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Travelers entering the Schengen area may be required to show proof of onward or return travel. Tickets issued in non-Latin scripts (e.g., Russian) can cause issues at border control. While some travelers report never being asked for exit documents, others have been denied entry without them (e.g., in Bergamo, Italy, in March 2026) or were asked extensively (e.g., in Lyon, France, in Winter 2025). To mitigate this, travelers should: 1) Purchase tickets on international versions of websites to ensure Latin script. 2) For existing Russian-language tickets, use document translation tools (e.g., Google Translate's document feature) to generate a translated version to present alongside the original. Additionally, be prepared for scrutiny if surnames on travel documents differ (e.g., maiden vs. married name), requiring supporting documents like a marriage certificate.

When traveling within the Schengen Area (e.g., from Greece to Warsaw, Poland, and then back to Greece before departing Schengen) on a Greek Schengen visa, border control in the intermediate Schengen country (e.g., Poland) may ask for onward/return tickets to Greece and hotel bookings to confirm the main destination and the intent to return to the visa-issuing country. While passport control within Schengen is generally absent, airlines may conduct document checks. It is advisable to carry all relevant travel documents, including proof of onward travel and accommodation, to avoid potential issues.

Entry requirements for Poland from non-Schengen countries often enforce physical residence cards ('plastic') rather than temporary paper documents or 'štítek' stickers. Transit/entry rules depend heavily on the traveler's citizenship, transport mode, and origin point. Carriers often deny boarding for third-country nationals traveling from outside the Schengen Area if the document format is not deemed standard by ground staff.

From October 1st, Belgium, Luxembourg, Netherlands, and Sweden will cease recognizing five-year Russian international passports. This adds to the existing list of 11 countries (Finland, Iceland, Denmark, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Romania) that already do not accept them. Sweden provides a transitional period until December 31, 2026, for non-biometric passports if a Schengen visa or EU/Schengen residence permit was issued before October 1, 2026. Belgium, Luxembourg, and Netherlands offer no such transitional period. These restrictions apply to both entry into these countries and intra-Schengen flights.