In a bid to improve relations with the West, Belarus has recently expanded its visa-free entry scheme for citizens of 34 European countries, including the 27 members of the European Union as well as the United Kingdom.
The new policy, effective July 19, 2024, will remain in place until the end of the year. It allows European visitors to stay in Belarus for up to 30 days. At the same time, the number of days of stay in Belarus on a visa-free basis should be at most 90 days in a calendar year, VisaGuide.World reports.
As the Belarusian authorities explain, the visa-free policy applies to travelers arriving by road, rail, and air. The new decision is also a part of Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko’s attempt to reach the West as he prepares to seek a seventh five-year term in next year’s election.
List of Eligible Countries That Can Travel to Belarus Visa-Free
Here’s the full list of the countries whose citizens can now travel to Belarus without requiring a visa:
- Austria
- Belgium
- Bulgaria
- Croatia
- Cyprus
- Czech Republic
- Denmark
- Estonia
- Finland
- France
- Germany
- Greece
- Hungary
- Iceland
- Ireland
- Italy
- Latvia
- Lithuania
- Luxembourg
- Malta
- Netherlands
- Norway
- Poland
- Portugal
- Romania
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- Spain
- Sweden
- Switzerland
- United Kingdom
- Albania
- Bosnia and Herzegovina
- North Macedonia
- Serbia
Belarus to Enhance Airline Connectivity with US & UK
Belarus’s efforts to boost tourism and strengthen international ties are reflected in its enhanced airline connectivity, particularly from the United Kingdom and the United States with its major cities. Key routes include:
- London to Minsk
- Manchester to Minsk
On the other hand, direct flights between the US and Belarus are currently limited, but efforts are underway to improve connectivity. Passengers typically transit through major European hubs such as Frankfurt, Paris, or Amsterdam before reaching Belarus.
Belarus has strong railway connections with its neighbouring countries, too. In this regard, Lithuania, Poland, and Latvia make visiting convenient for travellers. As a result, multiple daily trains are operating between Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania, and Minsk, the capital of Belarus.
Last week, Belarus’s president marked 30 years in power when he ruled the ex. During this time, a country of 9.5 million with an iron fist relentlessly suppressing dissent and winning the nickname of “Europe’s last dictator” in the West. His isolation deepened after a brutal crackdown on protests that followed his re-election in an August 2020 presidential vote that the opposition saw as a sham.
More than 35,000 people have been arrested, and thousands were beaten in police custody, triggering the EU and the US sanctions that badly hurt Belarus’ Soviet-style economy.