Rules of staying and registration in Belarus

All foreigners (about a few exceptions - below) who come to our country need to register online or at the Citizenship and Migration Department at the place of actual residence within five working days (Sunday and public holidays are not counted). If a foreigner decides to change an apartment, the whole process must be done again at the new place - again within five working days. It is a little easier for those who are going to spend their time in Belarus in a hotel or a sanatorium - there is no need to go to the Citizenship and Migration Department, you can register directly at the place of your stay.

Registration rules for foreign citizens

In accordance with the Law of the Republic of Belarus “On the Legal Status of Foreign Citizens and Stateless Persons in the Republic of Belarus”, foreigners arriving in the Republic of Belarus are required to register with the Citizenship and Migration Department of the internal affairs body within 10 days.

According to article 45 of the Law, foreigners who have arrived in the Republic of Belarus for up to 10 days on ordinary days are not subject to registration, if their departure from the Republic of Belarus is carried out within these days.

Registration at Citizenship and Migration Departments

To begin with, you need to find the required department of the Department of State Inspection - the list of regional departments and their opening hours is on the Internet. Please note that Monday is a day off in the branches, but it is still included in the very five days for which you need to have time to make a registration - so do not leave this matter until the last moment.

In order to register you need:

- application for registration,

- the passport,

- insurance,

- migration card (it must be issued when crossing the border),

- receipt of payment of state duty (0.5 base value).

Everything will be ready in a day, and a registration mark must be put on the migration card - it must be handed over at the border when leaving Belarus. The loss of a migration card can also result in a fine at the border, so it must be handled with care.

Online registration

From January 2, 2019, foreign citizens can register in Belarus through portal.gov.by and arrange everything online by following the following algorithm of actions:

1. We start a personal account at portal.gov.by.

2. In the “Available services” tab, select the “Citizenship and Migration” category.

3. We order a registration service, fill out an application and send it.

4. We receive a message about successful registration at the specified address of residence (it must be saved).

The online registration procedure is free. It is available to everyone who arrives in Belarus through any of the checkpoints. Also, a foreigner can register on a single electronic portal by his representative from his personal account.

This procedure is available to foreigners who entered the Republic of Belarus at checkpoints across the State border of the Republic of Belarus. Foreigners arriving in the Republic of Belarus from the territory of the Russian Federation must apply personally to the citizenship and migration unit of the territorial body of internal affairs at the place of their stay in Belarus for registration.

You can read more about online registration here.

Renewal of registration period

In order to extend the period of stay of a foreigner on the territory of the Republic of Belarus, you must personally apply to the department for citizenship and migration at the place of registration of a foreign citizen to obtain:

• exit visa;
• a temporary residence permit, as well as, if necessary, an exit-entry visa to it.

What to do if you missed the registration renewal period?

You have to register and pay a fine - and it is better to do this in Belarus than at the border. All the same we go to the department of the Department of State Inspection, we do everything that is for regular registration, but in addition to this, you will also have a protocol on an administrative offense. In some cases, if this is the first violation, you can get off with a warning, but this is rare. Most likely, you will need to pay a fine from 2 to 10 basic units, and the fine awaits both the foreigner and the person at whose address he was supposed to be registered. The usual cost of registration can be paid by card or in cash at the bank terminal immediately at the Citizenship and Migration Departments, but in order to pay off the fines, you must go to the bank and pay only in cash. This must be done within 30 days and the receipt must be entered again in the Citizenship and Migration Departments.

Entry and exit rules in Belarus

When crossing the border of the Republic of Belarus, regardless of the method of crossing it, it is necessary to go through: border and customs control, and, if necessary: ​​automobile, veterinary, sanitary-quarantine and phytosanitary types of control.

Foreign citizens can cross the border of Belarus with the following documents:

• a valid document for traveling abroad (passport) with a visa for citizens of countries with which the Republic of Belarus has a visa regime;
• document for returning to the state of citizenship or residence (in case of losing a passport on the territory of the Republic of Belarus).

Registration authorities in the Republic of Belarus

When arriving in the Republic of Belarus, you can register in:

• The Ministry of Foreign Affairs;
• internal affairs bodies;
• hotel;
• sanatorium and health resort organization;
• subject of agroecotourism.

Temporary residence and permanent residence of foreign citizens in Belarus

Chapter 5 of the Law of the Republic of Belarus provides for three modes of stay of foreigners: temporary stay, temporary and permanent residence in the Republic of Belarus. The period of temporary stay in the Republic of Belarus of a foreigner is determined by the validity period of the visa issued to him and cannot exceed 90 days a year from the date of entry into the Republic of Belarus. The period of temporary stay in the Republic of Belarus of a foreigner who has arrived in the Republic of Belarus in a manner that does not require a visa cannot exceed 90 days per year from the date of entry into the Republic of Belarus. The period of temporary stay in the Republic of Belarus of a foreigner can also be extended or reduced in the event of a change or loss of the grounds on which the foreigner was allowed to enter the Republic of Belarus.

In accordance with Article 46 of the Law, a temporary residence permit is issued to foreigners who arrived in the Republic of Belarus for a period of more than 90 days a year, including:

 - for training in educational institutions of the Republic of Belarus - for a period of study, but not more than one year;

 - to a spouse, close relatives who are citizens of the Republic of Belarus and permanently reside in the Republic of Belarus - for a period of stay, but not more than one year;

 - to engage in labor, business and other activities on the territory of the Republic of Belarus - for a period of stay, but not more than one year;

 - if they own real estate in the Republic of Belarus - for a period of stay, but not more than one hundred and eighty days a year;

 - on other grounds provided for by the legislation of the Republic of Belarus, including international treaties of the Republic of Belarus.