Visa on arrival to Belarus

In Belarus, foreign citizens can obtain a visa upon arrival in the country. This possibility simplifies the procedure for foreigners in whose countries there is no Belarusian representation, as well as for those who cannot visit an embassy or consulate. Nevertheless, this method of obtaining a visa has its own difficulties and high costs.

Types of visas to Belarus

In Belarus, it is possible to obtain a visa of three types: transit, which is valid for no more than 2 days, short-term, issued for up to 90 days and long-term valid for up to a year, but no more than 90 days of stay in twelve months (B, C, D). The visa can be extended if it is necessary.

The presented types of visas, in turn, are divided into single, double and multiple entries (depending on the number of possible entries: one, two, more than two), as well as individual or group (for people arriving in the country for a single purpose, consisting of 5 people).

Another classification can be made depending on the place of obtaining the visa: at the embassy at the place of residence or upon arrival at the airport in Minsk.

Getting a visa at the airport

Procedure for obtaining a visa on arrival

Obtaining a visa upon arrival in the Republic of Belarus is carried out only at the National Airport of Minsk ("Minsk-2"). Employees of the department for the entry of foreigners of the main consular department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs have the right to issue a visa there.

Visa support documents should be sent in advance (for obtaining a tourist visa, such documents may be a request from a travel agency, a sanatorium, and so on). They are stamped by an authorized employee. When belarusian invites a foreigner to Belarus, it is recommended to send him this document with an affixed mark, as it is requested at check-in for the flight. In the absence of visa support documents with the seal of a foreigner, they may simply not be allowed to register.

In order to obtain a short-term study visa at the airport, the presence of a representative of the educational institution who applied for a visa for this citizen is required.

Visas are issued every day, 24 hours a day.

Foreigners arriving in Belarus from the airport of the Russian Federation will not be able to issue a visa upon arrival at the airport, since there is no border control between our countries.

List of required documents

If you want to get a visa to Belarus, a foreign citizen must submit the following documents to the embassy at the place of residence:

1. Visa application form. Such an application can usually be found on the embassy's website. You can fill out the form either in advance or already at the airport when you submit documents;

2. Photo of the established size (35 by 45, taken no later than six months ago);

3. Passport or other document for travel abroad;

4. Documents confirming the purpose of the trip (visa support document);

5. Insurance (allowed, both from a Belarusian insurance organization and from a foreign one);

6. Check for payment of consular fees.

Terms of submission of documents

For a successful visa application, it is necessary to send visa support documents to the airport (application and its copy) at least 2 days before landing in Belarus. Documents can be handed over in person on weekdays from 10:30 to 13:30 or by mail.

In order to obtain a long-term visa, documents are sent to the main consular department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs 5 days before the arrival of a foreigner in the Republic of Belarus.

If you need to visit Belarus due to the death or serious illness of a relative, documents can be provided directly when applying for a visa at the airport.

Cost of a visa to Belarus

The price for obtaining an individual visa at the airport will be 180 euros for countries that have an operating embassy or consulate of the Republic of Belarus and 30 euros for a group, and for citizens of countries that do not have a Belarusian representation will be 90 euros for an individual and 15 euros for a group.

Payment for the visa on arrival is made in cash.

Children under 14 years of age receive a visa free of charge.

Deadline for obtaining a visa to Belarus

A visa upon arrival is issued directly at the airport on the day of arrival of a foreigner, if you send visa support documents and other necessary documents and information in advance.

For comparison, the term for obtaining a visa through the consulate is 5 days, and in an expedited manner - 2 days.

Visa-free regime in Belarus

Almost all foreigners need a visa to the Republic of Belarus, with the exception of certain countries with which Belarus has an agreement on this issue.

There is no need for a visa for citizens of the Commonwealth of Independent States (with the exception of Turkmenistan), Cuba, Mongolia, Venezuela, Macedonia, Georgia, Qatar, Serbia, Turkey, Montenegro, Ecuador, Israel, China.

Private road trips for citizens of all other countries of the world are accompanied by a visa, except for the situations described below.

Since 2018, a presidential decree has come into effect, allowing foreign citizens of 73 countries of the world to come to Belarus without a visa. This rule applies only to people arriving in the country through the National Airport. However, citizens arriving from Russia cannot take advantage of this opportunity, as well as people with diplomatic, service, and similar passports.

Without a visa, under such a system, one can stay in the country for up to 30 days from the moment the passport is stamped. This period can be extended if it is necessary.

The documents without which visa-free entry to Belarus through the airport is impossible include:

• Passport or equivalent document valid for more than 90 days on the expected date of departure;

• Cash in the amount of 2 basic units for every day or 50 basic units for a month in the country;

• Valid insurance in the amount of 10 thousand euros.

Citizens of countries such as Vietnam, Haiti, Gambia, India, China, Lebanon, Namibia, Samoa must also provide confirmation of a Schengen visa with a note of entry into their territory and return tickets.

Another option available for entering Belarus without a visa for more than 70 countries of the world is to visit the "Grodno-Brest" zone. This opportunity extends to visiting the combined tourist and recreational zone, which includes the sights of the Grodno and Brest regions.

In this case, a visa-free regime is valid for a tourist for 15 days. A prerequisite in this case will be the advance purchase of a tour by a foreigner from a company that is a certified operator and has the right to organize visa-free travel of foreign citizens. In addition to the tour, the foreigner must also purchase insurance and take a passport with him.

You can get to the country in this way through 14 checkpoints, including the airport of Grodno and Brest.

It must be remembered that despite the absence of a visa, a foreigner needs to register at the department for citizenship and migration at the place of residence in Belarus. If a citizen is staying at a hotel, sanatorium and other similar institutions, then registration takes place right there upon check-in. Such an action is not necessary if the foreigner is not going to be in the country for more than 5 days, if there are no agreements between the countries prescribing a different procedure.