MINSK, 10 January (BelTA) – If foreign citizens stay in Belarus without visas for more than five days, they will face either a warning or a fine. Alexei Begun, Head of the Citizenship and Migration Department of the Belarusian Interior Ministry, made the statement during the press briefing held in BelTA's press center on 10 January to discuss the introduction of the five-day rule for visa-free travels in Belarus.
Such actions will be classified as a violation of the legislation on the legal status of foreign citizens and stateless persons. Such violations are punishable by a fine or a warning with or without deportation. The relevant civil servant will decide which punishment to use, explained Alexei Begun.
When looking into such situations, the civil servant will take into account the unforeseen circumstances that foreigners may face such as hospitalization. Documents to confirm hospitalization will be needed in such a situation.
BelTA reported earlier that on 9 January Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko signed decree No. 8, which stipulates how foreign citizens can enter or leave the country without visas. The document allows citizens of 80 countries to stay in Belarus for at most five days without visas, provided they cross the state border in the Minsk National Airport. The new regulations apply to 39 countries in Europe, including the entire European Union, as well as Brazil, Indonesia, the USA, Japan, and other countries.
