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Visa policy of Belarus

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Visitors to Belarus must obtain a visa from one of the Belarusian diplomatic missions unless they are citizens of one of the visa-exempt countries.

Belarusian visa issued to a German citizen, 2002

Belarus's visa and other migration policies are also implemented in accordance with the mobility rights arrangements within the Commonwealth of Independent States and the rules of the single market of the Eurasian Economic Union.

Overview

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External image
  Map of international land border crossings of Belarus[1]

Visa policy map

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  Belarus
  Freedom of movement
  Visa-free, indefinite period
  Visa-free, 90 days
  Visa-free, 30 days
  Visa-free, 30 days, only by air
  Visa-free, 30 days, only by air, replacement visa required
  Visa required in advance

Visa exemption

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Ordinary passports

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Holders of ordinary passports of the following countries and territories may enter Belarus without a visa for the following period:[2][3]

Freedom of movement

Indefinite period

90 days

90 days within any 180 days

30 days

IP - Internal passport accepted if arriving directly from Russia or Kazakhstan.
1 - No more than 90 days within any 1 calendar year.
2 - For holders of MSAR passports or MSAR Travel Permits.
3 - Currently visa exempt through other waivers until the end of 2024. Must present a tourist voucher or an invitation letter in order to enter Belarus without a visa.

Visa exemption agreement for ordinary passports for 30 days (no more than 90 days within any 1 calendar year) was signed with   Vietnam in December 2023 and is yet to enter into force.[29]

Temporary visa-free access

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Citizens of the following countries are already exempt for entries through the Minsk Airport and for the period from 19 July 2024 to 31 December 2024 they may enter Belarus without a visa through land border crossings, with a maximum stay of 30 days within any 1 calendar year (90 days for citizens of Latvia including non-citizens, Lithuania and Poland):[30][31]

1 - Including non-citizen residents of Estonia and Latvia.

Non-ordinary passports

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Holders of diplomatic or official/service passports of the following countries and territories may enter Belarus without a visa for the following period:[2]

Freedom of movement

180 days

90 days

90 days within any 180 days

30 days

D - Diplomatic passports only.
1 - No more than 90 days within any 1 calendar year.

Additional requirements

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All visitors are required to have an adequate health insurance.[2]

Regional visa-free regime

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Visa-free access through Minsk National Airport

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Foreign visitors who are citizens of designated countries are allowed to enter Belarus without a visa through the Minsk National Airport, except for flights departing to and from Russian airports.
The allowed length of stay is up to 30 days, with mandatory registration for stays exceeding 5 days in length.
Visitors must also depart from Minsk National Airport, departure by other methods (for example by train) is not permitted.
The number of visa-free entries is unlimited.[32]

The decree "On establishing a visa-free order of entrance and departure of foreign citizens" was signed by the President of Belarus on 9 January 2017 and it entered into force on 12 February 2017.[33][34][35][36]
It was amended by another presidential decree on 24 July 2018, which entered into force on 27 July 2018.[37][38]

Conditional2

1 - Including non-citizen residents of Estonia and Latvia.
2 - Only if they have a multiple entry visa (i.e., a 'C' or 'D' type visa) from a European Union or Schengen area member country, an entry stamp from one of these countries and a valid air ticket with departure from the airports located in Minsk, Brest, Vitebsk, Gomel, Grodno and Mogilev. The EU residence cards are not accepted for this purpose.[39]

In September 2017 it was announced that Belarus is planning to extend the visa-free access to 10 days and to other checkpoints.[40]
In November 2017 statistics were published showing that 54,000 foreigners visited Belarus through the visa-free program, mostly citizens of Germany, Poland, Italy, United States and the United Kingdom.[41]
Effective since 17 October 2021, visa is required for US citizens to travel to Belarus.[42]

Brest-Grodno

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Parts of Belarus covered by Brest and Grodno regional visa-free provisions

The single visa-free territory "Brest – Grodno" was established by a presidential decree signed in August 2019 and has been in effect since November 10, 2019.[43][44]

Visitors are allowed to stay without a visa for 15 days. Entry is possible through the following checkpoints with Poland and Lithuania - Brest (Terespol), Bruzgi (Kuźnica), Damačava (Sławatycze), Bieniakoni (Šalčininkai), Bierastavica (Bobrowniki), Piasčatka (Połowce), Pryvalka (Raigardas), Piareraŭ (Białowieża), Liasnaja (Rudawka), Pryvalka (Švendubrė), Brest-Uschodni Railway Station, Grodno Railway Station, Brest Airport and Grodno Airport. Prior to travel, visitors must obtain an appropriate document[45] issued by a local travel agency registered in Belarus.

The list of eligible citizens is the same as that for the visa-free program through the Minsk National Airport, only without restrictions for certain citizens.

The visa-free zone consists of the following territories:

  • Parts of Grodno and Brest regions not listed above – when traveling on a tourist route as a member of an organised travel group.

    • The legislation superseded the previous decrees that established two separate visa-free zones: Brest area including Belovezhskaya Pushcha National Park (since June 2015)[46] and Augustów Canal area including Grodno (since October 2016).[47]

    Future plans

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    • Plans for introduction of digital visas and travel authorization system were announced by Belarus in July 2018.[48]
    • Plans to expand the regional visa-free regime to land border crossings and regionals airports were announced by Belarus in November 2019.[49]

    Reciprocity

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    Main article: Visa requirements for Belarusian citizens

    Belarusian citizens may enter without a visa to all countries whose citizens are allowed visa-free entry. Among the countries that have been granted visa-free access under the pilot program, Belarusian citizens are granted visa-free access to Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Haiti, Malaysia, Micronesia, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Seychelles and Vanuatu.

    Visitor statistics

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    Most visitors arriving to Belarus were from the following countries:[50]

    See also

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    References

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    1. ^ "Interactive map". State Border Committee of the Republic Of Belarus. Retrieved 9 December 2017.
    2. ^ a b c "Visa and passport". Timatic. International Air Transport Association through Emirates. Retrieved 1 April 2017.
    3. ^ "Visa-free countries in general".
    4. ^ Previous visa-free agreement was applied under the agreement between Commonwealth of Independent States member states from 9 October 1992
    5. ^ "СОГЛАШЕНИЕ о безвизовом передвижении граждан государств Содружества Независимых Государств по территории его участников" [Agreement on visa-free travel of citizens of the states of the Commonwealth of Independent States on the territory of its participants]. A single register of legal acts and other documents of the Commonwealth of Independent States (in Russian). Executive Committee of the Commonwealth of Independent States. Retrieved 10 December 2017.
    6. ^ "Соглашение между Правительством Союза Советских Социалистических Республик и Союзным Исполнительным Вече Скупщины Социалистической Федеративной Республики Югославии о взаимных поездках граждан" [Agreement between the Government of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and the Federal Executive Council of the Federal People's Assembly of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia on reciprocal travel of citizens]. Information Channel on Technical Regulation in Russia (in Russian). Techexpert. Retrieved 10 December 2017.
    7. ^ "Пагадненне паміж Урадам Рэспублікі Беларусь і Урадам Рэспублікі Куба аб узаемных бязвізавых паездках грамадзян" [Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Cuba and the Government of the Republic of Belarus on mutual visa-free travel]. National Legal Internet Portal of the Republic of Belarus (in Russian). National Center of Legal Information of the Republic of Belarus. Retrieved 9 December 2017.
    8. ^ "Соглашение между Правительством Республики Беларусь и Союзным Правительством Союзной Республики Югославия об отмене виз" [Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Belarus and the Federal Government of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia on the abolition of visas] (PDF). Department of Information and Public Relations Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Belarus (in Russian). Ministry of Internal Affairs (Belarus). Retrieved 10 December 2017.
    9. ^ "Bilateral Issues with Foreign Countries - Belarus". Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Serbia). Retrieved 9 December 2017.
    10. ^ "Соглашение между Правительством Республики Беларусь и Правительством Боливарианской Республики Венесуэла об отмене виз в национальных паспортах" [Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Belarus and the Government of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela on the abolition of visas in national passports]. National Legal Internet Portal of the Republic of Belarus (in Russian). National Center of Legal Information of the Republic of Belarus. Retrieved 9 December 2017.
    11. ^ "Об установлении безвизового порядка въезда, выезда и осуществления транзитного проезда (транзита) через территорию Республики Беларусь граждан Государства Катар" [On the establishment of a visa-free entry, exit and transit transit through the territory of the Republic of Belarus of citizens of the State of Qatar]. National Legal Internet Portal of the Republic of Belarus (in Russian). National Center of Legal Information of the Republic of Belarus. Retrieved 9 December 2017.
    12. ^ "Nationals of following countries are exempted from visa to enter Mongolia (as of may 2017)". Consular Department. Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Mongolia). Retrieved 9 December 2017.
    13. ^ "Visa Free Travel between Belarus and Turkey". Consulate General of the Republic of Belarus in Istanbul. Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Belarus). Retrieved 9 December 2017.
    14. ^ "Regimen sin visado para los ciudadanos del Ecuador" [Visa-free regime for citizens of Ecuador]. Embassy of the Republic of Belarus in the Republic of Ecuador (in Spanish). Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Belarus). Retrieved 9 December 2017.
    15. ^ "Belarus-Israel visa abolition agreement to enter into force on 26 November". Belarusian Telegraph Agency. 27 August 2015. Retrieved 9 December 2017.
    16. ^ "Об установлении безвизового порядка въезда и выезда отдельных граждан" [On the establishment of a visa-free entry and exit procedure for individual citizens]. National Legal Internet Portal of the Republic of Belarus (in Russian). National Center of Legal Information of the Republic of Belarus. Retrieved 9 December 2017.
    17. ^ "No visa requirements between Belarus and Brazil as from November 25". Belarusian Telegraph Agency. 24 November 2016. Retrieved 9 December 2017.
    18. ^ "Belarus enters into visa-free agreement with Brazil, Macau". Y-Axis. 25 November 2016. Retrieved 9 December 2017.
    19. ^ Previously part of the visa exemption when arriving at and departing from Minsk National Airport from 12 February 2017
    20. ^ "Об установлении безвизового порядка въезда и выезда иностранных граждан" [On the establishment of a visa-free entry and exit order for foreign citizens]. National Legal Internet Portal of the Republic of Belarus (in Russian). National Center of Legal Information of the Republic of Belarus. Retrieved 9 December 2017.
    21. ^ "La Supresión de Requisitos de Visa en Pasaportes Ordinarios" [The Suppression of Visa Requirements in Ordinary Passports]. Embassy of the Republic of Belarus in the Republic of Argentina (in Spanish). Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Belarus). Retrieved 9 December 2017.
    22. ^ "Belarus, Hong Kong to start visa-free regime next month". Xinhua News Agency. 19 January 2018. Archived from the original on January 19, 2018. Retrieved 19 January 2018.
    23. ^ "HKSAR, Belarus to mutually extend visa-free period - Xinhua | English.news.cn". www.xinhuanet.com. Archived from the original on April 8, 2019.
    24. ^ "Agreement between Belarus and China on mutual visa exemption enters into force - Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Belarus". mfa.gov.by. Retrieved 17 June 2019.
    25. ^ https://www.toursoyuz.by/2020/07/21/soglashenie-ob-otmene-viz-mezhdu-belarusyu-i-albaniej-vstupilo-v-silu-15-iyulya/
    26. ^ Соглашение между Правительством Республики Беларусь и Правительством Республики Никарагуа о взаимной отмене визовых требований. pravo.by (in Russian). Национальный правовой Интернет-портал Республики Беларусь. Retrieved 29 Aug 2024.
    27. ^ "25/2001 Z.z. Dohoda medzi SR a Bieloruskom o vzájomných bezvízových cestách - OZNÁMENIE Ministerstva zahraničných vecí Slovenskej republiky" [25/2001 Z.z. Agreement between the Slovak Republic and Belarus on reciprocal visa-free travel - NOTICE of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Slovak Republic] (in Slovak). ASPI. Retrieved 30 December 2017.
    28. ^ "Указ Президента Республики Беларусь от 29 сентября 2003 г. № 428 О применении Соглашения между Правительством Республики Беларусь и Правительством Республики Польша о взаимных поездках граждан" [Decree of the President of the Republic of Belarus of September 29, 2003 No. 428 On the Application of the Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Belarus and the Government of the Republic of Poland on Mutual Travel of Citizens]. BUSEL (in Russian). Retrieved 9 December 2017.
    29. ^ https://belta.by/politics/view/belarus-i-vjetnam-podpisali-soglashenie-o-vzaimnoj-otmene-viz-604051-2023/
    30. ^ "Visa-free entry for citizens of Lithuania, Latvia and Poland - Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Belarus". mfa.gov.by. Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Belarus). 1 July 2022. Retrieved 4 December 2023.
    31. ^ "Statement of Belarus Foreign Ministry on visa-free travel to Belarus for the citizens of 35 European countries". mfa.gov.by. Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Belarus). 17 July 2024. Retrieved 17 July 2024.
    32. ^ "State Border Committee: No limit on number of visa-free entries to Belarus". Belarusian Telegraph Agency. 10 January 2017. Retrieved 9 December 2017.
    33. ^ "Беларусь вводит пятидневный безвизовый режим для граждан 80 стран" [Belarus introduces visa-free entry for nationals of 79 countries] (in Russian). Press Service of the President of the Republic of Belarus. 9 January 2017.
    34. ^ "Information on visa-free travel via the checkpoint "Minsk National Airport"". Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Belarus). Retrieved 9 December 2017.
    35. ^ "Об установлении безвизового порядка въезда и выезда иностранных граждан" [The decree "On establishing a visa-free order of entrance and departure of foreign citizens"]. National Legal Internet Portal of the Republic of Belarus (in Russian). National Center of Legal Information of the Republic of Belarus. Retrieved 9 December 2017.
    36. ^ "Five-day visa-free regime to enter into force in Belarus on 12 February 2017". Belarusian Telegraph Agency. 11 January 2017. Retrieved 9 December 2017.
    37. ^ Belarus extends visa-free entry to 30 days, Belarusian Telegraph Agency, 24 July 2018.
    38. ^ List of states, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Belarus.
    39. ^ "Visas to the Republic Of Belarus". Embassy of the Republic of Belarus to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Belarus). Retrieved 9 December 2017.
    40. ^ "Number of visa-free visitors to Belarus reaches 52,000". Belarusian Telegraph Agency. 25 September 2017. Retrieved 9 December 2017.
    41. ^ "Over 54,000 visa-free tourists visit Belarus in 2017". Belarusian Telegraph Agency. 28 November 2017. Retrieved 9 December 2017.
    42. ^ "Effective October 17, 2021, visa is required for US Citizens to travel to Belarus - Consulate General of the Republic of Belarus is New York". newyork.mfa.gov.by. Retrieved 2021-10-22.
    43. ^ "Lukashenka expands visa-free zone". naviny.belsat.eu.
    44. ^ "On establishing visa-free order of entry and exit of foreign nationals". 2019-08-07.
    45. ^ "О порядке посещения гражданами безвизовой территории "Брест – Гродно", а также территорий районов Брестской и Гродненской областей". Совет Министров Республики Беларусь. 2019-10-15.
    46. ^ "Комментарий к Указу № 462 от 26 декабря 2017 г." [Commentary to Decree No. 462 of December 26, 2017] (in Russian). Press Service of the President of the Republic of Belarus. Retrieved 30 December 2017.
    47. ^ On establishing of visa-free regime of entry and exit of foreign nationals (Presidential Decree 318). 23 August 2016. Retrieved 29 August 2016.
    48. ^ "Plans to develop digital visas, travel authorization system in Belarus". eng.belta.by. 6 July 2018. Retrieved 17 June 2019.
    49. ^ "Belarus to introduce visa-free rules at regional airports, land border crossings". eng.belta.by. 26 November 2019.
    50. ^ "Tourism statistics for Belarus - 2013". imagebelarus.by. Retrieved 9 December 2017.
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    Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Belarus.
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