Italy continues to be one of the European countries that issues the most visas to Russian citizens, raising concerns about the possibility of Russian intelligence agents infiltrating the Schengen area.
According to European Commission data, in 2025 Italy approved around 164 thousand visas for Russian applicants at the consulates in Moscow and St. Petersburg, while in 2024 it had approved over 152 thousand.
Along with France and Spain, Italy accounts for the vast majority of Schengen visas issued to Russians. In 2025, around 620,000 visas were issued to Russian citizens across the Schengen area, an increase compared to the years immediately following the invasion of Ukraine in 2022, but still far fewer than the around 4 million visas issued in 2019.
The main concern of Western services is that, in addition to Russian tourists and businessmen, people connected to Moscow's intelligence services could also enter through these channels. The case of the GRU agents involved in the poisoning of Sergei Skripal in Salisbury, who had previously traveled through Italy, is cited as an example of the risk.
The visa procedure is also in focus. Italy, France and Spain are among the countries that have opposed new restrictive measures against Russian tourists. The EU High Representative for Foreign Policy, Kaja Kallas, has called for stricter restrictions on the entry of Russian citizens into the EU, while the European Commission has warned of further changes to visa rules.
Another case concerns an investigation in Italy into the then Italian ambassador to Uzbekistan, Piergabriele Papadia de Bottini, who is suspected of facilitating the issuance of visas to Russian citizens in exchange for payments of up to 16,000 euros per person. According to investigators, 97 Russian citizens, some of whom are suspected of having links to Russian services, entered Italy through this scheme.
The increase in the number of visas and suspected cases of abuse have revived the debate in Europe over entry controls for Russian citizens and the risk that legitimate travel channels are being used for intelligence activities.
