bcmatt

From next month visitors from 80 countries (including EU members states, USA, Canada, Australia and NZ) can stay up to five days visa-free if they fly into MSQ.

http://president.gov.by/en/news_en/v...-states-15344/

yurtripper

Woohoo! Last week I booked a springtime stay in Minsk and was just starting to dig into the visa requirements.

The announcement says you need "money (equivalent to at least two base amounts for each day of stay in the foreign currency or Belarusian rubles)", so it would be useful to get clarification on that as I don't normally arrive at airports with much cash. It also says you need medical insurance, which most people will have via their travel insurance but I'm wondering whether they'll ask people to show valid insurance documents on entry (I rarely bother with it for intra-EU trips TBH).

Fredrik74

Until I hear something else I will act as if they will ask for it. I visited Belarus a few years ago and insurance was checked back then.

GUWonder

Don't you have an EHIC for intra-EU/EEA/CH travel?

Lots of Americans don't purchase travel medical insurance for foreign trips, so I'm curious to see how the airlines handle this when checking in and how the country handles this on arrival. There could be a fair amount of people denied visit if still being checked for insurance coverage. But given the country is doing this visa liberalization as part of its effort to pivot away from Russia and increase its exports (via tourism at that), I am not sure the country wants to turn away too many "Western" visitors.

ProleOnParole

Interesting, thanks for sharing. Full list of countries:

iamflyer

5 days seems like quite a short amount of time to allow one to stay.

Fredrik74

Not necessarily. It will be plenty of time for the typical weekendtravellers. I'd think most of those taking advantage of this will be Europeans for whom the trip to Minsk is quite short.

WilcoRoger

More than enough - fly in Monday, have your meetings Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, back home Friday.

China's much more restrictive regime (72+ hrs, or 144 hrs in Shanghai, but no return flight to same country) is also useful enough for me not to need CN visa.

Romanianflyer

On my previous visits, they did ask for proof of insurance at the border. Officially, you need a cover letter of your home insurer in Russian language which states your medical coverage counts for Belarus too.

Most European health insurance companies should easily be able to send such a letter, as it's fairly standard (given it's compulsory too for those applying for a Russian visa! They should have a draft available.).

Although it being Belarus, don't be surprised if you can bluff your way out if lacking the proper insurance documents as long as you fit the stereotype coming from a more afluent Western country.

I have never been asked any proof of funds - not even in my backpacking days. Neither at the border nor at embassies. I'm quite sure they automatically assume (as Westerner) this is not any problem at all.