Council adopts decision not to accept Russian documents issued in Ukraine and Georgia

On 8 December, the Council of the European Union adopted a decision on the non-acceptance of Russian travel documents issued in Ukrainian and Georgian territories occupied by Russia.

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.

“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,” says a press release by the Council of the EU.

This decision aims also to set out the EU common visa policies and ensure the proper functioning of its external border.

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Press release