Since April 3rd, COVID restrictions on crossing Belarusian border lifted
On April 3rd, Resolution of the Council of Ministers No. 197 of March 31st, 2022, came into force. The document cancels previously imposed restrictions on crossing the Belarusian border amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Will you need a PCR test and a vaccination certificate for travel, what rules apply to foreigners coming to us: we’ve collected answers to the main questions about how to cross the Belarusian border now.
The procedure for moving across the Belarusian border for citizens of our country and foreign tourists was explained in the State Border Committee.
Are there any restrictions for Belarusians?
None. Entry and exit from the country for Belarusians are not limited both at air and land checkpoints. However, neighbouring states establish different entry rules everywhere. The State Border Committee recommends to clarify this information before traveling abroad. Perhaps, at the border of the country of destination, travellers will be asked to present a PCR test or other documents.
Separately, the department reminded that there is no border control on the Belarusian-Russian border both on the land sections of the border and at airports.
What are the rules for Russians?
In order to come to us through the Belarusian-Russian section of the border, citizens of the Russian Federation do not need a PCR test. It is also not needed if the Russians go home in transit through land and air checkpoints.
What about other foreigners?
There are no restrictions on leaving Belarus, and a PCR test is not required. Meanwhile, when entering our country, the border guards will definitely ask it (an alternative is a certificate of vaccination against coronavirus) though there are several nuances.
Firstly, not all foreigners need a PCR test at the entrance to Belarus. It is not required for children under 6 years of age. Also, it will not be asked from adults who have permission for permanent or temporary residence on the territory of Belarus, and from certain categories of citizens (for example, diplomats and Ukrainian refugees). A detailed list is available on the website of the State Border Committee.
The rest will need to present a certificate – an original or a copy of a medical document on paper or in electronic form, including in the Travel without COVID-19 application, confirming a negative PCR test result. “The validity period of the PCR document is calculated from the date of its execution, which is considered the first day of the PCR validity, until the fourth day expires. If the PCR date is August 1st, 2021, then from 00.00 on August 5th, 2021, the PCR document is not valid for entry into the Republic of Belarus,” the State Border Committee explained with an example.
The certificate must contain the last name, first name, patronymic (if any) of the citizen, the date of the test and the result of the study. The document must be drawn up in Belarusian, Russian or English.
Secondly, there are a number of rules for vaccination certificates. From the moment of the vaccination full course to arrival in Belarus, at least a month must pass. The certificate validity period is also set: one year. The technical requirements (what should be indicated in the certificate and what language should it be in) are the same as in the case of a PCR test. In this case, the certificate must be submitted on paper, but it is not necessary to bring the original with you, a copy will also be accepted.
What about transit?
Foreigners and stateless persons who transit through the territory of Belarus and have documents confirming their departure from our country within 24 hours do not need a PCR test. Such documents include tickets, a transit visa of Belarus, an official invitation from a body or organisation, a ticket to a medical (health) institution of the state of destination.
“In case of the absence of a document confirming 24-hour transit through the territory of Belarus, a foreigner will be issued an arrival form, which must be handed over to a border guard when leaving the country. At the same time, in the questionnaire, as a place of residence (stay) in the Republic of Belarus, travellers must make an entry: ‘transit through the territory of the Republic of Belarus within a period of no more than 24 hours’,” noted the State Border Committee.
If the transit exceeds 24 hours, passing through the border is possible only if there is a certificate with a negative result of the PCR test for coronavirus.
