Operators of Russia said there is no significant hype around Slovak visas on the market, noting that Slovakia has historically not been among the top visa-friendly countries for Russian tourists. The most visa-friendly countries remain Spain, France, and Italy.
However, even these countries are experiencing changes. Spain's visa center recently warned that due to an increase in applications, processing times for Spanish visas may now take up to 45 days (previously three to four weeks). Italy's visa center has also extended its processing times, which now exceed 60 days.
