Visa-free entry to Grodno. Questions and answers

Question: What does it mean a license of visa-free entry to the Tourism and Recreation Zone «Brest-Grodno»?

Answer: There is a standard form document which gives the right to visit the Tourism and Recreation Zone «Brest-Grodno». It guaranteeing tourist entry into its territory and to obtain certain previously ordered tourist services. Consequently, the travel services book and issue the document for entry.

Foreign nationals may visit any place in Belarus within 30 days of their visa-free stay. However, they must arrive and leave the country only through Minsk National Airport. In this case, they don’t need to contact with travel agencies.

Question: Who is responsible for drawing this document up?

Answer: Certified tour operators that have the right to organize visa-free travels to Belarus.

Question: Is a license of visa-free entry free or paid?

Answer: You pay for the booked services only, which will include a service on registration documents for visa-free entry. Each travel agency identifies the cost itself.

Question: What documents are needed to get a pass for visa-free entry?

Answer: A request with required data is made to travel company, the list of the booked services is agreed upon, the payment for the chosen services is done. Then a travel company sends required information to the border service, and you receive a document (pass) for presentation to border guards at the entrance to the Republic of Belarus. For example, in our company, you can make an application on the following pages - in Russian, Polish or English languages. To avoid any errors, it is advisable to provide a tour operator also with a copy of passport pages with a photo.

Question: How long is a license of visa-free entry to the Tourism and Recreation Zone «Brest-Grodno» prepared?

Answer: After you solve all organizational moments with the travel company about the trip, the travel agency sends all the data to the border service. Within 24 hours after receiving of the data by border guards, you can enter the border crossing point.

Question: Does a foreigner have to wait for standard form document from a travel company or can directly go to the Belarus State Border checkpoint?

Answer: You should receive an email with the document from the travel agency, print it out and present the document at Belarus State Border checkpoint to the border guard at passport control.

Question: Do I need to bring a license of visa-free entry with me leaving Belarus and crossing the border?

Answer: Certainly. Foreign nationals shall always carry their documents of visa-free entry with them during the whole trip and shall produce them upon request by the control authorities. In case it is lost, you can print it yourself again or ask the travel agency that issued it to you.

Question: What places can tourists visit during their trip?

Answer: They can visit visa-free zone only. Exception is the border zone for which a previously made special pass is required.

Question: Who can visit Belarus without a visa?

Answer: According to the list of citizens of 73. One can enter Belarus through crossing Belarus State Border at the checkpoints which border on Poland and Lithuania. Checkpoints at Grodno and Brest airports are included in the list of checkpoints that carry out visa-free entry.

Question: If there is a document on visiting Belarus visa-free, is it a 100% guarantee on entering the Republic of Belarus?

Answer: In the same way when entering the Shengen countries and at the entrance to Belarus, the final decision on the entry take Border Service staff. And this decision is not depend on traveling with a visa, or «Standard document for visa-free entry into the territory for foreign nationals».

Question: When applying for a visa-free entry to Grodno, are there any restrictions on the date of expiry?

Answer: According to Article 30 of the Law of the Republic of Belarus “On Legal Status of Foreign Citizens and Stateless Persons in the Republic of Belarus” of January 4, 2010, № 105- Z, a validity period of a document for travelling abroad have to exceed ninety days before the anticipated departure of a foreigner from the Republic of Belarus

Question: What are the other refusals of entry into the Republic of Belarus?

Answer: A foreigner may be refused entry into the Republic of Belarus, if:

• The foreigner at a checkpoint for passage through the State border has violated the rules of crossing the State border or customs regulations - until the violation is eliminated;
• a foreigner is convicted in the Republic of Belarus or any other State for committing an offence recognised as such in accordance with the Criminal Code of the Republic of Belarus and the conviction hasn’t been cleared or settled;
• the foreigner subjected during his stay in the Republic of Belarus to an administrative penalty in the form of a fine, who failed to pay it within the period stipulated by legislative acts of the Republic of Belarus for the execution of the order to impose an administrative penalty in the form of a fine;
• the foreigner cannot confirm the availability of the cash assets needed to cover the costs of his stay in the Republic of Belarus and exit from the Republic of Belarus, or submit assurances of presentation of such cash assets in the manner and the amount established by the Council of Ministers;
• the stay of the foreigner in the Republic of Belarus contradicts the interests of national security of the Republic of Belarus, public order, protection of morality, public health, rights and freedoms of citizens of the Republic of Belarus and other persons
• the foreigner is included in the list of persons, whose entry into the Republic of Belarus is prohibited or undesirable;

An exhaustive list of the limitations is in the Article 30 THE LAW OF THE REPUBLIC OF BELARUS OF January 4, 2010 NO. 105-Z

Question: For what purposes can I enter with this document?

Answer: The document gives the right to enter for tourism purposes. So if you are traveling for other purposes, you will need to apply for a visa. There is an exception for the bus driver, which carries a group of tourists without visa for the purpose of visiting the «Brest- Grodno» visa-free zone . He performs service duties but has the right to enter the territory without a visa.

 Question: Is it necessary to obtain tourist service, if the purpose is for tourism?

Answer: A trip is considered tourist if at least two tourist services are booked.

Question: If I have friends in Grodno and I don’t even need accommodation and food?

Answer:  Accommodation and food aren’t obligatory tourist services. You can book other ones while living at your friends’ home.

Question: What kind of services can it be?

Answer: Tourist services can be any, from museums to accommodation and food.

Question: Do I have to book accommodation through a travel agency or can I you book it myself, for example through booking.com?

Answer: You don’t have. You can book accommodation yourself. You have to book at least 2 services. Tourist services are on a choice.

Question: How many days can I stay?

Answer: Up to 15 days. You can enter for one day without accommodation. Number of days is discussed with a tour operator and indicated in documents.

Question: : If I have the document for entry given for 15 days stay, can I come to Grodno several times during this period?

Answer: No, for each document issued by a travel agency you can enter only once.

Question: Can I draw several documents up for trips visa-free and how many days can I stay in Belarus?

Answer: There are no documents forbidding and regulating the number of receiving documents for entry without a visa for tourism. It is important to have a tourism purpose. With each trip the length of stay should be not more than 15 days. There are general rules in Belarus according to which foreigners have the right to stay no more than 90 days within a calendar year without obtaining a temporary residence permit.

Question: What can I visit without a visa?

Answer: It depends on the methods of arrival to Belarus:

• Foreign nationals may visit any place in Belarus within 30 days of their visa-free stay. In this case they must arrive and leave the country only through Minsk National Airport.
• During the travelling on the visa-free territory of «Brest-Grodno», you can visit the following territories individually :

• Grodno region:

• the city of Grodno;
• Grodno District;
• Berestovitsa District;
• Volkovysk District;
• Svisloch District;
• Shchuchin District;
• Lida District;
• Voronovo District

• Brest region:

• the city of Brest;
• Brest District;
• Zhabinka District;
• Pruzhany District;
• Kamenets District

• You can visit the following territories as part of an organized tourist group when following the tourist travel route:

• throughout the territory of  Grodno  region;
• throughout the territory of  Brest region.
•  

 Question: Are there any visa-free area signs on the roads?

Answer: On leaving the territory of visa-free zone and on the main roads are installed warning signs about the ending of visa-free zone. Traveling out of the visa-free zone is prohibited.

Question: What check can I enter through?

Answer: You can enter through any of following checkpoints:

• roadway entry points:

• Bruzgi / Kuznica Bialystockaya (Poland);
• Privalka / Raigardas (Lithuania);
• Berestovitsa / Bobrovniki (Poland);
• Beniakoni / Shalchininkai (Lithuania);
• Brest / Terespol (Poland);
• Domachevo/ Slovatichi (Poland);
• Peschatka / Polovtsy (Poland).

• points of simplified border crossing:

• Lesnaya / Rudavka (Poland) - seasonal, pedestrian, water;
• Privalka / Shvyandubre (Lithuania) - seasonal, water;
• Pererov / Bialowieza (Poland) - year-round, pedestrian;

• railway checkpoints:

• Brest / Terespol (Poland);
• Grodno / Kuznica Bialystockaya (Poland);

• airport checkpoints:

• Grodno Airport;
• Brest Airport.

Question: How do these checkpoints work?

Answer: "Lesnaja" / "Rudavka" and "Privalka" / " Shvyandubre " are water crossing points and work in the period from May, 1 to September, 30. The point of simplified border crossing Pererov / Bialowieza works year-round at certain hours. All roadway entry points work twenty-four-hour and every day, and railway checkpoints according to the railway timetable.

Question: Is it possible to enter from Poland and leave Belarus to Lithuania or vice versa?

Answer: Yes. You can come to Grodno from Poland to live a few days in Grodno and leave the country to Lithuania.

Question: Is it necessary to cross the border at the specific checkpoint?

Answer: You can cross the border at any of the foresaid checkpoints. When processing documents you do not need to identify a checkpoint. So every every route is determined independently.

Question: Can I come from Poland to Grodno or Brest by train?

Answer: Yes, it is possible because of changes and additions to the Decree. It provides entry into Grodno and Brest through railway checkpoints.

Question: Can I get from Warsaw, Bialystok, Vilnius by any bus?

Answer: It is possible to get by any bus, that goes through the foresaid checkpoints.

Question: Is it necessary to fill the migration card in when entering the territory of the Republic of Belarus?

Answer: No, it isn’t. Since March 2018 the decision to fill the card in was cancelled.

Question: Is it necessary to be an owner of the vehicle entering the border, traveling through the territory of the Republic of Belarus if the vehicle is registered abroad? Do I need a power of attorney to drive a car?

Answer: There are no documents requiring being an owner of the vehicle entering the border, traveling through the territory of the Republic of Belarus. It's not written in Belarusian low that if you are not an owner you need to give to the custom officer a power of attorney. Please note that when crossing the border, customs services have the right to detain the car, to ensure if there is no carjacking. As a rule, the most interesting are expensive and new cars without owners, cars that have recently been re-registered.

Question: Is registration required on arrival in Grodno in the Migration Service?

Answer: A foreign citizen or a stateless person who has arrived in the Republic of Belarus is obliged to register with the registration body at the place of the actual stay within 5 days, except Sundays, public holidays and holidays. Registration authorities in the Republic of Belarus are: Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Body of internal affairs, hotels, health resorts and wellness organizations, subjects of agro-ecotourism (not applicable up to 30 days to residents of Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia).

Question: What amount of money is necessary to possess entering the Republic of Belarus for each day of stay?

Answer: According to «The Rules of Stay of Foreign Citizens and Stateless Persons in the Republic of Belarus» when entering Belarus a foreign visitor should possess not less than 2 base rates for each day of stay (as at 1 October 2019 about 23 Euro for each day).

Question: What documents else are required to visit visa-free area?

Answer: All foreign citizens are obliged to have a medical insurance issued by a Belarusian insurance company or an authorized foreign insurance company. You can take out prepaid insurance in your country from travel insurance providers, accredited insurers, insurance companies at a checkpoint. A driver of a vehicle must have the original insurance certificate, confirming the liability insurance in the Member State of the “Green Card” system.

Question: Are there any toll roads in Belarus?

Answer: Some roads are toll. Drivers are required to pay for transit by the toll roads within “BelToll” system. However, when traveling to Grodno, you must go along the road through the Korobchitsy village and this road is free. Pay attention! The part of the road M-6 from the village Strubka to the village Koptevka is paid!!!! Before you travel, be sure to get the route for your trip without toll roads.

Question: Please clarify, which way is possible to arrive in Grodno without toll roads by car ?

Answer: On the part of the Lithuania road P-42: border crossing point "Privalka" - Krynichnaya - Gozha - Zaritsa - Grodno. On the part of Poland: border crossing point "Bruzgi" - exit from the highway M-6 at the village Bruzgi - Korobchitsy - Grodno.

Question: Can I take a dog or a cat with me?

Answer:  In accordance with the current legislation of the Republic of Belarus, domestic animals, including intended for hunting, sport and tourism, may be temporarily imported by foreign natural persons for the period of their temporary stay in the customs territory of the Customs Union without payment of customs duties and taxes. The Customs Union allows the import of dogs and cats transported for personal use in the amount of not more than two heads.

Thus, a natural person who transfer the pet that have to pass veterinary check and be declared, should move about "red" corridor (if there is a technological system of double corridor) and fill out the passenger customs declaration in 2 copies, one of which remains in the customs authority and the second is given to the natural person.

Import of animals to Belarus is allowed only with relevant veterinary and medical certificates. First of all, this is the certificate of veterinary inspection certified by a local veterinary office. In addition, it is required to present documents confirming that: the animal has received all vaccinations required for travelling abroad. It is possible to receive the list of vaccinations at your local veterinary clinic. Vaccinations must be done not later than 2 weeks prior to departure.

Question:  Is the validity of the Decree limited?

Answer:  The validity of the Decree isn’t limited.

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