On border crossing in connection with COVID-19
On temporary changes in the procedure of crossing the state border of the Republic of Belarus
In accordance with the decision of the Government of the Republic of Belarus starting from December 21, 2020, the procedure of entry into and exit from the Republic of Belarus shall be changed.
Rules of entry into the Republic of Belarus
The crossing of the State Border of the Republic of Belarus to enter the Republic of Belarus at road checkpoints, simplified checkpoints, checkpoints at railway stations (stations), checkpoints in river ports across the State Border of the Republic of Belarus is temporarily suspended for foreign citizens and stateless persons (hereinafter — foreigners).
The restriction does not apply to persons entering through the Minsk National Airport, as well as to:
— foreign nationals traveling with diplomatic and service passports;
— heads and members of official delegations;
— foreign nationals providing international technical, gratuitous and other assistance to the Republic of Belarus;
— drivers of vehicles in international road transport, as well as those transporting international mail items;
— crew members of inland waterway transport vessels, train crews, locomotive crews of international railroads;
— foreigners who are spouses, parents or children of foreigners with a permanent residence permit in Belarus or citizens of Belarus;
— foreign nationals who have a permanent or temporary residence permit on the territory of Belarus;
— foreign citizens holding documents certifying the right to work in Belarus;
— foreign nationals traveling to Belarus on notification of serious illness or death of a close relative or spouse, and persons accompanying them;
— foreign nationals transporting stem cells or organs for transplantation;
— citizens of the Russian Federation transiting through the territory of the Republic of Belarus to the Russian Federation;
— foreigners in transit through the territory of the Republic of Belarus in accordance with the Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Belarus and the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine on the simplified procedure for passage of the section of the Slavutich-Chernobyl highway, which passes through the territory of the Republic of Belarus, employees, vehicles and cargoes of the Chernobyl NPP and enterprises operating in the exclusion zone, as well as foreign specialists involved in international projects to close down the Chernobyl nuclear power plant;
— foreign citizens arriving in Belarus by invitation of legal entities registered on the territory of Belarus;
— foreigners coming to Belarus to get medical assistance — upon presentation of the documents (copies of documents) of Belarusian health care organization (invitation, contract on rendering medical assistance, etc.), confirming the purpose of the visit as well as persons accompanying them;
— foreigners arriving in the Republic of Belarus under the concluded contracts of tourist services for carrying out of hunting tours with their participation.
In exceptional cases due to extraordinary circumstances, as well as in order to ensure national interests of the Republic of Belarus, foreigners entering for other purposes may cross the State Border of the Republic of Belarus by decision of the Chairman of the State Border Committee or an official authorized by him.
Requirement of self-isolation
Citizens of the Republic of Belarus and foreigners arriving to the Republic of Belarus from countries included in the list of countries where cases of COVID-19 infection are registered, posted on the official website of the Ministry of Health in the global computer network Internet (http://minzdrav.gov.by/ru/dlya-belorusskikh-grazhdan/strany-krasnoy-zony.php), must be in self-isolation for 10 calendar days after arrival in the Republic of Belarus and are not subject to further passage through the state border of the Republic of Belarus until the self-isolation period expires.
The need for a certificate of absence of COVID-19
Foreigners over six years of age, with the exception of those with a permit for permanent or temporary residence in the Republic of Belarus, arriving in the Republic of Belarus must have the original or the copy of a medical document (in hard copy or in electronic form), confirming a negative result of laboratory testing for COVID-19 infection.
The test shall be performed no later than three days before the date of crossing the state border of the Republic of Belarus (including the date of crossing) by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The medical document must contain the surname, own name, patronymic (if any) of the citizen, the date of the test and the result of laboratory testing for COVID-19 infection (in Belarusian, Russian or English).
Lack of a medical document will be considered grounds for refusing foreigners entry to Belarus.
The presence of a negative PCR test for citizens of the Republic of Belarus and foreigners arriving from countries where cases of coronavirus infection are registered does not exempt them from the need to comply with the 10-day self-isolation.
The requirements of self-isolation and a certificate do not apply to:
— persons traveling with diplomatic and official passports;
— heads and members of official delegations;
— foreigners rendering international technical, gratuitous and other assistance to the Republic of Belarus;
— foreigners coming to Belarus by invitation of legal entities registered in Belarus;
— drivers of vehicles in carrying out international road transport, as well as international mail transport;
— crew members of aircraft, inland waterway transport vessels, train crews, locomotive crews of international railroads;
— citizens of the Republic of Belarus, foreign citizens with permission for permanent or temporary residence in the territory of the Republic of Belarus who arrive in Belarus after being on a business trip;
— persons traveling to Belarus upon notification of a serious illness or death of a close relative or spouse, and persons accompanying them;
— persons transporting stem cells or organs for transplantation;
— citizens of the Russian Federation transiting through the territory of the Republic of Belarus to the Russian Federation;
— foreigners in transit through the territory of the Republic of Belarus in accordance with the Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Belarus and the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine on the simplified procedure for passage of the section of the Slavutich-Chernobyl highway, which passes through the territory of the Republic of Belarus, employees, vehicles and cargoes of the Chernobyl NPP and enterprises operating in the exclusion zone, as well as foreign specialists involved in international projects to close down the Chernobyl nuclear power plant;
— foreigners transiting through the territory of the Republic of Belarus and having documents confirming their departure from the Republic of Belarus within 24 hours. Persons exceeding the 24-hour time limit for transit through the State Border of the Republic of Belarus can only be let through the State Border of the Republic of Belarus if they have a medical document;
— foreigners arriving in the Republic of Belarus under the concluded contracts of tourist services for hunting tours with their participation.
Transit through the territory of the Republic of Belarus
Foreign citizens who have documentary evidence of transit through the territory of Belarus are allowed such transit within 24 hours. In case of exceeding of the above-mentioned period of transit it is possible to pass through the border only on presentation of a medical document.
