Council presidency and European Parliament provisionally agree not to accept Russian travel documents issued in Ukraine and Georgia

F.P. Report

BRUSSELS: Today, the Council presidency and the European Parliament reached a provisional agreement on a decision on the non-acceptance of Russian travel documents issued in Ukraine and Georgia. The agreed text is subject to approval by the Council and the European Parliament before going through the formal adoption procedure.

This decision is a response to Russia’s unprovoked and unjustified military aggression against Ukraine and Russia’s practice of issuing Russian international passports to residents of the occupied regions. It also follows Russia’s unilateral decision to recognise the independence of the Georgian territories of Abkhazia and South Ossetia in 2008.

Russian travel documents issued in, or to persons resident in, Russian-occupied regions in Ukraine or breakaway territories in Georgia will not be accepted as valid travel documents for obtaining a visa or crossing the borders of the Schengen area.

Russian travel documents issued in these regions are already not recognised, or in the process of not being recognised, by EU member states. 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.