For applicants from Russia and the CIS

Single Schengen visa for Russians: what it means for Spain

By a decision of the European Commission of 6 November 2025, Russians who live in Russia and file documents with the consulates of the Schengen countries in Russia receive multiple Schengen visas only as close relatives and transport workers.

Information material, not individual legal opinion: Prepared using IE; checked by a subject matter specialist before publication has not yet been completed; conditions apply to a particular situation and may change.
Short
  • Decision C(2025) 7552 of 6.11.2025 Limits multiple short-term visas for Russians who live in Russia and apply to the Consulate of the Schengen country in Russia, including Spain [1].
  • The next of kin of Russians legally resident in the EU or of EU citizens are granted multiple visas (one year if there are three legal trips in two years) and transport workers (nine months) [1].
  • Countries can reasonably grant multiple visas to those who prove the need for frequent travel and their reliability [1].
  • The decision applies to short-term visas up to 90 days. [1][2].
  • One visa gives one entry to Schengen: after leaving, a new visa is needed, for those who plan to enter the Schengen and apply for a DNV from Spain. [4].

What did the European Commission decide in November 2025?

Commission Implementing Decision C(025) 7552 of 6 November 2025 establishes special rules for the issuance of multiple visas to Russians. [1].

The rule is that only applicants from the list below are granted multiple visas. [1].

Who's gonna get a multiple visa anyway?

GroupVisa periodCondition
Close relatives of Russians legally resident in EU countries or of Union citizens: spouse, partner in registered partnership, children, parents; children of the spouse under 211 yearThree visas received and legally used in the previous two years [1]
Transport workers: seafarers, truck and bus drivers, train crews9 monthsThey serve as professionals; two visas were obtained and used in two years [1]

The visa does not exceed the validity of the passport: it ends three months before the passport is completed [1]The decision reserves the right of countries to grant multiple visas to those who prove the need for frequent or regular travel and their reliability in justified cases. [1].

Whose decision isn't relevant?

The decision applies to Russians who reside in Russia and apply for a short-term visa at the Schengen consulate in Russia [1]The text should read:

  • Other citizens living in Russia remain under general rules unless they have Russian citizenship [1];
  • The EU family which moves with a Union citizen is governed by a separate Directive 2004/38/EC [1];
  • Russians legally resident in another country are not subject to this decision, but the consulate must strictly observe the rules of territorial competence. [1].

Where to serve, taken out of the material where Russians apply for a visa to Spain.

What does a one-time visa mean for a plan to move to Spain?

The Schengen visa is granted for up to 90 days at any time for 180 days, and is served at the Consulate's visa centre for 6 months to 15 days before travel, 15 calendar days before being ordered, 45 days when requested for documents or interviews. 90 euros is collected for applicants from 12 years of age, and the visa centre is added to it. [3].

There are two ways for DNV: a national visa at the consulate or a UGE application for those who are already legally in Spain. [4][5]The national visa is a separate procedure, and a single Schengen impact on the second track: after leaving Schengen, a new visa is required, so everything that is required for an application (contract, employer's letter, income documents, apostille certificates) is reasonable to collect before entry. This is our practical assessment, not the norm. DNV from Spain on a tourist visa.

What we don't know

The decision does not have a date for the consulates to apply it, nor does it describe how the Spanish consulate estimates "justified cases" for multiple visas. Practice in each consulate may differ, so check the consulate's page before writing. [3]The choice of a way to your situation is available at consultationsI. General procedure for the issuance of residence permits collected on the page a residence permit in Barcelona on its ownAnd for remote work, there are DNV route sheet.

Frequent issues

What is a one-time Schengen visa?
This is a visa that you can enter Schengen once, and after you leave for a new trip you need a new visa, and you can stay on any short-term visa for no longer than 90 days at any time for 180 days. [3]
Could Russians obtain a multiple Schengen visa in 2026?
Only certain groups: close relatives of Russians legally resident in the EU or EU citizens for one year with three previous visas, and transport workers for nine months; countries are allowed to issue multiple visas in justified cases, but as the Spanish Consulate does, they are not described in open sources. [1]
Does the decision of the national residence permit apply?
No, the decision calls short-term visas up to 90 days. A national residence permit, for example for international telework, is issued under a separate consular procedure and other rules: term, documents and delivery of her own, and the time limit of a Schengen member only affects travel plans and the delivery from Spain. [1][2]
Is the solution extended to Russians living outside Russia?
The decision applies to Russians residing in Russia and filing documents in consulates in Russia, and Russians legally residing in another country are served by the common rules of the consulate in their place of residence, while the European Commission emphasizes in separate terms strict compliance with the rules of territorial competence of consulates. [1]
How much does a Schengen visa cost to Spain?
The consular fee for applicants aged 12 and over is 90 euros, 45 euros for children aged 6 to 12, and six years, the visa is free, and the visa centre is collected separately. The amounts are taken from the consulate page in Moscow, and check them on the day of the entry: the tariffs are revised. [3]
Can you obtain multiple visas if you travel frequently to Spain?
The decision retains the possibility of issuing multiple visas to anyone who proves the need for frequent travel and his reliability. As the Spanish Consulate applies, it is not described in public sources, so it is not necessary to expect such a visa outside the list. [1]

Based on source

  1. European Commission · Implementing Decision C(025) 7552 on multiple visas for Russian citizens ♪
  2. Spanish Consulate in Moscow · visa application places and list of national visas ~
  3. Spanish consulate in Moscow · Schengen visa regime for Russian citizens ♪
  4. Ministry of Inclusion · UGE: documents for authorization of the teleworker ·
  5. Ministry of Inclusion · UGE: Questions and Answers on International Telework ·

Sources are viewed on 02.10.2026. Consolidated texts and departmental reference pages are informative: legal application takes into account official publications, changes and specific circumstances. Material has not been personally checked by counsel.

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