In the first five months of 2022, almost three times as many tourist visas were granted to Russian citizens compared to the whole of 2021, Danish newspaper Politiken reported with figures from the Danish Immigration Service,.

141 tourist visas were granted to Russian citizens during the first five months of 2022, which equates to 28 tourist visas a month. During the 12 months of 2021, 49 tourist visas were given to Russians, which is around four tourist visas a month.

The difference in numbers could be due to the coronavirus travel restrictions during 2021.

However Immigration Minister Kaare Dybvad told Politiken that he was “surprised” by the figures. 

“It’s not about 141 people being a large number and filling up summer houses along the west coast, it is more the principle,” he said.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has called on countries in the West to close their borders to all Russian tourists.

The governments of both Finland and Estonia, which both share a border with Russia, have agreed and called on the rest of the EU to stop issuing tourist visas to Russian citizens.

“A pan-European response, as Estonia has proposed is sensible. It is clear that if Russians can enter one country in Europe, then in principle they can enter the entire Schengen area. That is why the sanctions must be done within the EU framework”, Dybvad told Politiken.

Regarding the tourism sanctions, Danish Foreign Minister Jeppe Kofod said earlier this week that “we are open to discussing all of this with our European and North American colleagues.”