Belarus Visa Support

 

Step 1: Do you need a Belarus visa invitation?

 

Belarus still uses the old "soviet-system" regarding the issuance of visa invitations and visas. Not only do you need a letter of invitation from a registered company in Belarus, but you also have to to obtain a tourist voucher that proves that you have booked hotel accommodations for the duration of your stay.

 

You can obtain the tourist voucher and a Belarus visa invitation by clicking on the link. Remember, you will have to book accommodations for the duration of your stay since Belarus travel companies will only issue an invitation for the days that you use their service.

 

Belarus business invitations are only issued by a registered Belarus business and can not be obtained through a travel agent.

 

Private invitations can be arranged if your Belarus friend or relative gets authorization at the OVIR office in their home town, then mails the authorization to you. This process can take up to 3 months. A benefit of a private invitation is that you can get a private Belarus visa for up to 3 months, versus a tourist visa which only allows you to stay up to 30 days.

Step 2: Complete a Belarus visa application.

The second step requires that you complete the appropriate Belarus visa application form and submit it with your invitation, passport-size photo, and the original copy of your passport to the nearest Belarus consulate.

 

a. To obtain the application form, you need to visit the Belarus embassy or consulate's website. A very useful tool for locating websites of embassies and consulates can be found at www.embassyworld.com. Try this directory for Belarus Embassies without websites. If there is no Belarus consulate in your resident country, look for the consulate in a larger neighboring country. (i.e. no Belarus consulate in New Zealand, search in the U.K.).

 

b. Once you find the the Belarus embassy or consulate's website, follow the links to the Consular Section (Visas, Passports) where there will be a printable version of the application form.

 

c. Print, complete and sign the application form.

 

d. Submit the application form along with your invitation, visa application fees, passport-size photo and original copy of your passport to the nearest Belarus consulate.

Step 3: Belarus Visa Registration

In Belarus, you have 3 business days (excluding weekends and holidays) to register your visa. Failure to register your visa can lead to problems including detention, fines on departure, and/or detention from boarding your train or plane.

 

If you are staying in a hotel, they will register your visa for a small fee.

If you are not staying at a hotel, you should register your visa with the agency (or partner agency) with whom you obtained your invitation.

For all Belarus visas issued for up to three months (private, tourist and business) registration is done in a local passport and visa office.