Germany’s 2026 biometric passport rule leaves Russian travelers scrambling

Time is running out for Russian travelers. Germany’s visa shake-up demands biometric passports by 2026—or risk being locked out of the Schengen Zone.

, and Administrator

2025 November 8 . 1:06 AM

1 min read

In the picture we can see three boys standing near the desk on it, we can see two computer systems... — In the picture we can see three boys standing near the desk on it, we can see two computer systems towards them and one boy is talking into the microphone and they are in ID cards with red tags to it and behind them we can see a wall with an advertisement board and written on it as Russia imagine 2013.

Germany’s 2026 biometric passport rule leaves Russian travelers scrambling

Germany is updating its visa policies. Until the end of 2025, diplomatic missions will continue issuing visas to holders of non-biometric passports. However, starting January 1, 2026, entry into Germany will only be permitted with a biometric passport. This change will particularly affect Russian citizens.

The European Union is set to tighten conditions for issuing multi-entry Schengen visas to Russians as early as this week. From January 1, 2026, non-biometric Russian passports will no longer be valid for entry into Germany, except for passports with a valid German visa. This is due to the EU's new Entry/Exit System (EES), which requires travelers to provide biometric data such as fingerprints and facial images at the border. German diplomatic missions will only issue entry visas to holders of biometric passports starting next year.

Russian citizens planning to visit Germany should ensure their passports are biometric and valid for at least ten years from January 1, 2026. The new rules for the entry of Russian nationals will come into force on this date, aligning with the EU-wide introduction of biometric border controls finalized by April 10, 2026.