Opinions & Interviews

MINSK, 28 January (BelTA) – The Belarusian Foreign Ministry is liberalizing the terms of visiting foreign countries for Belarusians and the terms of visiting Belarus for foreigners, Head of the Main Consular Department of the Belarusian Foreign Ministry Igor Fisenko told a press briefing on 28 January. The event was attended by representatives of diplomatic missions and consular services of the countries of the European Union and Switzerland, BelTA has learned.

Igor Fisenko reminded that in 2014 the Belarusian side took a number of measures to facilitate the procedure of entry and stay in Belarus for foreign nationals. The amendments and additions to the Belarusian visa regulations that facilitated the procedure of issuing certain categories of visas entered into force on 1 January 2015.

In particular, to get a long-term visa for maintaining business contacts, participation in sports and cultural events it will be enough to present a petition of the Belarusian legal entity and a document to confirm the necessity of trips. The services started to issue two and three year visas for business and humanitarian trips. Department for migration and citizenship of the Interior Ministry will submit information regarding the participants of student exchange programs or labor migrants to Belarusian diplomatic missions via email. It will help facilitate the procedure of issuing visas. There are plans to issue long-term working visas.

According to the Belarusian Foreign Ministry, in 2014 Belarusian diplomatic missions and consular services issued visas to more than 381,000 foreign nationals. About 150,000 people got guest visas, more than 77,000 foreigners received business visas, over 7,000 people were given student visas, over 6,000 foreigners got working visas. The majority of visas were issued in the facilitated regime. More than 63,000 foreign nationals got Belarusian visas for free.

Igor Fisenko remarked that in line with the resolution of the Belarusian President, consular fees for the citizens of the United States and Great Britain were reduced 1.5-2 times on average. Children under 14 years get visas for free.

Apart from that, the period of submitting petitions for getting visas at the National Airport Minsk was reduced to two weekdays. In 2014 the number of visas issued at the airport increased from 10,000 to 12,000.

Igor Fisenko said that in 2014 the ministry did a lot to develop the bilateral legal framework. For example, Belarus signed agreements on short-term visa-free trips with Ecuador and Israel, an agreement of the abolition of visas for holders of diplomatic and service passports with Cambodia. Agreements on the mutual abolition of visas with Turkey and Mongolia, agreements on the abolition of visas for holders of diplomatic, service and official passports with Laos, Sri-Lanka and Bolivia, an agreement on the abolition of visas for holders of diplomatic passports with the UAE have entered into force. Belarus has launched consolations on the readmission and visa facilitation agreements with the experts of the European Commission.

Igor Fisenko also reminded about the facilitation of the mandatory healthcare insurance programs for foreigners. Starting from 1 July 2014, foreign nationals can use medical insurance certificates provided by foreign insurance companies on the territory of Belarus. Previously, they had to buy healthcare certificates of Belgosstrakh or Eximgarant of Belarus.