Belarus Visa Policy

You can realize a planned trip to Belarus by getting a Belarus visa. Foreign nationals can apply for Belarus short-term visas (C-type visa) for temporary reasons (tourism, business, cultural, and other short-term). If you want to stay in Belarus longer for any reason (such as education, work, etc.), you can also apply for Belarus long-term visas (D-type visa).

Citizens of the following countries can enter Belarus for an indefinite stay:

• Armenia
• Azerbaijan
• Georgia
• Kazakhstan
• Kyrgyzstan
• Moldova
• Russia
• Tajikistan
• Uzbekistan

Citizens of the following countries can enter Belarus for a 90-days stay:

• Argentina
• Brazil
• Israel
• Mongolia
• Ukraine
• Venezuela

Citizens of the following countries can enter Belarus for a 30-days stay:

• Albania
• China
• Cuba
• Ecuador
• Hong Kong
• Macao
• Montenegro
• Qatar
• Saint Kitts and Nevis
• Serbia
• Turkey
• United Arab Emirates

Visa-Free Provisions

According to Belarus visa-free regime policy, foreign citizens who travel to Belarus through Minsk International Airport can enter Belarus without a visa. This policy is applicable to the below countries’ citizens:

Citizens of Gambia, Haiti, India, Lebanon, Namibia, Samoa, and Vietnam can also enter Belarus without a visa through Minsk International Airport, if they possess multiple-entry C or D visa by Schengen/EU countries, an entry stamp of these countries on their passport and also have a valid return ticket through Minsk International Airport.

Brest and Grodno Regions Visa-Free Regime

Same foreign citizens (who are eligible to enter Belarus without a visa through Minsk International Airport, listed above) can also enter Brest and Grodno territories of Belarus without a visa for staying up to 15 days. Prior to travel, visitors must obtain an appropriate document that is issued by a certified local travel agency in Belarus. Possible entry checkpoints are the followings:

• Brest (Terespol)
• Bruzgi (Kuznica)
• Damacava (Slawatycze)
• Bieniakoni (Salcininkai)
• Bierastavica (Bobrowniki)
• Piascatka (Polowce)
• Pryvalka (Raigardas)
• Piarerau (Bialowieza)
• Brest-Uschodini Railway Station
• Grodno Railway Station
• Brest Airport
• Grodno Airport

*All nationals who enter Belarus without a visa under a visa-free regime policy must register themselves at local police departments in Belarus if they plan to stay in Belarus above 5 days.

You can apply for a Belarus Short-term visa for realizing your temporary travel to Belarus. Reasons to apply for this type of visa can be tourism, visiting family or friends, business trips, short-term education, exchange programs, short-term work, and many other non-permanent nuances. Belarus Short-term visa’s validity period can be a maximum of 90 days.

Required Documents for Belarus Short-term Visa

1. Application Form 

• Fully completed in English and signed and dated by the applicant himself (signed by both parents in case of minors, below the age of 18)

2. Passport

• Validity minimum of three months beyond the date of your departure from Belarus.
• Signed by bearer
• Passport not older than 10 years (issued in the last 10 years)
• At least one or two free “visa pages”
• Undamaged pictures securely affixed with/to passport

3. Photo

• NEW! Should not be older than 6 months.
• A frontal view of the face-covering 70-80% (32-26mm) of the photo.
• A uniform and white background.
• Clear facial features and eyes – not covered by hair or glasses frame.
• 3.5x4.5 size

4. ID Card Copy

• Validity minimum of three months beyond the date of your departure from Belarus.

5. Residence Permit/Visa Copy (if your country of residence and citizenship are different)

• Validity minimum of three months beyond the date of your departure from Belarus.

6. Photocopies

• Copy of the main page of your passport
• Copies of previous visas
• Copy of visa for the final destination (if any)

7. Travel Itinerary 

• Flight reservation (return ticket)
• Valid (existing) hotel/accommodation booking/reservation with the full address (name, street, city, zip code, contact information, booking ref.)

8. Letter from Local Employer/Sponsor (Proof of Occupation)

• The letter must include:
  • Name, postal address, and telephone number of sponsor/company
  • Details regarding the applicant’s working position, starting date of the employment, and salary
  • The timeframe of work leave (expected date to resume duties) and purpose of travel
• Valid trade license copy and company ownership documents (if a person is an owner of the company).
• Letter from University (if student)
• Copy of sponsor’s valid passport and residence visa (if any) to be attached to letter from sponsor (if an applicant is a dependent)

9. Medical Insurance

• It should cover all the duration you intend to stay in Belarus

10. Supporting Documents that Show Your Reason for a Trip

      For tourism (one of the following documents):

• A letter of visa support by a Belarusian travel agency
• A letter of visa support by a sanatorium, resort, or recreation center
• A letter of visa support by a representative of an agritourism business

      For business/congress/sports travel:

• A letter of visa support by a Belarusian company
• Original invitation letter by the company/organization

      For private visit:

• Original invitation letter by inviting person
• Original document that confirms the ownership of estate (home) of your inviting person, if you are going to stay there
• Copies of passport, Id card/residence permit of your inviting person

      For studying (short-term):

• Original invitation letter by the educational establishment in Belarus
• Acceptance letter to the Belarusian education establishment

      For employment (short-term):

• Original invitation letter by Belarusian company
• A copy of the employment permit that is issued for you
• Confirmation by Citizenship and Migration Department in Belarus

11. For Minors:

• Copy and English translation of either birth certificate/proof of adoption/custody decree if parents are divorced/death certificate of parent
• Letter of consent from parent/s or legal guardian/s, if traveling unaccompanied

*Additional documents can be required by the embassy.

Processing Time for Belarus Short-term Visa

The average processing time for a Belarus Short-term Visa is 3-15 calendar days. It depends on your visa application country.

Belarus Short-term Visa Fee

Belarus Short-term Visa fee is 35 EUR for single-entry and 60 EUR for a multiple-entry visa (it can vary depending on your country and nationality). Additionally, you may also need to pay other Administrative fees such as the Visa Application center fee, courier service fee, etc., depending on the country and location of your documents' submission.

Where to Apply for Belarus Short-term Visa?

You will apply for a Belarus Short-term Visa in Belarus visa application centers, embassies, or consulates, whichever accepts visa applications in your country of residence. If there is none of them in your country, you need to apply to the nearest embassy or consulate to your location.

Even if your country is exempt from visa requirements, if you intend to stay longer in Belarus, you will need to apply for a long-stay visa from your home country before coming to Belarus.

The long-term visa grants entry to Belarus on the basis that you will be applying for a residence permit. It enables you to enter Belarus as a potential resident and stay while you apply for residency.

Required Documents for Belarus Long-term Visa

1. Application Form 

• Fully completed in English and signed and dated by the applicant himself (signed by both parents in case of minors, below the age of 18)

2. Passport

• Validity minimum of three months beyond the date of your departure from Belarus.
• Signed by bearer
• Passport not older than 10 years (issued in the last 10 years)
• At least one or two free “visa pages”
• Undamaged pictures securely affixed with/to passport

3. Photo

• NEW! Should not be older than 6 months.
• A frontal view of the face-covering 70-80% (32-26mm) of the photo.
• A uniform and white background.
• Clear facial features and eyes – not covered by hair or glasses frame.
• 3.5x4.5 size

4. ID Card Copy

• Validity minimum of three months beyond the date of your departure from Belarus.

5. Residence Permit/Visa Copy (if your country of residence and citizenship are different)

• Validity minimum of three months beyond the date of your departure from Belarus.

6. Photocopies

• Copy of the main page of your passport
• Copies of previous visas
• Copy of visa for the final destination (if any)

7. Travel Itinerary 

• Flight reservation
• Valid (existing) hotel/accommodation booking/reservation with the full address (name, street, city, zip code, contact information, booking ref.)

8. Letter from Local Employer/Sponsor (Proof of Occupation)

• The letter must include:
  • Name, postal address, and telephone number of sponsor/company
  • Details regarding the applicant’s working position, starting date of the employment, and salary
  • The timeframe of work leave (expected date to resume duties) and purpose of travel
• Valid trade license copy and company ownership documents (if a person is an owner of the company).
• Letter from University (if student)
• Copy of sponsor’s valid passport and residence visa (if any) to be attached to letter from sponsor (if an applicant is a dependent)

9. Medical Insurance

• It should cover all the duration you intend to stay in Belarus

10. Supporting Documents that Show Your Reason for a Trip

      For business travel:

• A letter of visa support by a Belarusian company
• Original invitation letter by the company

      For private visit:

• Original invitation letter by inviting person
• Original document that confirms the ownership of estate (home) of your inviting person, if you are going to stay there
• Copies of passport, Id card/residence permit of your inviting person

      For studying (long-term):

• Original invitation letter by the educational establishment in Belarus
• Acceptance letter to the Belarusian education establishment

      For employment (long-term):

• Original invitation letter by Belarusian company
• A copy of the employment permit that is issued for you
• Confirmation by Citizenship and Migration Department in Belarus

      For family reunion:

• Original invitation letter by your family member
• Original document that confirms the ownership of estate (home) of your inviting person, if you are going to stay there
• Copies of passport, Id card/residence permit of your family member in Belarus
• Documents proving your ties with your family member in Belarus (such as marriage certificate, birth certificate, etc.)

11. For Minors:

• Copy and English translation of either birth certificate/proof of adoption/custody decree if parents are divorced/death certificate of parent
• Letter of consent from parent/s or legal guardian/s, if traveling unaccompanied

*Additional documents can be required by the embassy.

Processing Time for Belarus Long-term Visa

The average processing time for a Belarus Long-term Visa is 3-15 calendar days. It depends on your visa application country.

Belarus Long-term Visa Fee

Belarus Long-term Visa fee is 60 EUR (it can vary depending on your country and nationality). Additionally, you may also need to pay other Administrative fees such as the Visa Application center fee, courier service fee, etc., depending on the country and location of your documents' submission.

Where to Apply for Belarus Long-term Visa?

You will apply for a Belarus Long-term Visa in Belarus visa application centers, embassies, or consulates, whichever accepts visa applications in your country of residence. If there is none of them in your country, you need to apply to the nearest embassy or consulate to your location.

Whether or not a foreign citizen needs to meet the transit visa requirements for Belarus depends on a few different factors.

All foreign citizens who need a visa to enter Belarus are able to transit through Belarus without a visa for up to 24 hours, but only if they travel by air and remain within the airport transfer lounge. To transit in Belarus for longer periods and to be able to leave the airport transit lounge, it will be necessary to hold an approved visa for the country.

If you will transit to Belarus by train, car (everything except air), you will need to get a Belarus Transit visa.

Belarus Transit visa is issued for a maximum of 2 days.

Required Documents for Belarus Transit Visa

1. Application Form 

• Fully completed in English and signed and dated by the applicant himself (signed by both parents in case of minors, below the age of 18)

2. Passport

• Validity minimum of three months beyond the date of your departure from Belarus.
• Signed by bearer
• Passport not older than 10 years (issued in the last 10 years)
• At least one or two free “visa pages”
• Undamaged pictures securely affixed with/to passport

3. Photo

• NEW! Should not be older than 6 months.
• A frontal view of the face-covering 70-80% (32-26mm) of the photo.
• A uniform and white background.
• Clear facial features and eyes – not covered by hair or glasses frame.
• 3.5x4.5 size

4. ID Card Copy

• Validity minimum of three months beyond the date of your transiting through Belarus.

5. Residence Permit/Visa Copy (if your country of residence and citizenship are different)

• Validity minimum of three months beyond the date of your transiting through Belarus.

6. Photocopies

• Copy of the main page of your passport
• Copies of previous visas
• Copy of visa for the final destination (if any)

7. Travel Itinerary 

• Onward ticket (to the next destination)

*Additional documents can be required by the embassy.

Processing Time for Belarus Transit Visa

The average processing time for a Belarus Transit Visa is 3-15 calendar days. It depends on your visa application country.

Belarus Transit Visa Fee

Belarus Transit Visa fee is 10 EUR for single-entry and 35 EUR for a multiple-entry visa (it can vary depending on your country and nationality). Additionally, you may also need to pay other Administrative fees such as the Visa Application center fee, courier service fee, etc., depending on the country and location of your documents' submission.

Where to Apply for Belarus Transit Visa?

You will apply for a Belarus Transit Visa in Belarus visa application centers, embassies, or consulates, whichever accepts visa applications in your country of residence. If there is none of them in your country, you need to apply to the nearest embassy or consulate to your location.