Press releases

11 Dec 2018

Almost 179,000 tourist arrivals in Belarus on visa waiver

MINSK, 11 December (BelTA) – About 179,000 tourists have arrived in Belarus via Minsk National Airport since the 30-day visa-free travel program was launched, Belarus’ Deputy Sport and Tourism Minister Mikhail Portnoi said at a roundtable session in the House of Representatives on 11 December, BelTA has learned.

As of 29 November, as many as 178,640 tourists took advantage of visa-free travel opportunity. Most of the guests came from Germany (28,500), Poland (16,300), and Italy (15,600). The top ten also included the UK, the United States, France, the Netherlands, Latvia, Sweden and Lithuania.

Since the beginning of 2018 more than 83,000 foreigners visited Grodno and the Belarusian part of the Augustow Canal visa-free. Over 15,200 foreign tourists came to the Belovezhskaya Pushcha and the tourism and recreation zone Brest without visas.

In January-September 2018 Belarus’ export of tourist services rose by 14.3% to $170.9 million. Russia accounted for more than half of the export ($99.2 million) and is followed by Austria, China, Cyprus and Germany.

As it was reported, Belarus has extended visa-free entry for foreign nationals to 30 days. Foreign nationals must fly in and out of Minsk National Airport. A visitor must carry a valid passport or substituting document; assets (equivalent to at least two base amounts for each day of stay, or 50 base amounts for a 30-day stay), medical insurance in the amount of at least €10,000.