Czechia’s borders closed to Russians with Schengen visas

From Tuesday Russians with Schengen visas from any EU state travelling for purposes of tourism, sport or culture are not allowed to enter the territory of Czechia. The Prague government decided on this move on the proposal of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on October 12.

The Czechs have joined the Baltic states, Poland and Finland, who recently closed their borders to Russian tourists in response to Moscow’s continued war on Ukraine.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that up to 200 Russian citizens a day were arriving in Czechia via international airports.

The Prague government issued a ban on visas for Russian and Belarusian citizens after Putin’s invasion of Ukraine in February. That prohibition is still in force, with exceptions for humanitarian cases.