The Swiss authorities have said that all people from Russian-occupied territories in Ukraine and breakaway territories in Georgia cannot obtain a Schengen visa as well as cross the external Schengen border with travel documents that have been issued by Russian authorities.
Announcing the news, the Federal Council of Switzerland said that the new regulation in line with which restrictions are imposed on Russian travel documents got officially adopted on August 16, 2023, SchengenVisaInfo.com reports.
“Persons from the Russian-occupied territories of Ukraine and the breakaway regions of Georgia cannot obtain a Schengen visa and cross external Schengen borders with travel documents issued by Russia. The Federal Council adopted this regulation at its meeting on August 16, 2023,” the statement of the Federal Council reads.
In addition, the Federal Council stressed ordinary and diplomatic passports, return certificates, seafarers’ identity cards, and residence permits for stateless persons issued by the Russian authorities are not recognised.
With regard to Ukraine, the Federal Council highlighted that depending on the regions, different dates of issue have been set, after which the documents will no longer be accepted.
As for Georgia, the Swiss Federal Council said that all Russian travel documents that have been issued to residents of the breakaway Georgian regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia after August 26, 2008, will not be accepted for a Schengen visa.
“Russia declared in August 2008 that it officially recognised Abkhazia and South Ossetia as independent states. Very few states have done so, and Switzerland considers these regions as integral parts of Georgia,” the Federal Council said, explaining its decision.
Nonetheless, the same stressed that despite the restrictions, the country will continue to issue visas for some purposes, including humanitarian reasons, to people from Russian-occupied territories in Ukraine and Georgia.
The decision not to accept Russian documents issued in Russian-occupied regions in Ukraine or breakaway territories in Georgia was adopted by the Council of the European Union in December of last year.
Back then, the EU Council said that Russian travel documents that have been issued in these regions are already not recognised or in the process of not being recognised by the member states of the EU.
“This decision aims to set out a common approach, ensure the proper functioning of the external border and common visa policies and safeguard the security of EU member states,” the EU Council stressed in December 2022.
Following the adoption of this decision by the EU Council, several countries decided immediately to no longer accept Russian-issued travel documents.