Switzerland doesn’t recognize passports issued by Russia in occupied regions of Georgia, Ukraine

Switzerland said it did not recognize passports issued by Russia on the occupied territories of Ukraine and Georgia, the Swiss Federal Council said on Wednesday. 

 

“Citizens of the separatist regions of Ukraine or Georgia occupied by Russia will no longer be able to obtain a Schengen visa or cross the internal Schengen border with a travel document issued by Russia,” the statement said.

 

Switzerland also said it did not recognize ordinary and diplomatic passports, residence permits of stateless persons, seafarers’ identification documents issued by Russian authorities in the de facto regions. 

 

In relation to the occupied territories of Ukraine, the documents will not be recognized according to the date of their issuance, that is, according to when these territories were occupied by Russia. In relation to the occupied territories of Georgia, a single date was determined – August 26, 2008.

 

“In August 2008, Russia recognized Abkhazia and South Ossetia as independent countries. Switzerland considers these regions as an integral part of Georgia,” it said. “Despite the restrictions, visas may be issued on humanitarian grounds, national interests or international obligations,” the Swiss authorities added. 

 

Russia recognized the Georgian regions of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) as independent states following the Russia-Georgia 2008 war. Only Venezuela, Nikaragua, Nauru and Syria have joined the stance so far, while the rest of the international community is unanimous that the territories are occupied by Russia. 

 

Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014. In September 2022, Russian President Vladimir Putin annexed Ukraine’s Kherson, Zaporizhia, Donetsk, and Luhansk regions.