News & Events in Belarus

Belarusian visa-free entry terms adjusted

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MINSK, 16 September (BelTA) – The procedure that allows foreigners to enter Belarus without visas has been adjusted. On 14 September Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko signed decree No.345 to amend presidential decree No.8 on introducing a visa-free procedure for foreign citizens to enter and leave Belarus, the press service of the Belarusian Ministry of Foreign Affairs told BelTA.

Decree No.345 will come into force one month after the official publication, that is on 17 October 2021.

In particular, decree No.8 allowed foreign citizens to stay in Belarus for up to 30 days without visas, provided they cross the border at the Minsk National Airport. The provision has been extended onto airports located in Brest, Vitebsk, Gomel, Grodno, and Mogilev.

The measure is supposed to further facilitate the entry of foreign citizens to Belarus and is meant to assist with the development of business contacts, interpersonal contacts, and incoming tourism.

Decree No.345 adjusted the list of countries, which citizens are eligible for visa-free travels to Belarus.

China and Albania have been removed from the list because visa-free travels between Belarus and China are regulated by the relevant intergovernmental agreement of 10 June 2018, which offers even more preferences, while visa-free travels between Albania and Belarus are regulated by the agreement on mutually lifting visa requirements of 27 December 2019.

Citizens of China and Albania will continue to be able to enter Belarus without visas in accordance with the bilateral agreements via all the border crossings, which are open to international passenger traffic.

The United States of America has been removed from the list as well.

Egypt, Jordan, Iran, Pakistan, and South Africa have been added to the list and the visa-free travel procedure will apply to their citizens provided they have a valid multiple-entry visa of European Union member states or Schengen zone participating states with entry stamps of a European Union member state or a Schengen zone country in addition to plane tickets with a confirmed date of departure from the airports located in Minsk, Brest, Vitebsk, Gomel, Grodno, and Mogilev.

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