Russian Elites Gaining Easier Access to EU Through Serbian Passports

A new investigative report has shown that the Serbian authorities have been issuing a large number of passports to Russian elites with Kremlin ties since the beginning of the war in Ukraine.

Citing government data, Important Stories said that since early 2022 until April 2025, Serbia granted citizenship to more than 330 people with the justification that they are in the “interest of the republic”, Schengen.News reports.

Of those granted citizenship during this period, 204 of them are Russian citizens. However, what has caught attention is that many of the recipients have close ties to Russia’s intelligence services, state corporations, oligarchs, and are allies of Putin, among others.

The EU has a visa liberalisation agreement with Serbia. This means that Serbian passports offer visa-free access to the bloc, making them very attractive to Russians, in particular to elites, businesspeople, and individuals related to Russia’s military-industrial complex.

Taking into account the profiles of beneficiaries, concerns have now been raised, with Kremlin-linked individuals using Serbian passports as a new backdoor for entry into the EU and potentially putting the bloc’s security at risk.

None of Naturalised Russians Are on EU’s Sanctions Lists
According to data provided by the investigative report, none of the Russians who have obtained a Serbian passport during the above-mentioned period at part of the EU’s sanctions lists. This means that despite them having links to the Kremlin, they get to enjoy unrestricted access to the Schengen Area under the Serbian passport.

Among the Russian individuals who have been granted Serbian citizenship, 11 of them are current or former executives of Russian defence firms subject to sanctions. One recipient has reportedly acted as a top guard for Vladimir Putin and served in an FSB unit.

Moreover, nine of the beneficiaries reportedly are current or former executives of sanctioned banks. The list of people who have obtained Serbian citizenship also includes sports figures and officials, and Russian IT specialists, among others.

EU Commission Has Already Warned Serbia
The EU Commission has raised concerns over Serbia granting citizenship to Russians back in 2023, and it has already warned the country to take appropriate action.

Worried about potential safety risks in the bloc, the EU Commission spokesperson said that Serbia should align its visa policy and not grant citizenship to Russian nationals under an accelerated procedure.

Additionally, the Commission has also threatened Serbia with suspension of the visa-free travel regime if the granting of citizenship under investor schemes is considered to pose an increased risk to the public and internal security of the EU member states.

Source: https://schengenvisainfo.com/news/russian-elites-gaining-easier-access-to-eu-through-serbian-passports/