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Belarus welcomes visa-waiver travellers since its opened it border
Since the implementation of the visa-free regime, over 800,000 individuals have visited Belarus.
According to the State Border Committee's recent report, from January 1 to the end of February 2024, Belarus welcomed 22,686 visitors from Lithuania, 7,540 Latvian citizens, 1,837 Latvian non-citizens, and 7,062 Polish citizens.
This report highlights that a total of 839,731 travellers from neighbouring EU countries have entered Belarus since the visa-free policy began.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Belarus detailed that the visa-free entry policy commenced on April 15, 2022, for citizens and non-citizens of Latvia and Lithuania.
The policy was extended to Polish citizens starting July 1, 2022, and is set to remain in effect until December 31, 2024.
Under this agreement, citizens of Lithuania and citizens, including non-citizens, of Latvia can enter Belarus through designated international border crossing points on the Belarus-Lithuania and Belarus-Latvia borders.
Since the beginning of 2024, Belarus has seen an influx of 43,735 visitors from the European Union, attracted by the appeal of its visa-free regime.
Meanwhile, Polish citizens enjoy greater flexibility, with the ability to cross into Belarus through any international crossing point along the Belarus-EU border.
The European Union has maintained a firm stance against Belarus since August 2020, enacting multiple rounds of sanctions against individuals and entities involved in domestic repression, human rights violations, and the country's participation in Russia’s conflict with Ukraine.
With the latest round of sanctions, 233 Belarusians, including President Alexandr Lukashenka, will face another year of exclusion from EU borders.
Additionally, Lithuania has closed its Lavoriškės and Raigardas border crossings with Belarus, effective March 1, 2024.
Belarusian citizens wishing to enter Lithuania can now only use the Medininkai and Šalčininkai border crossing points. Furthermore, Lithuania has implemented a 50 percent reduction in permits issued to Belarusian and Lithuanian carriers involved in regular international shipping.
