Latvia Resumes Visa Issuance for Russians
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Latvia has resumed the issuance of visas to citizens of the Russian Federation in certain categories "after assessing the current security situation and consulting with neighboring countries and regional partners."
This was announced by the ministry's press service.
The acceptance of visa applications at Latvian diplomatic and consular missions abroad will start from July 4.
Visa applications can be submitted by family members of Latvian citizens and non-citizens, family members of EU or Swiss citizens, as well as those who intend to travel for humanitarian purposes, such as in the case of a serious illness of a close relative or for attending a funeral in Latvia, or in situations where there is a threat to life and safety in their own country. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Latvia emphasized that each application will be considered individually, and the applicant will need to provide documentary evidence related to one of these categories.
On Saturday, June 24, amid the military coup in Russia, Latvian President Edgars Rinkēvičs tweeted that the country would suspend the issuance of all types of visas to Russians, including humanitarian visas, "in connection with the events in Russia." Later, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Latvia clarified in a comment that the President was referring only to those who wanted to enter Latvia or obtain a visa "in the context" of the coup organized by the founder of the Wagner PMC, Yevgeny Prigozhin.
On June 26, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Latvia made a decision to suspend the issuance of all types of visas to Russians "due to the unpredictable development of internal political events in Russia."
Earlier, The Gaze reported that the Baltic countries were concerned about the presence of Wagner Group mercenaries in Belarus. In particular, the Foreign Ministers of Lithuania and Latvia on June 27 called on NATO leadership to strengthen their eastern borders in response to the actions of the Kremlin regime.
It was also reported that Estonia stands out in the European Union with its strict policy on Schengen visas.
Anna Tisler-Lavrentjev, spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Estonia, explained that a large number of Russian citizens who applied for visas were rejected because they fall under sanctions. For example, visa applications can be submitted if they have relatives by direct descent or ascent who permanently reside in Estonia, but during the application process, it is sometimes discovered that these individuals reside not in Estonia, but in third countries.