Poland has announced stricter entry rules for citizens of the Russian Federation. Starting from April 1, 2026, the country will cease to recognize five-year foreign passports from Russia that do not contain an electronic biometric chip. Holders of such documents will no longer be able to cross the Polish border.
This is reported by Finway
Restrictions on Diplomatic and Service Passports
As of January 1, 2026, similar restrictions will also come into effect for old-style diplomatic and service passports. This will prevent a significant number of official representatives from Russia from entering, complicating their access to Poland and other EU countries. According to documents released by the European Commission, these passports are considered vulnerable to forgery and do not meet modern security standards.
European Trend Towards Standardization of Travel Documents
From 2025, several Schengen Area countries – including the Baltic states, the Czech Republic, Denmark, and France – have already stopped recognizing non-biometric Russian passports. Romania and Germany will join this initiative starting in 2026, significantly limiting the movement of Russian citizens within the European Union.
The implementation of these restrictions is explained by the desire to enhance border control, prevent forgery, and simplify the identification of individuals. European countries view non-biometric Russian passports as a potential security threat, especially in light of the ongoing aggression of Russia against Ukraine.
“As non-biometric Russian passports are easier to forge, European countries consider them a potential security threat in the context of Russia’s ongoing aggression against Ukraine.”
For holders of residence permits in EU countries, exceptions may apply in certain cases; however, the overall policy remains focused on completely phasing out outdated documents from international circulation.