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There is no particular need to clarify that Belarus, which is close and adored by us, is waiting for Russians to visit with wide open arms - citizens of the Russian Federation do not need a visa here, moreover, entry is possible both with a foreign and an internal Russian passport. There are also no formalities on site: free and safe movement throughout the republic, no need to register at the place of stay and no fees. And the border as such is also not felt - in general, it is an indicative friendship of peoples and an example for some not so progressive CIS countries.
Visa-free regime in Belarus for citizens of 80 countries
Entry and exit of citizens of 80 countries in a visa-free regime for up to 5 days is carried out only through the checkpoint at Minsk National Airport.
You can see the list of countries with a visa-free regime for Belarus at the end of the article. Find the lowest prices on flights to Belarus
To enter the Republic of Belarus visa-free through Minsk National Airport, foreign citizens must have with them:
- a valid passport or other equivalent document intended for traveling abroad;
— money : for each day of stay, an amount in foreign currency or Belarusian rubles, equivalent to at least 2 basic units;
- medical insurance policy for at least 10,000 euros, valid in Belarus.
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Documents for entry into Belarus from Russia
If you are traveling to Belarus with children, additional documents may be required.
A clear understanding of what documents are needed to enter Belarus will make it possible to visit this country without hindrance. Therefore, you need to start from the composition of the trip participants and the approximate amounts for expenses.
It is important! A foreign or internal passport is not enough when traveling with a child who is accompanied by only one of the parents or a third party. Take permission (preferably notarized) from the other parent or from both of them.
The presence of such a power of attorney is a requirement of Russian legislation, not Belarusian, but, nevertheless, the document will have to be drawn up.
At the border, the Belarusian side will not require medical insurance. But according to the new rules, in order to leave the Russian Federation, a person must have a policy that covers the minimum amount of possible costs for treatment or repatriation of remains.
Minors over the age of 14 must provide their own passport (foreign or Russian citizen). For children under this age, a birth certificate is required.
The canceled Belarusian visa allows the tourist to save money, but the traveler must have funds with him at the rate of 25-30 euros per day. Then the border guards will not have any additional questions about the citizen’s planned location on the territory of Belarus.
Documents for obtaining a Belarusian visa
documents to the entry visa issuing authorities of the Republic of Belarus :
- one copy of the visa application form according to the approved form (https://mfa.gov.by/visa/vjezd/info/faefad5873cc7ea0.html);
- one photograph (size 35 x 45 mm, photograph not older than 6 months);
- document for traveling abroad;
- visa support documents;
- additional documents necessary to make a decision on issuing an entry visa (at the request of the consular officer);
- health insurance contract;
- confirmation of payment of the consular fee .
From January 1, 2021, the following rates of consular fees for issuing visas to Belarus have been established:
- individual – 60 euros (for all types of visas with any number of entries)
- group (per person) – 10 euros.
For citizens and residents with special status of Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Estonia, Japan and Serbia, different rates of consular fees are determined.
You will find more detailed information about a visa to Belarus on the website: https://mfa.gov.by
What does the price depend on?
Various agencies and companies can make it easier for you to obtain a Schengen visa. The price of a visa to Poland through an intermediary will cost much more, but it will save you from unnecessary hassle and travel.
The services of a travel agency that helps you obtain Schengen also have a certain price.
Therefore, you need to remember that it will be added to the payment of the consular fee. The cost of such assistance depends on the state, duration of visit and agency rating. As a rule, prices range from 60-400 euros.
So, the registration price depends on:
- country granting entry permission. The Schengen zone implies the same conditions for obtaining a document, but different countries may put forward their own characteristics;
- To obtain a visa to Poland, the price also depends on the processing time. The faster the necessary certificates are collected, the more expensive Schengen will cost.
Where Belarusians do not need a visa and who does not need a visa to Belarus
| Citizens of the Republic of Belarus on general passports in: | To Belarus for foreign citizens with general passports: |
| Azerbaijan | Azerbaijan |
| Albania (up to 90 days for private purposes and for tourism, from June 1 to November 1) | Armenia |
| Antigua and Barbuda (up to 30 days) | Brazil (up to 90 days) |
| Armenia | Venezuela (up to 90 days) |
| Barbados (up to 28 days) | Georgia |
| Brazil (up to 90 days) | Israel (up to 90 days in each period of 180 days) |
| Vanuatu (up to 30 days) | Kazakhstan |
| Venezuela (up to 90 days) | Qatar (up to 30 days) |
| Vietnam (up to 15 days) | People's Republic of China (up to 3 days, subject to arriving in Belarus by direct flight from an airport of nationality and having a Schengen visa or for group tourist trips) |
| Honduras (up to 90 days with valid US, Canadian, Schengen, or Guatemala, Nicaragua and El Salvador visas) | Cuba (up to 30 days) |
| Haiti (up to 90 days) | Kyrgyzstan |
| Gambia (up to 90 days) | Macau, Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China (up to 30 days) |
| Georgia | Macedonia (if there is a private invitation/telegram, a referral or invitation from a health care institution for treatment, a request from a travel company, as well as for the purpose of visiting burials) |
| Dominica (up to 21 days for tourism purposes and with a return air ticket) | Moldova |
| Israel (up to 90 days in each period of 180 days) | Mongolia (up to 90 days) |
| Indonesia (up to 30 days for tourism purposes) | United Arab Emirates (up to 30 days) |
| Kazakhstan | Russia |
| People's Republic of China (for group tourist trips) | Serbia (up to 30 days) |
| Cuba (up to 30 days) | Tajikistan |
| Kyrgyzstan | Türkiye (up to 30 days) |
| Malaysia (up to 30 days) | Uzbekistan |
| Macau, Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China (up to 30 days) | Ukraine |
| Moldova | Montenegro (for up to 30 days if there is a request from a travel company/invitation) |
| Macedonia (with an invitation/telegram, referral or invitation from a health care institution for treatment, a tourist voucher, as well as for the purpose of visiting burials; up to 15 days with a valid multiple-entry visa type “C” from Schengen countries) | Ecuador (for up to 30 days) |
| Mongolia (up to 90 days) | Foreigners up to 3 days to visit the Belovezhskaya Pushcha National Park with the appropriate permit |
| Micronesia (Federated States) (up to 30 days) | Visa-free procedure for visiting the special tourist and recreational park “Augustovsky Canal” and the city of Grodno |
| Namibia (up to 90 days) | up to 5 days for citizens of 80 countries arriving in Belarus through the Minsk National Airport checkpoint, with the exception of flights from the Russian Federation |
| Nicaragua (up to 90 days) | |
| Panama (up to 180 days) | |
| Peru (up to 183 days for tourism purposes) | |
| Russia | |
| El Salvador (if you have a permanent or temporary residence permit in Russia, a valid US, Canadian or Schengen visa) | |
| Samoa (up to 60 days with return tickets and hotel reservation/invitation) | |
| Seychelles (up to 90 days with a return ticket and financial guarantees) | |
| Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (up to 30 days) | |
| Serbia (up to 30 days) | |
| Tajikistan | |
| Tunisia (up to 90 days) | |
| Türkiye (up to 30 days) | |
| Uzbekistan | |
| Ukraine | |
| Montenegro (for up to 30 days with an invitation/tourist voucher) | |
| Ecuador (for up to 30 days) |
Travel to Belarus without a visa
We indicated above that to travel to Belarus without visas, you must fulfill one of two conditions: enter the country through the airport in Minsk or come to the visa-free zone, which is now available in Grodno, Brest and their regions.
Let's take a closer look at each of the methods.
Entry through the airport
This method is one of the most convenient. You simply arrive in Belarus at Minsk airport, after which you can travel throughout the country for 30 days. You are also required to leave the country through the airport; this is one of the most important conditions.
Documents for visa-free entry through the airport:
- A valid passport or other equivalent document issued in your country for traveling abroad;
- Funding at a rate of at least $25. If you stay in Belarus for the entire period (30 days), you must provide at least 605 dollars;
- Medical insurance. It is subject to the same requirements as for Schengen insurance, however, the minimum insurance amount is significantly less - from 10,000 euros;
- Citizens of Namibia, Samoa, India, Lebanon, Vietnam, Gambia and Haiti must provide a Schengen multiple entry visa;
- Round-trip air tickets with exact departure dates.
If you plan to stay in the country for more than 5 days, you must register with the migration authorities. To do this, contact your local police department. If you check into a hotel, hostel or hotel, you will be checked in automatically during check-in. But if you live with friends or rent separate housing, you will have to contact the police department yourself.
Visiting the visa-free zone
If for some reason traveling by plane is not suitable for you, you can come to the special visa-free zone by any other transport. In 2021, the visa-free zone consists of Brest, Grodno, Brest and Grodno districts, as well as Kamenets, Voronovsky, Lidsky, Svisloch, Zhabinkovsky, Pruzhansky, Berestovichtsky, Volkovysk and Shchuchinsky districts. All of these are located in the vicinity of Grodno and Brest.
Grodno
You can visit these areas by any means of transport without a visa and stay there for 15 days. To do this, you must provide the following documents:
- A valid passport or other equivalent document issued in your country for traveling abroad;
- Funds of at least $25;
- Medical insurance. It is subject to the same requirements as for Schengen insurance, however, the minimum insurance amount is significantly less - from 10,000 euros;
- A completed migration card, which will be given to you at the border;
- Entry permit.
Let's take a closer look at the resolution. To enter the visa-free zone, you must first plan your trip and obtain an entry permit. This is not a visa, but just a formal document.
Its registration is carried out by accredited travel companies. You must contact them, provide a travel plan or purchase a tour immediately. Purchasing a tour means that all necessary permitting documents will be automatically issued for you.
Types of Belarusian visas and their features
All visas for travel to Belarus can be single, double or multiple valid. Also, depending on the duration of the document, there are:
- transit;
- short-term;
- long-term visas.
The decision to issue a visa is made at the Belarusian embassy. The period for consideration of the application is five days from the date of filing the application. You can also obtain an expedited permit within 48 hours. You can find out how much a visa costs under a simplified scheme by phone, via the Internet or in person when visiting the consulate.
Permission to enter the country can be individual or group. The consulate reserves the right to refuse a visa to a foreigner without giving reasons. Also, embassy representatives have the opportunity to reduce the duration and frequency of the visa. To renew the document, you must contact the department for migration policy of the Republic of Belarus according to the place of registration of the foreigner.
