MINSK, 5 February (BelTA) – Consulates of European Union countries in Belarus will use possibilities of the flexible approach within the framework of the effective visa rules as much as possible. They will do so before the Belarus-EU agreement on facilitating visa rules comes into force, BelTA learned from Head of the European Union Delegation to Belarus Dirk Schuebel.
The diplomat reminded that the new EU rules on short-stay visas now apply worldwide, starting 2 February 2020. “They cover short-stay visas for the Schengen area,” he pointed out.
Dirk Schuebel said that the application procedure has become more user-friendly: travellers may, for example, submit visa applications up to 6 months ahead of a planned trip instead of 3 months previously. Multiple-entry, long-validity visas are now easier to obtain for frequent travellers, saving them time and money.
“At the same time, the visa fee is now €80. The increase is the first one since 2006 and is in line with inflation. The visa fee is still waived for children below 6 years old, as was already the case under the previous rules. The visa fee for minors between the age of 6 and 12 years remains half of the general fee, and thus increases to €40,” Dirk Schuebel noted.
Dirk Schuebel stressed that the increase of the general visa fee has no impact on the lower visa fee (€35) set in the visa facilitation agreements concluded between the EU and a number of third countries. Belarus and the EU signed a visa facilitation agreement together with a readmission agreement on 8 January 2020, but those two agreements have yet to come into force. The two agreements will be concluded after the consent of the European Parliament. Once the two bilateral agreements are in force, the Schengen visa fee for Belarus citizens will be reduced automatically and permanently to €35.
In the meantime, the €80 visa fee will apply to Belarus visa applicants until the EU-Belarus visa facilitation agreement enters into force, Dirk Schuebel noted. Following the request by Belarus addressed to EU member states, the EU concluded that the temporary "freezing" the visa fee for Belarusians is not legally possible, he added.
The diplomat explained that during this "transition period", EU member states' consulates in Belarus will make maximum use of flexibilities available within the current legal framework. It will allow EU member states' consuls to waive visa fees for certain categories of applicants in individual cases. In practice, it may refer to, for example, to children or visits serving to promote cultural, sport, foreign policy and other vital interest.
Dirk Schuebel pointed out that EU member states are among the world's leading tourist destinations. Since 2009, the number of applications for EU visas has risen by 57% – from 10.2 million to over 16 million in 2018.
