Visa facilitation agreement for Russia suspended

IMPACT – MEDIUM

The Swiss government has announced that it is suspending its visa facilitation agreement with Russia.

Key Points:

• Switzerland has decided to suspend the visa-facilitation agreement between Switzerland and Russia in accordance with the EU Council’s recent decision.
• The tightened visa requirements will not affect Russian nationals who are applying for Swiss work permits.
• The suspension of the visa facilitation agreement does not mean that there is a general visa freeze for Russian nationals; however, visa procedures for Russian nationals will be more complicated and visa fees will increase.

BAL Analysis: Russian nationals should expect continued difficulty in obtaining visas when planning travel to Switzerland and countries in the Schengen Area. Employers should plan travel well in advance to avoid complications and delays.

This alert has been provided by the BAL Global Practice group. For additional information, please contact berryapplemanleiden@bal.com.

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