INFORMATION ABOUT VISAS OF THE REPUBLIC OF BELARUS
In order to obtain a Belarusian visa the following documents should be submitted (brought in person, sent by mail or courier service) to the Consular Section of the Embassy:
1. A valid original passport (not a copy) with at least one blank page available for the visa.
2. A completed visa application form, which can be downloaded from
www.mfa.gov.by/rus/consul/visa_eng.pdf. It must be filled out completely. Incomplete forms will be returned to applicants unprocessed.
3. One recent passport-size photo of the applicant, which should be glued (stapled) to the marked space at the upper right-hand corner of the application form.
4. If you apply by mail, you should enclose a prepaid and self-addressed return envelope to be posted by Recorded Mail. If there is any need of a next day delivery the relevant envelope of Special Delivery should be provided.
5. Visa fee in postal orders or a cheque. The visa processing fees are (in pounds):
Type of visa Processing Time
5 business days Up to 48 hours
1. Visitor’s VisaSingle Entry (up to 90 days)Double Entry (up to 90 days)Triple Entry (up to 90 days)Multiple (up to 1 year) 4072104200 72136200360
2. Business VisaSingle Entry (up to 90 days)Double Entry (up to 90 days)Triple Entry (up to 90 days)Multiple (up to 1 year) 4072104200 72136200360
3. Tourist VisaSingle Entry (up to 30 days)Double Entry (up to 30 days)Triple Entry (up to 30 days) 193449 346494
4. Transit visaSingle Entry (up to 48 hours)Double Entry (up to 48 hours each time)Triple Entry (up to 48 hours each time)Multiple (up to 48 hours each time) 15273950 27517590
5. Group Visa (more than 10 people)Business (up to 90 days)Tourist (up to 30 days)Transit (single entry)Transit (double entry) 40101018 72181834
6. A letter of invitation (its type depends on the type of visa requested):
For a visitor's visa – an original invitation (not a copy) made up by the applicant’s friends or relatives residing in Belarus at the local passport and visa office of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
An invitation may also be submitted by a Belarusian citizen on a temporary visit to the United Kingdom. This invitation must be notarized at the Consular Section of the Embassy of Belarus (the fee is 20 pounds).
In case of emergency invitation may be replaced by:
a) a valid original certificate (not a copy) confirming the existence in Belarus of a burial place (grave) of the applicant's next of kin (father, mother, brother, sister, son, daughter, grandparents). This certificate must be issued by the Belarusian Society of Red Cross or local executive authorities.
b) a doctor-certified fax message from Belarus about sudden illness or death of the applicant's next of kin.
For a business visa – a letter of invitation (original or a fax message) from a company or organization in Belarus, which is registered as a legal entity by the Belarusian authorities. It should be printed on an official letterhead with a registration number, date of issue, and should bear the signature of an official and a corporate seal. It should also indicate the expected duration of the applicant’s stay in Belarus. An inviting party must provide written guarantees that an invitee will abide by the rules and regulations applied to foreign citizens in the Republic of Belarus.
Applications for multiple-entry business visas should be forwarded by the above-mentioned companies and organizations directly to the Consular Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Belarus in Minsk.
For a tourist visa – a copy of the tourist voucher and a copy of the confirmation from a Belarusian travel agency. Hosting organization must be registered as a tourist company by the Belarusian authorities. Its registration number should be indicated in the confirmation. The list of the above-mentioned agencies can be found at
www.mst.by/Minsport2/Deiatelnost/Turizm/Tur_firm/Po_Belarusi/2.htm For a transit visa – a valid visa (original or a copy) for the country the applicant is traveling from/to via Belarus. In case of traveling to countries with no entry visa requirements – a copy of the ticket, itinerary from a travel agency or any other document confirming the applicant’s trip to the country of destination.
From 1 October 2004 citizens of all the 25 European Union states, as well as of Andorra, Argentina, Bahrain, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Croatia, Iceland, Japan, Kuwait, Liechtenstein, Norway, Oman, Qatar, South African Republic, South Korea, Saudi Arabia, Switzerland, United Arab Emirates and Uruguay, applying for Belarusian visitor’s or business visas who want to visit the Republic of Belarus for the period of up to 30 days will not any longer need formal invitations from the Belarusian citizens or organizations.
Effective October 1, 2000 medical insurance is required for all foreign citizens traveling to the Republic of Belarus. The medical insurance agreement can be concluded with a Belarusian or a foreign insurance company. The insurance certificate issued by a foreign insurance company should be valid on the territory of Belarus during the period of stay and should cover the insurance cases established by the Law of the Republic of Belarus. The minimum insurance limit of responsibility is five thousand US dollars. Applicants should not submit their insurance certificate to the Embassy. It should be presented to the customs officer and/or frontier guard when entering Belarus. Medical insurance is not required for holders of Belarusian transit visas traveling to other countries via Belarus.
The Consular Section of the Embassy reserves the right to ask for additional documents or to conduct a personal interview with the applicant.
During 3 business days after arriving to Belarus a foreign citizen should report the information about the address and duration of his/her stay to the local passport and visa office of the Ministry of Interior so that a registration stamp be put in his/her passport. If staying in a hotel, this will be arranged by the hotel services (reception bureau).
The Consular Section of the Embassy of Belarus
6 Kensington Court, London W8 5DL
Tel.: 020-7937-3288 (indirect, from 9 a.m. until 6 p.m.)
Tel.: 020-7938-3677 (direct, from 2 p.m. until 4 p.m.)
Fax: 020-7361-0005
Open to public: Monday to Friday, from 9.30 a.m. to 12.30 p.m.
