According to the presidential press office, the edict updates the list of states whose citizens are eligible for the visa waiver program by excluding the countries with which Belarus has a bilateral agreement on visa-free travel.
To enter Belarus through Minsk National Airport without a visa, a foreigner must have a valid passport, a sum of money in foreign currency or Belarusian rubels in an amount equivalent to at least two times the Base Rate (49 rubels, or $25) for each day of stay or 50 times the Base Rate (1,225 rubels, or some $615) for a 30-day stay, and a travel health insurance certificate valid in Belarus with a coverage of at least €10,000.
Citizens of Vietnam, Haiti, the Gambia, India, Lebanon, Namibia and Samoa are required to have a multiple-entry EU or Schengen visa with an entry stamp and a flight ticket confirming a departure from the National Airport Minsk within 30 days from the entry date.
The new edict will be applicable to citizens of China until August 10, when a Belarusian-Chinese agreement on visa-free travel for citizens is to come into force. Under the agreement, holders of regular passports will be allowed to stay in the territory of the other party without a visa for up to 30 consecutive days or up to 90 days within a year.
Tourists arriving in Belarus from Russia through Minsk National Airport or planning to fly to airports in Russia are not eligible for visa-free entry under the 30-day visa waiver program.
Foreign citizens planning to stay in Belarus for more than five working days will have to register with the local police.
Foreigners who stay at hotels, hostels and health resorts are to be registered by the administration following a check-in procedure.
The edict is aimed at developing Belarus’ tourism industry, ensuring the accessibility of health and medical tourism in Belarus, contributing to the country’s economic development and the integration of Belarus into global economic relations, and strengthening its position as a convenient platform for holding international forums, conferences, festivals and sports events, the press office said.
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