Wednesday, January 11 2017 17:20

ArmInfo. Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko signed Decree No.8 "On the introduction of the  visa-free entry and departure for foreign citizens" on 9 January, BelTA reports.

The source says that the document introduces the visa-free entry  through the border checkpoint at the Minsk National Airport and the  visa-free stay in Belarus for up to 5 days for the citizens of 80  states. These are 39 countries of Europe, including the entire  European Union, Brazil, Indonesia, the USA, Japan, and other  countries. First of all, these are favorable countries in terms of  migration, Belarus' strategic partners which have introduced  visa-free regimes for Belarusian citizens on a unilateral basis. New  regulations also apply to the non-citizens of Latvia and stateless  persons of Estonia.

The document aims to raise the number of business trips, tourism and  private visits of people with regular passports and will not apply to  foreigners on official trips with diplomatic, service, special and  similar passports. A valid passport or other document permitting  foreign travels, money (equivalent to at least two base amounts for  each day of stay in the foreign currency or Belarusian rubles),  medical insurance in the amount of at least EUR 10,000 operational in  Belarus will be needed for the visa-free entry.

The citizens of Vietnam, Haiti, Gambia, Honduras, India, China,  Lebanon, Namibia, Samoa should also have a valid multi-visa to the EU  states or the Schengen Area with a mark confirming the entry to their  territory, plane tickets with a confirmation of the departure from  the Minsk National Airport within 5 days after the date of the entry.  The visa-free regime does not apply to people arriving to Belarus by  plane from Russia and planning to go to the airports of Russia (these  are internal flights with no border control).  The decree will enter  into force a month after its official publication.