... in response to Re: Re: travel from Belarus to Poland, posted by edwardb on Feb 7, 2003EdwardB , the current situation regarding Belarus citizens' abilities to travel abroad are a little complicated ; and seem to be subject to frequent change and revision . This can be a little frustrating and confusing for guys seeking a woman from Belarus . It is difficult , even in the best of times , to get accurate and up to date information out of Belarus ; the press is largely government controlled , and most of the 'official' news you'll read has been filtered and watered down to some extent . The travel visa situation you're asking about has changed in recent months , and will likely change again . I can't give you a simple 3 or 4 sentence answer to the questions you've asked . So , I hope you will forgive this rather lengthy and long - winded reply ......
Due to recent events in the news , the subject of Belarussian travel visas is a touchy one for the Lukashenko regime . The government of Belarus is still very much entrenched in the Soviet era mentality . Belarus continues to drag its feet on these issues , and lags well behind the rest of the european community regarding travel restrictions . While this situation is likely to change , IMHO it is unlikely to become any less restrictive anytime soon . Lukashenko and company wish to retain positive control of Belarus' borders . The EU , with its 'visa-free' travel arrangements and proposals , are contrary to the publicly expressed views of our good man Alexander ; he has said in press conferences that he believes that the EU proposals on this topic will undermine the positive control of Belarus' borders ; and that the EU and NATO are essentially cramming these regulations down eastern europe's throats to forward their own agenda . Lukashenko and the Foreign Ministry have voiced these opinions rather adamantly and publicly . Other recent news events have also served to widen the growing gap between Belarus and the EU , NATO , and the US :
A few months ago , Lukashenko and other top government officials were nearly denied Czech entry visas for a NATO conference held in Prague . Of course , the home boys at 'Dictators R Us' made quite a stink about that . Just a little more gas for them to throw on the propoganda fires . Last year , Lukashenko re-established friendly ties with Iraq . In November , the US government issued a statement denying Lukashenko and other top Belarus government officials permission to enter the US , citing the Lukashenko regime's poor track record on human rights abuses as the primary reasons for doing so . Putin of Russia has proposed adoption of the EU's 'visa-free' travel for Russia ; but I think that Russia and the EU are still at odds on how to handle this in regards to the Kaliningrad situation . Putin and Lukashenko , while attempting to bring Russia and Belarus closer together , still disagreee on the visa / travel issues .
These events have brought about a backlash of retaliatory responses from the government of Belarus ; press and media being denied entry and / or exit from Belarus , detentions , delays , travel restrictions , etc , etc ,etc . These events have created numerous propoganda opportunities for the current regime , and they have made the most of it . You might even say that they've 'capitalized' on it ( ...hahaha...sorry , just couldn't resist that one...) . FWIW , I think that the iron-fisted Lukashenko regime would have chosen this isolationist path no matter what was happening in the news ; these recent events have just served to give him some more ammo for his soapbox rants .
So , with all that in mind , here's the 'latest and greatest' regarding the ability of citizens of Belarus to travel to Poland.....
According to the Polish Consulate , aliens may cross the border of the Republic of Poland if they hold a valid passport and an appropriate visa . Visa requirements have been abolished for the citizens of certain countries ( Belarus was not on this list of countries ; but let me know if you do want this list ) . In those cases the passport with validity exceeding at least 3 months after the date of the intended departure from Poland is required for the entry . ( BTW , a US citizen can travel to Poland for tourism and business for up to 90 days without a visa ) An alien entering the country of the Republic of Poland must prove upon the request of the border authority , that he/she has the means ( including funds ) necessary to cover the costs of his/her entry into , transit through , stay , and departure from Poland ; and the permission to enter another state or return to his/her country of origin , if such permission is required .
The Polish Consulate also goes on to say that : Citizens of Belarus and Russian Federation with the permanent residence in their home countries may travel to Poland without a visa , but they are required to present upon entry a valid invitation , as provided by the law , or tourist vouchers with regards to private or tourism related trips .
So , at least according to the Polish Consulate , citizens of Belarus aren't required to have a visa for travel to Poland , provided they have the other documentation specified . Easy , right ? Well , not exactly...
However , .........( Ha ! ...You didn't really think this was going to be *that* easy , did you ? ...LOL..)......
According to the government of Belarus , citizens of Belarus *ARE* required to obtain a special visa for travel to Poland . A citizen of Belarus may apply for this visa at their local LOT / Lufthansa / whatever travel agency . The cost is around $75 ( US ) . This is a very recently added requirement ; and I don't think that many of the travel websites have updated their info pages or FAQs yet regarding this....
I do know of 2 women who have traveled from Belarus to Poland and back recently ; and that is the process that they were required to follow . Their trips to Poland were for the purposes of obtaining their medical exams and interviews at the US Embassy in Warsaw for K-1 visas and emmigration to the US . Trips to Poland for K-1 interviews or for work purposes have a much better track record on approvals from the government of Belarus than do requests regarding vacation travel . At this time , if a citizen of Belarus wishes to travel to Poland for vacation , and submits the visa application described above , there is still a fair chance that it may be denied ; it is still sort of a crap shoot with those types of approvals .
I don't have a lot of data on this , as this policy change came out only in the last few months . So , take this for what it's worth . I would recommend checking into whether or not your lady can actually make such a trip before finalizing any travel plans . There was a short discussion thread on this topic below , under the posting 'Belarus Exit Visa' ; maybe you could read that .
As always , it is best to check with the respective embassy , consulate , or government agencies for the most recent and up to date information regarding travel and visa requirements . When you need legal advice , you consult a lawyer . When you need information regarding visa requirements , consult the appropriate government agency . While I've tried my best to give you accurate and up to date information here , I still think you should ask the respective government agencies . It is better to double-check information like that 'straight from the horse's mouth' rather than to make plans based on something posted on a public discussion board .
Clear as mud , right ?
Vy panimayeetya ?
Hope this helps ,
Good Luck to You
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EdwardB , it is good to hear from someone interested in Belarus once in a while ; most of the guys here tend to favor Ukraine or Russia as their 'hunting grounds' . The topic of Belarus doesn't come up too often in the discussion threads here .
I am curious about a few things , though . You said , "....I do not want to travel to Belarus...." Any particular reason why ? Granted , Minsk and Belarus don't offer the attractions of St Petersburg , Moscow , or Kiev ; but Belarus is still a pretty interesting place to visit . It's not excessively difficult for someone from the west to travel to Belarus ; and since you've already decided to go as far as Poland anyways........Why not ? It may end up being easier for you to travel there than to meet her in Poland . It would give you a good chance to meet her family , see her in her natural environment , see her interactions with friends , family , and relatives , etc , etc .......Just curious .
Is this woman someone you've met before or know fairly well ? Because by making arrangements to meet in another country , you're giving her a valid reason to ask you for a bit of money - for her visa and travel expenses . As many here have stated , sending money to someone you haven't met or don't know well can be a risky proposition.....
FYI , if you do decide to send her the money for this , you should be aware that Belarus passed a law a few months ago which requires its citizens to pay a tax on money sent to them from abroad . This tax comes due at the end of the month during which it was received . The tax rate for such monetary gifts is currently around 15 % of whatever amount you send .
Just a few things for you to consider , if you haven't already done so .
Good Luck
