On 26 December 2017 Aleksander Lukashenko signed a Decree № 462 “on establishing visa-free order of entrance and departure of foreign citizens”, aimed at enhancing the use of objects of tourism infrastructure and further cross-border tourism development.

Visa-free regime

According to the document, the period of visa-free stay of foreign citizens in certain areas of the Brest and Grodno regions is extended to 10 days.

In particular, foreign visitors of Augustow Canal Park are allowed to stay on the territory of Grodno and Grodno region, and visitors to the National Park “Belovezhskaya Pushcha” on the territory of tourist-and-recreational zone «Brest» that includes Brest, Zhabinka, Brest, Kamenets, Pruzhany districts of Brest region, Svisloch district of Grodno region.

In addition, the list of crossing points is supplemented, which allows foreign citizens visa-free entry for tourist purposes in Belarus. The list includes checkpoints, which are located at railway stations and airports in the territories of Brest and Brest region, as well as Grodno and Grodno region. Among them are such road checkpoints as Brest (Terespol), Domachevo (Slovatichi), the Peschatka (Polovtsi); railway crossing Brest (Terespol); Brest airport checkpoint, etc.

According to the Decree, to visit the Augustow Canal Park or tourist-and-recreational zone  “Brest”, foreign citizens are required to have the following documents:

a valid document for travel abroad;

a document that provides the right to individual or group visiting the territory.

A list of states in a legal act in respect of which the citizens are allowed visa-free entry and exit was introduced. The list includes 77 States.

The Decree shall enter into force from January 1, 2018.