Belarus will waive visa requirements for citizens of 35 European countries beginning next Friday, 19 July 2024, as announced by the Belarusian Ministry of Foreign Affairs today.
In a statement released on Wednesday, the Ministry said, “To demonstrate Belarus’s peaceful intentions and commitment to good neighborly relations, President Alexander Lukashenko has approved a proposal from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other government agencies to implement a temporary visa waiver for citizens of 35 European countries at all checkpoints.”
The visa exemption will commence at 8:00 AM on July 19, 2024, and will remain in effect until December 31, 2024.
This new policy extends the visa exemption, which was previously applicable to Poland, Lithuania, and Latvia (including non-citizen residents of Latvia), to an additional 35 European countries.
Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski recently announced that Warsaw is considering the possibility of closing the last two remaining border crossings with Belarus.
Sikorski stated, “Regarding Belarus’ actions, we are considering closing all border crossings,” highlighting that Polish authorities are currently assessing the economic impact of such a decision.
Poland has already established a buffer zone along its border with Belarus.
Polish Defense Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz noted that the buffer zone will cover 26 locations in the Hajnowski area and one location in the Bialystok area.
A special regime will be enforced in these zones, prohibiting any approach closer than 200 meters to the border.
