Belarusian denied entry to Laos? Ministry of Foreign Affairs comments on situation

MINSK, 5 May (BelTA) – The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Belarus has urged citizens planning to visit Laos under the visa-free regime to observe the necessary formalities, BelTA has learned.

At the beginning of the year some mass media outlets spread statements from a Belarusian citizen claiming she had been allegedly denied entry to Laos because the local authorities were unaware of the current visa-free regime for Belarusian citizens.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs clarified the situation. “The Laos side officially informed our embassy in Vietnam: the visa waiver agreement between the two countries is fully operational and the situation with this tourist is in no way related to any failure of the visa-free travel agreement. The citizen holds two passports: a Belarusian one and a Dutch one. When flying from Malaysia to Laos, she passed passport control using the Dutch document. However, upon arrival in Laos she presented her Belarusian passport to exercise her right to visa-free entry. This is precisely where she violated the local immigration law,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs explained.

According to the Laos legislation, if a citizen holds several valid passports, they have to enter the country using the document they present upon departure from the previous country.

“The denial of entry at the border was related solely to this discrepancy, and not to the fact that ‘they do not know about the visa-free regime in Laos’. Thus, the citizen’s comments that ‘she was not allowed into the country under the visa-free regime’ are incorrect and groundless. The agreement works, the rules are the same for everyone, and they simply need to be followed. We ask Belarusian tourists planning a trip to Laos, which is friendly to Belarus, not to worry: by observing all the necessary formalities, you will be able to appreciate the rich history and picturesque nature of the country,” the ministry noted.

The intergovernmental agreement between Belarus and Laos on waiving visa requirements for holders of ordinary passports came into force on 15 January. Now citizens of both countries holding valid ordinary passports with a validity period of at least 180 days can enter, leave, stay in, and (or) transit through the territory of one of the states under the visa-free regime, provided that their stay does not exceed 30 days starting from the date of entry.

The total period of stay in the territory of the state of one of the parties to the agreement must not exceed 90 days within a calendar year.