Permanent residence in Belarus

The residence permit is practically a Belarusian passport. If you have plans to move to Belarus for permanent residence, then it will be useful to read what we've written here.

What gives a permanent residence permit in Belarus?

If you have a residence permit, then you have the same rights as citizens of Belarus:

• the right to free medical services;
• the right to free education;
• the right to receive benefits and pensions on an equal basis with Belarusian citizens.

However, you won't have voting rights. You won't be able to vote and to be elected.

In addition, you won't be able to work in public service or buy land in ownership.

How to get a permanent residence permit in Belarus?

If you have lived in Belarus for 5 years with a temporary residence, you have the right to get a residence permit.

Family reunion and marriage registration

The following categories of citizens have the right to be reunited with their families:

• husband;
• wife;
• minors and adopted persons;
• single and unmarried children and adopted children over the age of 18;
• incapacitated parents and adoptive parents.

Study and training

A foreign student may obtain a residence permit in Belarus if he or she has a high academic record.

Employment, work

A foreign citizen can obtain a residence permit if he is an employee or specialist in need of a Belarusian organization.

Investments in economy

You can get a residence permit if you invest around €130 000 in the objects of investment activity of Belarus.

Outstanding personalities

A foreign citizen can get a residence permit in Belarus if he has exceptional abilities and talent or has outstanding services to Belarus, high achievements in technology, culture and sports.

Repatriation

If a foreign citizen used to be a citizen of Belarus, he can get a residence permit.

Refugee status

If a foreign national has been granted refugee status or asylum in Belarus, he or she can count on a residence permit.

Sedentary travel

This is an opportunity to regulate situation for foreign nationals, who live in Belarus without proper documents.

Special circumstances

Under special circumstances, a residence permit may be issued based on a decision of the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Belarus.

Who can get a residence permit in Belarus?

A citizen of any country can get a residence permit in Belarus if there are the reasons we have listed above.

Russian citizens do not need a special reason to get a residence permit. It's enough the fact of being a citizen of the Russian Federation.

Costs and terms of registration

The period of consideration of documents for residence permits takes from 1 to 6 months depending on the reason for obtaining them.

State duty for obtaining a residence permit in the Republic of Belarus is 2 basic units. January 1, 2020, 1 base value is 27 BYN that equals $12. Accordingly, one has to pay $24. You will also need to pay 2 base units for a residence permit form and 0.5 base units for registration at the place of residence. In total, you will need to pay 54$.

Where to apply for a residence permit in Belarus?

Citizenship and Migration Department of the Department of Internal Affairs of Minsk District Executive Committee

Upon arrival, the first thing you need to do is register with the Citizenship and Migration Office, where you will be given a list of necessary documents and questionnaires to fill in.

Department for Citizenship and Migration of the Orsha Regional Department of Internal Affairs

If you're not going to live in Minsk, but, for example, in Vitebsk region in Orsha, you don't need to go to Vitebsk to register. In this case, you can register in the Office for Citizenship and Migration of Orsha Regional Department of Internal Affairs.

List of addresses of the Department for Migration and Citizenship

Minsk

1. Department for Citizenship and Migration of Minsk Leninski police department

Address: Igumensky Trakt, 32

2. Department for Citizenship and Migration of Minsk Zavodsky police department         

Address: 42 Uborevicha Street.

3. Department for Citizenship and Migration of the Moscowsky Department of Internal Affairs of the city of Minsk          

Address: 44 Rafieva St.

4. Department for Citizenship and Migration of Minsk Oktyabrsky police department      

Address: 60 Casinza St.

5. Department for Citizenship and Migration of Partisanski police department of Minsk   

Address: Per. Stakhanovsky, 5

6. Department for Citizenship and Migration of the Pervomaiski Department of Internal Affairs of Minsk. 

Address: 10 Belinsky St.

7. Department for Citizenship and Migration of the Sovietski Department of Internal Affairs in Minsk       

Address: 3 Vera Khoruzhey Street.

8. Department for Citizenship and Migration of the Frunzenski Department of Internal Affairs of Minsk.   

Address: 10 Lidskaya St.

9. Department for Citizenship and Migration of the Centralny Department of Internal Affairs of Minsk city           

Address: 24 Orlovskaya St.

10. Department for Citizenship and Migration of the Main Department of Internal Affairs of Minsk City Executive Committee        

Address: Prospect Nezavisimosti, 48 bld. B.

11. Department of Citizenship and Migration of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Belarus

Address: 4 Gorodskoi Val St., 3rd entrance of the building of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Belarus

12. Department of Citizenship and Migration of the Department of Internal Affairs of Minsk Regional Executive Committee

Address: 29 Kalvariyskaya St.

Vitebsk

Office of Citizenship and Migration of Vitebsk

Address: Prospect Frunze, 41a, Vitebsk.

Gomel

Citizenship and Migration Office of Gomel

Address: Prospect Lenina, 45a, Gomel.

Grodno

Office for Citizenship and Migration Grodno

Address: 3 Karbysheva St., 2nd floor, Grodno.

Mogilev

Office for Citizenship and Migration of Mogilev

Address: Per. Buyanova, 22, Mogilev.

Brest

Office of Citizenship and Migration

Address: 17, Kommercheskaya St., Brest.

To apply for a permanent residence permit in Belarus, you must submit the following documents:

• application;
• autobiography;
• foreign passport (notarized translation);
• 4 photos 4x5;
• a document of no criminal record;
• document confirming the grounds for obtaining a residence permit;
• certificate of health status;
• certificate of income;
• receipt for the payment of state duty.

Period of validity of the residence permit

Initially, a residence permit is issued for 2 years and then it can be extended for 5 years.

How to extend a permanent residence permit in Belarus

In order to extend your residence permit, you must apply to the local Citizenship and Migration Office at least 1 month before the expiration of your residence permit. You need to take 4 4x5 photos and pay 1 basic amount, and you will be given a form on the spot, which you need to fill in. You also need to have a document confirming the legal source of income in Belarus for the last 6 months (for example, a certificate of income from work).

Citizenship after a residence permit

Any foreign citizen who has reached the age of 18 has the right to apply for Belarusian citizenship.

If you have resided in Belarus continuously for 7 years on the basis of a residence permit, you have grounds to acquire Belarusian citizenship.

Grounds for refusal to grant a permanent residence permit

The following categories of persons may refuse to do so:

• those who have been prosecuted and their criminal record has not been removed or expunged;
• those who have been brought to administrative liability in Belarus five or more times during the year;
• those whose presence in Belarus is contrary to national security, civil law and order, etc;
• those whose purposes of stay in Belarus do not coincide with those stated in the statement;
• in case the immigration quota for citizens of a certain state is exhausted.

Cancellation of a residence permit in Belarus

A person who received a residence permit in Belarus must stay in the country for at least 183 days a year; otherwise, the permit may be canceled.

Reasons for the revocation of the residence permit

• Dissolution of marriage
• Dismissal from the workplace for which permission was granted
• Deportation
• Administrative and criminal offences

We have told you everything about obtaining a residence permit and if you still have doubts, come to us as a tourist and see how good Belarus is!