The EU-Belarus Visa Facilitation Agreement makes it easier for Belarusian citizens to acquire visas* to come to the European Union. 

• For all citizens of Belarus, regardless of their travel purpose or type of passport, the visa fee has been reduced to €35.
• The service (visa-centre) fee has been lowered to the maximum of €30; 
• As a rule, consulates take no more than 10 days to make a decision on a visa application; 
• Expedited application processing is possible.
• For some categories of travellers, such as business people, journalists, representatives of civil society organisations, people traveling for medical reasons, and several others, the visa fee will be altogether waived, there are fewer documents requested as evidence for purpose of travel, and(or) they are eligible to multiple-entry visas of increasingly longer duration (up to 5 years).
• Holders of valid biometric diplomatic passports are exempt from the visa obligation altogether. 

*The Agreement applies to short-term travel defined as an intended stay of no more than 90 days in any 180-day period*.

*On 9 November 2021, the EU-Belarus Visa Facilitation Agreement was partially suspended.  

The readmission agreement helps to ensure that persons residing illegally in the EU and in Belarus will be returned safely and in full respect of their rights*. 

* On 2 December 2021, Belarus notified the EU of the suspension of the Readmission Agreement, taking effect on 4 December 2021.

What’s new for EU citizens traveling to Belarus* 

• The longer maximum length of stay (up to 90 days in any 180-day period).
• Reduced visa fee (€35).
• Visa fee waivers, fewer supporting documents, visas with longer validity (up to 5 years) for some categories of travellers.
• Holders of biometric diplomatic passports are exempt from the visa obligation. 

*Visa-free travel to Belarus is possible under certain conditions. For more information, please visit the website of the Belarusian ministry of foreign affairs. 

EU citizens travelling to Belarus should be regularly checking the website of their national Ministry of Foreign Affairs in order to acquaint themselves with the latest travel rules.

Who can submit a Schengen visa application in Belarus? 

All Belarusian nationals or nationals of another country ("third-country national") legally residing in Belarus. All third-country nationals who are legally staying but not residing in Belarus can also lodge an application if they provide justification for submitting the application in Belarus. 

With which consulate should applicants lodge their visa application? 

Applicants must lodge their application at the consulate of the country they intend to visit. Applicants planning to visit several Schengen states must apply at the consulate of the country where they will spend the longest period. Applicants planning on visiting several Schengen states for equal lengths of stay must apply at the consulate of the country whose external borders they will cross first when entering the Schengen area. In case the Schengen state of destination has no consulate in the country where the applicant resides, the applicant should check whether it is represented by another consulate. 

Visa Issuing Schengen Country Consulates in Belarus: 

• Hungary  

• Germany  

• Italy  

• Latvia  

• Lithuania (Embassy of Lithuania in Minsk, Consulate General in Grodno)  

• Poland (Embassy of Poland in Minsk, Polish Consulate in Grodno, Polish Consulate in Brest, and also www.e-konsulat.gov.pl for an internet registration of the application forms) 

• Slovakia  

• France  

• Czech Republic  

• Estonia  

What to do if a Schengen country does not have a visa issuing embassy/consulate in Belarus? 

If a Schengen country does not have an official visa issuing representation body in Belarus (i.e. embassy/consulate), the visa application has to be submitted at the embassy/consulate of the Schengen country representing the consular interests of the country of your destination. 

Austria, Belgium, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Slovenia: A Schengen visa application for one of these countries may be submitted at the German Embassy. 

Greece: A Schengen visa application for Greece may be submitted at the Greek Visa Application Centre in Minsk. 

Denmark: A Schengen visa application for Denmark may be submitted at the Danish Visa Application Center in Minsk. 

Iceland, Norway: A Schengen visa application for one of these countries may be submitted at the French Embassy. 

Spain: A Schengen visa application for Spain may be submitted at the Spanish Visa Center in Minsk. 

Malta: A Schengen visa application for Malta may be submitted at the Italian Embassy. 

Portugal: A Schengen visa application for Portugal may be submitted at the Slovak Embassy. 

Finland, Sweden: A Schengen visa application for Finland or Sweden may be submitted at the Estonian Embassy. 

Switzerland: A Schengen visa application for Switzerland may be submitted at the Hungarian Embassy. 

What happens if my application is submitted at the wrong embassy/consulate? 

Once an application has been submitted, the embassy/consulate verifies, whether it is in its competence to examine the visa application. If the embassy/consulate is not in a position to process the application, it will, without any delay, return the application form to the applicant, reimburse the visa fee, and indicate at which embassy/consulate you should submit the application. 

Useful links: 

EU Travel Information: Re-Open EU 

Frequently asked questions about Schengen visas 

Short-stay visa calculator  

Documents in order to apply for a Schengen visa 

Visa Statistics  

The EU Visa Code  

The Schengen Borders Code 

Erasmus+ is the European Union’s programme for education, training, youth and sport. The 2021-2027 programme places a strong focus on social inclusion, the green and digital transitions, and promoting young people’s participation in democratic life. 

The European Union Visitors Programme (EUVP) is jointly sponsored and administered by the European Parliament and the European Commission and invites aspiring leaders from countries outside the European Union to gain a first-hand appreciation of the EU’s institutions, policies, values, and people to increase mutual understanding between professionals from non-EU countries and their EU counterparts.