Belarus allows citizens of 80 countries visa-free entry for five days

Alexander Lukashenko, Belarus President, ratified Decree No. 8, as per whose introduction foreign nationals can enter and depart the country visa-free, on 9 January. The Belarusian Telegraph Agency quotes the introduced document as saying that citizens of 80 countries can enter the country through the Minsk National Airport’s border checkpoint visa-free and stay for up to five days. Included among them are 39 countries of Europe, including all the countries of the European Union, in addition to Brazil, Japan, Indonesia, the USA and some other countries. Further, the new rules also apply to Estonia’s stateless people and Latvia’s non-citizens. The document’s intention is to increase the number of trips made by business people, tourists and others visiting this Eastern European country for private reasons. It is applicable to people with conventional passports and not to foreign nationals visiting Belarus officially for diplomatic, special, service and such other purposes. A proper passport or another document that allows travel to foreign countries, money sufficient to stay either in Belarusian rubles or foreign currency for their stay and medical insurance worth at least €10,000, which will be valid in Belarus, are necessary to enter the former Soviet state visa-free. Meanwhile, the citizens China, India, Gambia, Haiti, Honduras, Lebanon, Namibia, Samoa and Vietnam need to have a valid multi-entry visa to the Schengen area or the EU states. In addition, they must have a mark confirming their entry to Belarus and air tickets with a confirmation of return tickets from the Minsk National Airport within five days following their date of the entry. This visa-free travel is not applicable for people arriving from Russia by plane or planning to travel by air to Russia. The decree will be effective after a month of its official publication. If you are planning to visit Belarus, contact Y-Axis, India’s premier immigration consultancy company, to avail professional help to apply for a visa from one of its several offices located in India’s largest cities.