Belarus is allowing visa-free travel for 35 European nations between 21 July and 31 December to show the country’s ‘openness and peacefulness,’ the Foreign Ministry of Belarus announced on Wednesday, 17 July.
Reportedly, this is part of President Aleksandr Lukashenko’s efforts to better relations with Western Europe. The long-reigning head of state’s last re-election in 2020 was seen as illegitimate by many Western countries, and the European Union as well.
Lukashenko is also closely allied with President Vladimir Putin of Russia.
He allowed the Russian Army to pass through his country during the invasion of Ukraine; and the armed forces of the two Eastern European nations have taken part in joint military exercises as well.
The 35 countries that can now have their citizens visit the country of Belarus, either by rail or road, without a visa are:
Andorra, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Romania, San Marino, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, Vatican City, Switzerland, and Northern Macedonia.
The citizens of three European nations, Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland, have been allowed visa-free travel by the Lukashenko administration since 2022. The maximum tenure of stay in Belarus without a visa is 30 days.
‘Persons entering the territory of Belarus under the visa-free scheme may continue transit to third countries, with the exception of the Russian Federation, at airport border crossings,’ the press service of the State Border Guard Committee (Border Guard) said. On 15 July, the Border Guard Service announced that since the beginning of 2024, more than 116,000 foreign citizens from EU Member States have travelled to Belarus under the visa waiver programme.
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