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;

an application of the representative office of a foreign organisation in the Republic of Belarus, – for a manager and an employee of offices of such foreign organisation in other countries or for founders, a manager and an employee of the foreign enterprise (organization), which has established this office, as well as for a foreigner sent to work in such a representative office 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:

an invitation for a foreigner to visit the Republic of Belarus issued by the local unit of the Citizenship and Migration Department or information available at the Belarusian diplomatic mission abroad on the issuance of such an invitation;

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 summon;

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 of a legal entity or a representative office of a foreign organisation in the Republic of Belarus – for a family member of a foreigner travelling to the Republic of Belarus on a business trip, to participate in sports, cultural, scientific, educational events and internships, or to work; who accompanies such a foreigner;

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 of the Belarusian educational institution, approved by the Citizenship and Migration Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, or the relevant confirmation from the Citizenship and Migration Department, sent directly to the Embassy/Consulate;

♦ for employment:

a notarised copy of a special employment permit, issued by the local unit of the Citizenship and Migration 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;

permit for opening a representative office or its notarised copy and a letter from the foreign organisation appointing the foreigner as the head of the representative office – for a head of a representative office of a foreign organisation;

♦ 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;

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;

an application of the foreign enterprise office in the Republic of Belarus, – for issuing visa to the managers and employees of this office or offices in other countries or to the founders, managers and employees of the foreign enterprise (organization), which has established this office;

♦ 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;

♦ 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 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 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 issued by a legal entity of the Republic of Belarus or a representative office of a foreign organisation in the Republic of Belarus and a notarised copy of a special employment permit, issued by the local unit of the Citizenship and Migration;

a letter of visa support issued by a legal entity of the Republic of Belarus or a representative office of a foreign organisation in the Republic of Belarus and information available at the foreign institution on the issuance to the foreigner of a special permit to work in the Republic of Belarus.

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