Period for issuing French visas to Russian citizens increased - ambassador

MOSCOW. Aug 1 (Interfax) - The period for issuing French visas to Russian citizens has increased and the visa fee has been raised, French Ambassador to Russia Pierre Levy said in an interview published by Nezavisimaya Gazeta on Wednesday.

"We continue to issue visas in accordance with European directives, which I believe is very important. Truth be told, the visa fee has increased and the issuance period has been extended consistent with the European regulations," Levy said in response to a question how willing the French consulate was to issue Schengen visas to Russian citizens.

As reported in May with the reference to European Commission statistics, Russian tourists filed over 520,000 applications for Schengen visas in 2023, 10.6% of the applications were declined, and the share of multi-entry visas was halved.