Any foreign guest will need registration of foreign citizens in the Republic of Belarus. By applying for it, a visitor lives on a short-term or long-term basis and can apply for medical care, study and search for an employer in the Republic of Belarus. This provision is in force today according to laws approved not so long ago and has its own interesting nuances.
Nesvizh Castle, Republic of Belarus
Who should register
For all persons arriving in Belarus, a single registration condition applies. According to it, a foreigner is given 5 days to carry out this procedure, except for holidays or Sundays and all dates officially recognized as non-working by the head of the country. Upon arrival, the person must register at one of the responsible departments in the area of future residence. Organizations where registration of citizens is carried out include:
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Belarus;
- Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Belarus;
- hotel or hospitality establishment;
- sanatorium or boarding house;
- economic enterprise or subject of any direction of agroecotourism.
The building of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Belarus
Valid reasons may include a request for registration or an official request from the receiving party. This rule does not apply to those who do not need to fulfill this condition. Namely:
- The period of stay of Lithuanians, Latvians and Ukrainian citizens in Belarus without registration can be up to 30 days, and for Russian citizens – up to 3 months.
- Presidents and senior government officials, members of state delegations and those who visit the republic at the invitation of the president or other authorized government agencies and their families.
- UN or Interpol employees entering with documents from these structures.
- Representatives of international structures and organizations aimed at interaction between powers using privileges in accordance with charters and official agreements.
- Tourists visiting the Republic of Belarus on Saturday and Sunday, on official non-working days, or those who do not plan to stay longer than 120 hours.
- Commanders and personnel of military aviation transport located in the state in accordance with the officially agreed upon procedure.
- Employees of flying passenger transport on international air lines or railway transport, if they are located at the points indicated in the route.
- Military personnel crossing the Belarusian border to conduct joint exercises.
Conducting joint exercises between military personnel of Russia and Belarus
How to register
Temporary registration for citizens of the Russian Federation is issued for a period of up to 12 months. An interesting point is this: a visiting Russian does not need to provide justification to stay in Belarus for a certain time.
However, it will be needed if the temporarily residing foreign guest wants to extend the registration for another year.
Where might it be
Finding and registering citizens from Russia in Belarus has its own characteristics. For example, a person must live at the address where he was registered upon arrival. And if he has a desire or need to change his place of permanent residence, he will have to contact the authorized government agencies within 5 days after the move, so that the necessary changes are made to the registration permit.
Required documents
- Internal passport of the Russian Federation.
Passport of a citizen of the Russian Federation
- International passport.
- Migration card (not required for citizens of those states where it is not required to fill it out upon entry).
- Rental agreement for living space.
- Receipt confirming payment of the state duty.
- An application, a sample of which can be obtained upon registration.
- Documentary confirmation of the possibility of traveling abroad or confirmation of filing an application for refugee status or an application for political asylum. Also, any documentary extract confirming the identity of a foreign person can act as evidence - for people with and without citizenship who ask the Republic of Belarus for refugee, protection or asylum.
- Health insurance policy for those who must be insured without fail. Exceptions include foreigners applying for refugee status or wishing to receive protection from the state.
- Permission to move in the border area - for people with and without citizenship, located in areas along the borders of the Republic of Belarus - having permission to carry out these actions.
Sample form for permission to cross-border traffic for residents of border territories of foreign states of the Republic of Belarus
Guests of accredited international missions, consular offices of other countries, representative offices and structures of international companies can obtain registration at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Belarus if foreign guests live in the residences of the heads or premises of representative offices, institutions, bodies or in residential premises for employees.
After they register for this category of foreign citizens, a diplomatic, consular or service card is issued. This privilege does not apply to foreign guests invited by them , and they do not need to register with authorized organizations in the place where they will reside.
A foreigner may visit and leave the Republic of Belarus using a civil passport or another international identity card replacing it, which is issued by an authorized government agency for the citizenship or place of residence of a foreign citizen or an international organization, with a visa permit, unless otherwise established by international agreements of Belarus.
Electronic registration for foreign citizens
This procedure is available to foreigners who entered the Republic of Belarus at checkpoints across the state border of the Republic of Belarus.
To register electronically, a foreigner, using a computer, mobile phone or other devices with Internet access, can:
- through any browser, go to the website of the unified portal of electronic services portal . gov . by , select the language of operation, create a personal account using your email address;
- in your personal account in the “Available” tab, order the corresponding service – 200.12.14.1.
- fill out the application and submit it electronically. The application must indicate the surname and first name of the foreigner in Latin or Cyrillic according to the passport (one option is enough), information about the passport, insurance, date of entry into the country, address of residence in the Republic of Belarus. In the “Visa” column, for example, if a foreign citizen arrives under a visa-free regime, there is no need to fill it out.
How to register
- Go to the Unified Electronic Services Portal and create your account. When registering, you provide your first and last name, phone number and email address. You will receive a confirmation email and a link to set a password.
- Go to your “Personal Account” in the upper right corner. Select "Citizenship and Migration" from the drop-down menu. After downloading, you will have the service “Registration of a foreign citizen or stateless person temporarily staying in the Republic of Belarus.” Click "Order".
- After this, a window will appear with an electronic application, which can be filled out in Russian or English. The data required to fill out is the same as when filling out a regular paper form:
1. Full name of the registered foreigner;
2. Passport details of the foreigner;
3. Visa information (if you received a visa);
4. Registration dates. By default, the date starts from the current day, which means you won't be able to register in advance. Therefore, it is worth registering within 5 days after arriving in Belarus;
5. Address where the foreigner will reside. In this field you also need to indicate the department of OGiM to which the registration address belongs. Check it on the Internet or with the owner of the apartment where you will live;
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6. Information about the person or organization asking you to register. Here you can indicate the name of the friend with whom you will live or the organization that invited you. You can also leave this field blank;
7. Number of the insurance certificate and its validity period.
- After filling out the application, click the “Read” button and then “Submit Application”.
Required documents
- Passport/passport with a visa, if you entered with one;
- Passport of a child under 14 years old/passport of a child under 14 years old with a visa;
- Medical insurance;
- Permit for cross-border movement if residence is in the border territories of Belarus;
- Receipt for payment of the duty. The duty today is 1 basic amount - 24 rubles 50 kopecks (about $12.5);
- Passport of the host relative, friend or host.
Note! Registration of a minor foreigner is carried out on the basis of relevant documents submitted by his representative, whose powers are certified in the manner established by the legislation of the Republic of Belarus.
Agreement between Russia and Belarus on border crossing
There is an agreement between Belarus and Russia, according to which the following types of documentary identification cards are valid for a foreigner when leaving, transiting and staying in the republic:
- National passport.
- International foreign document.
- Service or diplomatic passport.
- Certificate of an employee on a sea vessel.
- For minors who are under 14 years of age, a certificate issued at birth is suitable.
- Confirmation that a foreign person plans to return to the country of citizenship and travel to a third country - for those who visit Belarus without the purpose of permanent residence with the intention of finding a job and conducting other activities in the country.
Russians do not need a visa to Belarus.
Collection and submission of documents
When collecting documents and during the application, it is necessary to take into account the duration of validity of certificates and extracts. Some are valid for six months, and a criminal record certificate is valid for 3 months. The Migration Department is required to consider an application for permanent residence within one, three or six months (the period depends on the reason for the move). The first residence permit is granted to foreign citizens for a period not exceeding two years . Subsequent permits are issued for five years.
However, if the permit was issued for four years, and there is one and a half years left until the passport expires, then the permit will be valid for only one and a half years. After receiving a new passport, you must apply for a residence permit again.
State protection is not provided to the extent that it is provided to citizens of the country. Russians are not given the right to free healthcare. Part of the benefits cannot be applied to them. A driver's license is valid in Belarus temporarily (within ninety days from the date of entry, the license must be exchanged for a national license and the theory must be passed).
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Persons with a residence permit are exempt from compulsory military service.
After the expiration of the two-year and five-year residence permits, Russian citizens can apply to migration departments to obtain a Belarusian passport.
Documents are submitted by personal application. In some cases, a seven-year residence period is not necessary: the benefit is provided if the applicant indicates his Belarusian ancestors, outstanding services to the Republic of Belarus, and so on.
To acquire Belarusian citizenship, you need to collect a more complete package of documents. You will also have to provide a birth certificate (or a certified copy), civil status documents, and confirmation of your ability to support yourself. In addition, the documents must be accompanied by confirmation of the renunciation of Russian citizenship or a document guaranteeing the renunciation.
