Italian visa centers in Russia have sharply tightened the rules for submitting Schengen visa applications following the arrest of the former Italian Ambassador to Uzbekistan, Piergabriele Papadia de Bottini di Sant’Agnese. Since May 12, 2026, visa operators VMS and Almaviva have stopped accepting applications through any intermediaries: now applicants are required to appear in person for submission with a passport and confirmed online appointment. Submitting document packages through travel agencies, couriers, or authorized representatives is no longer permissible.
Resilience and Risk Analysis: This decision, triggered by a corruption scandal involving the sale of “Schengen” visas in Tashkent, deals a severe blow to the mobility of Russian citizens. The new rules will inevitably lead to the formation of critical queues: according to estimates by “Vestnik ATOR”, appointments for residents of Moscow and the Moscow Region are filled until the end of June, and in the regions—until July. Given the increased processing times, obtaining a visa may take up to four months, which effectively blocks the summer tourist season for the Italian destination. For the EU and the democratic world, this is another step in strengthening control over the movement of citizens of the aggressor country and closing loopholes that allow bypassing general sanction restrictions through third countries.
The Bottom Line: Russia is facing increasing visa isolation, where the corruption schemes of officials serve as a pretext for erecting new administrative barriers. The impossibility of remote document submission makes the process of obtaining a “Schengen” visa for Russians not only expensive but also physically difficult to access.