Russians Advised to Get Biometric Passports Ahead of European Restrictions

A Russian travel industry expert is urging citizens to apply for biometric passports well in advance, as more European countries stop accepting older non-biometric documents. Egor Kail, head of the visa agency Visantium and an expert with the Russian Union of Travel Industry (RST), shared this advice with RIA Novosti.

Kail pointed to an updated European Commission table showing that Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, and Sweden will stop recognizing Russian non-biometric passports starting October 1, 2026. He stressed that this is not a sudden EU-wide ban but part of a steady series of national decisions. Denmark introduced a similar rule in autumn 2023, the Czech Republic followed on July 3, 2024, and Estonia, France, Lithuania, and Latvia did so in 2025.

By May 2025, Iceland had also imposed limits. Germany and Romania joined on January 1, 2026, Poland on April 1, and Finland on June 1. After the new rules take effect on October 1, a total of 15 countries—14 EU states plus Iceland—will no longer accept these documents.

Kail recommends that holders of five-year passports apply for a ten-year biometric one without waiting for the old document to expire. Russian law allows having two valid passports at once, provided the second one is biometric. He warned that travelers risk having visas and tickets ready but being barred from entry if a destination or transit country changes its rules.