Entry visas. Visa support documents

There are following types of entry visas: 

♦ B – transit visa. It can be single-entry, double-entry and multiple-entry. The  validity of visa cannot exceed one year with the right to stay in the Republic of Belarus up to 2 days each time including the day of entry.    

♦ C – short-term visa. It can be single-entry, double-entry and multiple-entry. Visa validity cannot exceed 90 days.

♦ D – long-term multiple-entry visa. The visa is issued for the period exceeding 90 days but not more than 5 years.

A long-term entry visa (for a purpose of business, private affairs or for participation in sport, cultural, scientific, educational activities, implementation of humanitarian programs) for a period of two years is generally issued provided that at least one long-term entry visa has been used within the previous three years.

A long-term entry visa (for a purpose of business, private affairs or for participation in sport, cultural, scientific, educational activities, implementation of humanitarian programs) for a period from three to five years is generally issued provided that one long-term entry visa with a validity of at least two years has been used within the previous five years.

Depending on the purpose of travel to Belarus the following categories of entry visas are issued:

♦ diplomatic;
♦ service;
♦ business travel;
♦ participation in sport, cultural, scientific, educational activities and internships;
♦ implementation of humanitarian programs, including rendering of the foreign aid, organization of the recovery of the children, volunteer work;
♦ maintaining of the religious ties;
♦ journalist activity;
♦ private purposes;
♦ study;
♦ employment;
♦ tourism;
♦ permanent residence.

— Transit visa (type B)

Supporting document to receive a transit visa is a visa of the country to which a foreign citizen travels through the territory of the Republic of Belarus.

If a visa to enter the third country is not required, other reasons for obtaining a transit visa are taken into consideration, including tickets for travelling by rail, road and air. 

— Short-term visa (type C)

Supporting documents to receive a short-term entry visa are the following:

♦ for business travel:

a visa support letter, issued by the Belarusian legal entity;

an application of the national association of the international road carriers or another competent authority that contains information about the foreigner and the visa requested, or the documents that confirm the transport of goods or passengers, – for a crew member of the international road carriers;

an application of the national railway organization or the railway company that contains information about the foreigner and the visa requested, – for a train, refrigerator, locomotive crew member; 

an application of a foreign national railway transport organisation or railway organisation (company) containing information about the foreigner and the visa requested – for a member of a train, refrigerator or locomotive crew;

documents for the provision of funeral services and documents confirming the need to deliver the coffin with the body (remains) of the deceased or the urn with the ashes of the deceased, – for an employee of a specialized organization providing funeral services for the delivery to the Republic of Belarus of the coffin with the body (remains) of the deceased or the urn with the ashes of the deceased;

a letter of visa support issued by the representative office of a foreign organisation or the branch of a foreign legal entity in the Republic of Belarus – for the issuance of an entry visa to the head or an employee of representative offices of such foreign organisation or branches of such foreign legal entity located in third countries, or to the founder, head, or employee of the foreign enterprise (organisation) or legal entity that established such representative office or branch, as well as to a foreigner sent to work at such a representative office or branch for a period not exceeding two months;

a verbal note of a diplomatic mission or consular office of a foreign state, a representative office or an organ of an international organisation or an interstate entity in the Republic of Belarus containing information about the foreigner and the visa requested – for a foreigner who is not recognised by the Republic of Belarus as having a diplomatic or service status and who is sent to the Republic of Belarus to perform work or render services in such a diplomatic mission or consular office, representative office or an organ of an international organisation or an interstate entity;

♦ for participation in sport, cultural, scientific, educational activities and internships:

visa support letter, issued by the Belarusian legal entity;

a verbal note of a diplomatic mission or consular office of a foreign state, a representative office or an organ of an international organisation or an interstate entity in the Republic of Belarus containing information about the foreigner and the visa requested – for a participant of an event organised by such diplomatic mission or consular office of a foreign state, a representative office or an organ of an international organisation or an interstate entity;

♦ for implementation of humanitarian programs, including rendering of the foreign aid, organization of the recovery of the children, volunteer work:

a letter of visa support of the Humanitarian Activities Department of the Presidential Property Management Directorate or another authorized governmental institution of the Republic of Belarus;

a letter of visa support of the Belarusian humanitarian organization approved by the Humanitarian Activities Department of the Presidential Property Management Directorate or another authorized governmental institution of the Republic of Belarus;

♦ for maintaining of the religious ties:

a letter of visa support of a religious association, approved by the Commissioner for Religious and Ethnic Affairs;

♦ for journalist activity:

the temporary accreditation by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Belarus;

♦ for private purposes:

a document inviting a foreigner to the Republic of Belarus, issued by a citizenship and migration unit, or information available at the Embassy/Consulate or the Division for the Admission of Foreigners of the Consular Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs regarding the issuance of a document inviting a foreigner to the Republic of Belarus;

a document on the death or serious illness of a person in the territory of the Republic of Belarus – for a foreigner and his / her close relatives who or whose close relative or spouse has fallen seriously ill or died in the territory of the Republic of Belarus;

a subpoena;

a document confirming the right of ownership / share in the right of ownership of residential premises in the territory of the Republic of Belarus – for an owner of residential premises and (or) members of his / her family;

a letter of visa support of a Belarusian healthcare institution or a contract for medical services with a Belarusian healthcare institution, made in accordance with the legislation of the Republic of Belarus, – for a foreigner, who needs medical care in Belarus;

a letter of visa support of a Belarusian healthcare institution – for a foreign attendant of a foreigner, who needs medical care in Belarus;

a letter of visa support submitted by a legal entity of the Republic of Belarus, a representative office of a foreign organisation, or a branch of a foreign legal entity in the Republic of Belarus – for the issuance of an entry visa to a family member accompanying a foreigner traveling to the Republic of Belarus for a business trip; for participation in sports, cultural, scientific, or educational events or internships; or for employment;

a letter of visa support of a Belarusian educational institution – for a foreigner, who accompanies a person, travelling to Belarus to participate in entrance examinations and / or to enroll in an educational institution of the Republic of Belarus;

a document proving family ties or marital relations with a citizen of the Republic of Belarus (birth certificate, marriage certificate, certificate of name change) – for a family member or a close relative of a citizen of the Republic of Belarus; 

a document confirming the fact of birth in the territory of the Republic of Belarus or belonging to the Belarusian nationality – for a foreigner born in the territory of the Republic of Belarus or being Belarusian by nationality;

an application of a citizen of the Republic of Belarus, whose signature is certified by an official of the Belarusian foreign diplomatic mission authorised to perform notarial acts – upon the decision of the consular officer; 

a temporary residence permit in the Republic of Belarus (for an entry visa for a period of stay not exceeding 30 days, but not longer than the validity of the temporary residence permit in the Republic of Belarus) – for a foreigner who has not obtained an exit-entry visa from the Citizenship and Migration Department before leaving the Republic of Belarus;

information, available at the Belarusian diplomatic mission abroad or the Division for the Admission of Foreigners of the Consular Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (DAF), that a foreigner has a permanent residence permit in the Republic of Belarus (for an entry visa for a period of stay not exceeding 30 days, but not longer than the validity of the temporary residence permit in the Republic of Belarus) – for a foreigner who does not have neither a valid residence permit in the Republic of Belarus nor a biometric residence permit;

an original certificate of the place of burial of relatives in the form established by the Ministry of Housing and Communal Services, or information of the Belarusian Red Cross Society or other organisation affiliated with the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement on the preservation of the burial place (this document must have been issued within the last five years) – for a foreigner whose close relative or spouse has a close relative or spouse buried in the territory of the Republic of Belarus, as well as close relatives, spouse of such a foreigner;

a verbal note of a diplomatic mission or consular office of a foreign state, a representative office or an organ of an international organisation or an interstate entity in the Republic of Belarus containing information about the foreigner and the visa requested – for a foreigner travelling to the Republic of Belarus as a guest of the head or a member of such diplomatic mission or consular office of a foreign state, a representative office or an organ of an international organisation or an interstate entity;

♦ to study [?]:

an invitation issued by an educational institution, an organisation implementing research-oriented educational programs, or another organisation authorised by law to conduct educational activities, which has been approved by the citizenship and migration unit in whose jurisdiction the organisation is located; or information available at the Embassy/Consulate or the Division for the Admission of Foreigners of the Consular Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirming that the citizenship and migration unit has approved the invitation;

♦ for employment:

a notarised copy of a special employment permit, issued by the local unit of the Citizenship and Migration, or information available at the Belarusian diplomatic mission abroad or at the Division for the Admission of Foreigners of the Consular Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (DAF) on the issuance to the foreigner of a special employment permit in the Republic of Belarus;

the decision to open a representative office of a foreign organisation or a branch of a foreign legal entity (or its notarised copies) and a letter from the foreign organisation appointing a foreigner as the head of the representative office of the foreign organisation or the head of the branch of the foreign legal entity – for the issuance of an entry visa to the head of the representative office of the foreign organisation or the head of the branch of the foreign legal entity;

♦ for tourism:

a letter of visa support of a Belarusian tourist company; 

a letter of visa support of a sanatorium, resort or recreation center;

a letter of visa support of a representative of agritourist business;

a ticket to the cultural/sport event - upon the decision of the consular officer for the period up to 2 days;

a confirmation of the hotel reservation excluding the foreigners who can pose a migration threat; 

Visa for tourist purposes can be single- or double-entry and is issued for the period not longer than 30 days;

♦ for permanent residence:

the decision of the regional branch of the Citizenship and Migration Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Belarus.

—  Long-term visa (type D)

Supporting documents to receive a long-term entry visa are the following:

♦ for a business travel:

a letter of visa support, issued by the Belarusian legal entity;

documents of a legal entity of the Republic of Belarus (including constituent documents) confirming that the foreigner is a founder of a commercial organisation in the Republic of Belarus;

an application of the national association of the international road carriers or another competent authority that contains information about the foreigner and the visa requested, or the documents that confirm the transport of goods or passengers, – for issuing visa to the crew member of the international road carrier;

an application of the national railway organization or the railway company that contains information about the foreigner and the visa requested, – for issuing visa to the train, refrigerator, locomotive crew member;

a visa support letter issued by the representative office of a foreign organisation or the branch of a foreign legal entity in the Republic of Belarus – for the issuance of an entry visa to the heads or an employees of such representative office, representative offices of such foreign organisation or branch, branches of such foreign legal entity located in third countries, or to the founders, heads, or employees of the foreign enterprise (organisation) or legal entity that established such representative office or branch;

a verbal note of a diplomatic mission or consular office of a foreign state, a representative office or an organ of an international organisation or an interstate entity in the Republic of Belarus containing information about the foreigner and the visa requested – for a foreigner who is not recognised by the Republic of Belarus as having a diplomatic or service status and who is sent to the Republic of Belarus to perform work or render services in such a diplomatic mission or consular office, representative office or an organ of an international organisation or an interstate entity;

♦ for participation in sport, cultural, scientific, educational activities and internships:

visa support letter, issued by the Belarusian legal entity;

a verbal note of a diplomatic mission or consular office of a foreign state, a representative office or an organ of an international organisation or an interstate entity in the Republic of Belarus containing information about the foreigner and the visa requested – for a participant of an event organised by such diplomatic mission or consular office of a foreign state, a representative office or an organ of an international organisation or an interstate entity;

♦ for implementation of humanitarian programs, including rendering of the foreign aid, organization of the recovery of the children, volunteer work:

a letter of visa support of the Humanitarian Activities Department of the Presidential Property Management Directorate or another authorized governmental institution of the Republic of Belarus;

a letter of visa support of the Belarusian humanitarian organization approved by the Humanitarian Activities Department of the Presidential Property Management Directorate or another authorized governmental institution of the Republic of Belarus;

♦ for maintaining of the religious ties:

a letter of visa support of a religious association, approved by the Commissioner for Religious and Ethnic Affairs;

♦ for journalist activity:

the permanent accreditation by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Belarus;

♦ for private purposes:

a document inviting a foreigner to the Republic of Belarus, issued by a citizenship and migration unit, or information available at the Embassy/Consulate or the Division for the Admission of Foreigners of the Consular Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs regarding the issuance of a document multiple-entry inviting a foreigner to the Republic of Belarus;

a document confirming the right of ownership / share in the right of ownership of residential premises in the territory of the Republic of Belarus – for an owner of residential premises and (or) members of his / her family;

a document proving family ties or marital relations with a citizen of the Republic of Belarus (birth certificate, marriage certificate, certificate of name change) – for a family member or a close relative of a citizen of the Republic of Belarus; 

a document confirming the fact of birth in the territory of the Republic of Belarus or belonging to the Belarusian nationality – for a foreigner born in the territory of the Republic of Belarus or being Belarusian by nationality;

a letter of visa support of a Belarusian healthcare institution or contract for medical services with a Belarusian healthcare institution, made in accordance with the legislation of the Republic of Belarus, – for a foreigner, who needs medical care in Belarus, as well as for a foreign attendant of such a foreigner;

a letter of visa support submitted by a legal entity of the Republic of Belarus, a representative office of a foreign organisation, or a branch of a foreign legal entity in the Republic of Belarus – for the issuance of an entry visa to a family member accompanying a foreigner traveling to the Republic of Belarus for a business trip; for participation in sports, cultural, scientific, or educational events or internships; or for employment;

an application of a citizen of the Republic of Belarus, whose signature is certified by an official of the Belarusian foreign diplomatic mission authorised to perform notarial acts, – upon the decision of the consular officer; 

a verbal note of a diplomatic mission or consular office of a foreign state, a representative office or an organ of an international organisation or an interstate entity in the Republic of Belarus containing information about the foreigner and the visa requested – for a foreigner travelling to the Republic of Belarus as a guest of the head or a member of such diplomatic mission or consular office of a foreign state, a representative office or an organ of an international organisation or an interstate entity;

♦ for employment:

a letter of visa support submitted by a legal entity of the Republic of Belarus, a representative office of a foreign organisation, or a branch of a foreign legal entity in the Republic of Belarus, along with a notarised copy of the special permit authorising a foreign citizen or stateless person to engage in employment in the Republic of Belarus, issued by the Department of Citizenship and Migration of the Main Internal Affairs Directorate of the Minsk City Executive Committee or of the Internal Affairs Directorate of the Regional Executive Committee;

a letter of visa support submitted by a legal entity of the Republic of Belarus, a representative office of a foreign organization, or a branch of a foreign legal entity in the Republic of Belarus; and information available at the Embassy/Consulate regarding the issuance to the foreigner of a special permit authorising to engage in employment in the Republic of Belarus as an immigrant worker. 

In some cases the entry visa can be issued on other grounds.