Deputies Approve International Agreements On Visa-Free Travel with Several Countries

The deputies ratified intergovernmental agreements related to the abolition of visa requirements with multiple nations. Several of these legislative acts pertain to holders of ordinary passports, while others concern holders of diplomatic and service passports, reports BELTA.

One such agreement involves the abolition of visas for short-term stays in Colombia. The governments of Belarus and Colombia signed this agreement in Moscow on April 9, 2025, to facilitate easier mutual travel for citizens of both countries possessing valid passports.

According to the agreement, citizens of Belarus and Colombia — holders of valid passports — are exempt from the necessity of obtaining visas for entry, exit, stay, and transit through the territory of the other country for a period not exceeding 90 days within a calendar year from the date of their first entry.

Additionally, today’s ratification includes a bilateral agreement with the Lao People's Democratic Republic on the abolition of visas for ordinary passport holders, signed in Vientiane on July 17, 2025.

Under this agreement, citizens of either country holding valid ordinary passports with a minimum validity of 180 days may enter, stay, exit, and transit through the territory of the other country without a visa, provided their stay does not exceed 30 days from the date of entry. The overall duration of stay should not surpass 90 days within a calendar year.

Moreover, citizens of either country, during their entry and stay in the territory of the other, must comply with the laws and regulations in force, including sanitary rules.

Ratified are also agreements with several African nations concerning the abolition of visas for holders of diplomatic and service passports. These include intergovernmental accords with Uganda (signed in Kampala on February 21, 2025), Zimbabwe (signed in Minsk on May 14, 2025), and Guinea-Bissau (signed in Minsk on May 7, 2025).

As explained by Deputy Foreign Minister Yevgeny Shestakov, who presented these bills to the deputies concerning holders of diplomatic and service passports, all three agreements have been signed based on relevant decrees issued by the President of Belarus, delegating the ministry to conduct negotiations.

“Let me note that these agreements are standard and establish on a bilateral basis the possibility for Belarusian diplomatic and service passport holders, as well as those of the mentioned states, to stay visa-free on each other’s territories for a period not exceeding 90 days within a calendar year,” Shestakov stated.

Regarding individuals appointed to diplomatic missions, consular offices, or international organizations, the agreements provide for visa-free entry and stay throughout their appointment period, provided they hold diplomatic or service passports.

The agreements do not restrict the right of competent authorities of the respective states to refuse entry or residence to citizens of the other party if their stay is deemed undesirable. Each agreement may be supplemented or amended by mutual written consent.

The deputy minister also added that similar accords are in force between Belarus and several other countries in Asia (Vietnam, Bangladesh, India), Latin America (Argentina, Brazil, Venezuela, Colombia), and Africa (Algeria, Egypt, South Africa). An analogous agreement with Equatorial Guinea came into effect in 2024.