Travel visas for Belarus

Most foreign visitors to Belarus require one of a range of available visas: Belarus transit visas, short or long-stay visas, single or multi-entry

Who needs a visa for Belarus?

Most foreigners visiting Belarus require a visa.
Exceptions are:

• passport holders from CIS states (except Turkmenistan)
• Cuban citizens (for visits up to 30 days)
• citizens from Serbia and Montenegro (for visits up to 30 days)
• Mongolian citizens (for visits up to 30 days)
• Venezuelan citizens (for visits upto 90 days)
• Macedonian citizens (for visits up to 30 days)

There are also some exceptions for diplomatic passport holders from:

• Argentina
• Brazil
• Chinese People's Republic
• Hungary
• India
• Iran
• Macedonia
• Romania
• Slovakia
• Turkmenistan
• Turkey
• Vietnam

All other foreigners need visas to travel to Belarus.

What kind of visa do you need?

The most commonly used visa is the short-term visa. These are valid for up to 90 days and suitable for:

• business travellers
• students
• private travellers on family business

Short-term visas can be single, double or multiple entry, depending on requirements.

Tourists usually receive a short-term group visa via their travel agency.

Long-term visas are usually valid for one year and allow multiple entry to Belarus. They are suitable for:

• frequent business travellers
• private travellers wishing to stay longer in the country

Transit visas for Belarus are valid up to one year and allow the holder 2 days to travel across Belarusian territory.

How do you get a visa?

Visas are issued by the following bodies:

• Consular sections of Belarus
• Diplomatic Representative offices of Belarus
• Consular Centre of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs at Minsk Airport (for nationals of countries without  Belarusian representative offices)

In order to receive a visa, you must submit the following documents to your local Consular Section or representative office:

• a completed visa questionnaire
• 1 passport photo
• supporting documents (original letter of invitation, with the signature and, if a business, seal of the inviting party)
• other documents stipulated by the Consular office (depending on nature of visit and type of visa required.)
• passport (with an expiry date at least 90 days after the expiry of the visa)

Can you get your visa after you arrive?

Usually this is not possible, and most airlines will not allow you to travel without a valid visa.

However, for foreigners entering Belarus from a country without a representative office, it is possible to get the visa on arrival at Minsk National Airport.

In order to do this the person or organisation inviting you to Belarus must submit the original invitation to the Department of Citizenship and Migration prior to your arrival.

How long does it take to get a visa?

Successful applications will be processed within 5 working days of receiving the request.

How much does a visa cost?

Visa charges vary according to:

• nationality of applicant
• age of applicant
• type of visa

Thus, consular fees are

• transit visas (type B): single-entry visas – €20, single-entry visas for groups – €10 per person, multiple-entry visas – €40
• short-term visas (type C): single-entry visas – €60, single-entry visas for groups – €10 per person, multiple-entry visas – €120
• long-term visas (type D) – €150.

For issuing visas to UK citizens:

transit visas  – $78/ £50 (5 business days)
short-term visas – $114/£75  (5 business days)
long-term visas  –  $366/£235 (5 business days).

For issuing visas (5 business days) to USA citizens:

transit visas: regular - $160
short-term visas: regular - $160 (single entry), $ 190 (double/multiple entry)
long-term visas: regular - $270.

Consular fees for citizens of Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, and Estonia stand at €25 for single-entry short-term visas and €60 for multiple-entry short-term visas.

Visas for Serbia citizens (for 30 days and over) and Japan citizens are free.

Visas processed at Minsk National Airport usually cost double the standard tariff.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Belarus provides a regularly updated list of consular fees.

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