The Council of the EU adopted, on Friday 9 September, the full suspension of the visa facilitation agreement in force since 2007 with Russia (see EUROPE 13015/6). “As a result, the general rules of the visa code will apply to Russian citizens and this will result in an increase in the visa application fee from €35 to €80”, explains the EU Council. Additional supporting documents will also be required and processing times for visa applications will be increased. The rules for issuing multiple-entry visas will also be more restrictive. The decision is expected to be published in the Official Journal of the EU on 9 September 2022 and will apply from 12 September. The Baltic States and Poland, for their part, have announced national visa restrictions for Russian citizens. (SP)