Press releases

MINSK, 8 October (BelTA) – More than 155,000 tourists have visited Minsk as part of the visa-free travel program since February 2017, Yelena Plis, Director of the Tourist Information Center Minsk, said at a meeting in the Minsk City Hall, BelTA has learned.

Tourists from 71 countries have taken advantage of visa-free travel opportunity. Most of the guests came from Germany, Poland, Italy and the UK. This year alone, over 70,000 tourists have visited Minsk via National Airport Minsk without visas.

In January-July 2018 Minsk exported travel services worth $68.5 million, which was up 17.6% over the same period last year. Minsk accounted for 54.3% of the total export of tourist services of Belarus. “The number of foreign visitors to Minsk is increasing due to the efforts to attract tourists, successful marketing activities and 30-day visa-free entry,” Elena Plis said.

In 2017 Belarus allowed visa-free entry for up to five days for citizens of 80 countries via National Airport Minsk. In 2018 the country extended visa-free travel for foreign nationals to 30 days. Tourists must have a passport or other document permitting foreign travels, financial guarantees (equivalent to at least two base amounts for each day of stay in foreign currency or Belarusian rubles), medical insurance in the amount of at least €10,000 operational in Belarus.