EU Approved Visa Facilitation with Belarus

The Council of the European Union has finally approved agreements on visa facilitation and readmission with Belarus. Both documents will enter into force on July 1. The EU Council agreed to conclude two agreements with Belarus: on issuing visas facilitation and on persons staying without permission readmission. Representatives of the governments of the EU countries made such a decision on Wednesday, May 27, the press service of the Council of the EU reported. Belarus ratified both documents in April. The decision of the EU Council is the last step in the approval of both agreements. They are expected to enter into force on July 1. “Visa statistics are evidence of the growing relations importance between the EU and Belarus. In 2019, in Belarus the applications quantity for Schengen visas reached almost 650 thousand,” Davor Božinovic, Minister of Internal Affairs of Croatia, who is currently chairing the EU Council, said. How will issuing visas rules change? The visa agreement applies to short-term travel permits, that is, up to 90 days in any 180-day period. According to the document, visas will cost 35 euros for citizens of Belarus and the EU. In particular, children under 12 years of age, people with disabilities, pupils, students, representatives of civil society organizations will be exempted from paying the fee. All visa applications must be considered within 10 calendar days. If the application requires additional verification, this period may be increased to 30 days. On the other hand, it can be reduced to two business days "if urgent cases." But then the visa fee will be 70 euros. Just as now, travelers will have to justify the purpose of the trip. But for a number of persons’ categories the list of necessary documents will be reduced. This will affect, for example, businessmen, international transport drivers, journalists, people traveling for scientific or creative purposes. It is also possible to issue multiple-entry visas valid for one or five years. Readmission between the EU and Belarus The agreement on readmission of persons without permission was one of the conditions for simplifying the visa regime. According to it, Belarus agrees to receive its citizens if they do not have a permission to stay in the EU or if they have lost such a right. The same applies to minor children and spouses of such persons, if they do not have a separate permit to stay in the EU. In addition, Belarus will also accept third-country nationals or stateless persons who do not have the right to stay in the EU if they had a visa or residence permit at the time of entry into the European Union. The same applies to persons illegally entering the EU from the territory of Belarus. EU states have exactly the same obligations to Minsk. Negotiations on these two agreements began in 2014. They completed only six years later when the documents were signed in January 2020.