Belarus extends visa-free access to the Baltic States and Poland

Latvian, Lithuanian and Polish citizens benefit from visa-free access to Belarus extended to 2024. However, the Latvian Ministry of Foreign Affairs advised Latvians not to travel to Belarus for safety reasons.

Visa waiver extension

Since April 15, 2022, Latvian and Lithuanian citizens, as well as non-citizens of Latvia, have been able to travel to Belarus without a visa. As of July 1, 2022, this visa exemption has also been extended to Polish citizens. According to the Belarusian Border Guard, a large number of Latvian, Lithuanian and Polish citizens have already taken advantage of this visa-free regime to visit Belarus.

Despite this, the Latvian Ministry of Foreign Affairs advises its citizens not to travel to Russia or Belarus.

🇧🇾❗️#Belarus extends visa waiver for citizens of Lithuania 🇱🇹, Latvia 🇱🇻& Poland 🇵🇱 for the year 2024

Since its adoption, around 800 000 EU🇪🇺 citizens used visa waiver to visit #Belarus#WelcomeToBelarus ❤️🇧🇾 pic.twitter.com/bf6xpLqF1H

- Belarus Embassy in Tokyo (@BelembassyJPN) December 20, 2023

Special passports for Belarusians in Lithuania

Lithuania recently announced that it would be issuing special passports to Belarusian citizens legally residing on its territory. This measure comes after Minsk has announced that its diplomatic missions will no longer issue passports to citizens permanently residing abroad.a decision that has been detrimental to Belarusian émigré communities in Europe.

Over the past 3 years, between 200,000 and 300,000 Belarusians have left their country. The Lithuanian authorities have previously warned Belarusians not to return to their country of origin, even if their passport is due to expire.

• Belarus

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