MaxVO

If you require a Russian visa, you'd have to specify your expected port of entry on the app. If you then try to enter the country through a port that's not technically open for your type of visa, it's quite possible to get into trouble later. Without a proper entry stamp, there may be difficulty "registering" your stay or leaving the country. If I understood your story correctly, you were probably an illegal migrant during that trip.

Marquis790

I have a quick question pertinent to this thread now that US Passport holders can, I believe, travel to Belarus visa-free for 30 days. I am planning a return trip to Moscow next month (December 2019) and I already have a multi-entry tourist visa valid until March 19, 2020. My first trip to Russia was December 2017-January 2018. Since I already have the tourist visa to Russia, and since Belarus now allows visa-free entry, I am considering traveling by train: Warsaw, Poland - Brest, Belarus - Minsk, Belarus - Moscow, Russia. This will only be my second trip to Russia, so do I still need a hotel registration or have a hotel register my visit (I plan to stay for only a few days, so I believe that I am below the requirement for visa registration / reporting)? As others have mentioned, there appears to be no border check for trains, so traveling from Minsk to Moscow by train would have me arrive a Byelorusskiy Station in Moscow without an immigration check.

Is this travel allowed or is "visa-free" travel to Belarus only allowed to US-passport holders arriving via air into MSQ Minsk International Airport arrival section? I realize that the original poster already completed their trip by now, but hope that my question is relevant to others considering such a transit. I will be departing Moscow from DME Domodedovo airport... so wonder how to handle the visa departure without entry stamp (perhaps showing an entry stamp in Brest from the Poland-Belarus border check and a train itinerary is sufficient? Thanks for the input in advance as a national of Belarus.

MaxVO

It's not exactly visa-free. You'll be granted a visa on arrival, provided you meet all entry requirements. You must enter and exit Belarus through MSQ airport, and your flights may NOT transit Russia. The border agent will check your departing tickets, your medical insurance card, and interrogate you briefly on your travel plans.
Likewise your Russian visa comes with conditions where you must enter the country. If you enter Russia illegally then try to leave via DME, you'll most likely get caught. You're trading a minor convenience of illegal migration for a serious danger and expense of getting caught.

Marquis790

Thanks for clarifying. I certainly am not planning illegal entry into Russia. My visa only states type 04, tourism, multi-entry up to 181 days at a time until March 2020. It doesn't state restrictions about travel and I wouldn't be transiting special administrative regions. Perhaps the easiest is either to apply for a Belarus transit visa or to just fly in and out of MSQ Minsk instead of overland via the Polish-Belarus border crossing.

MaxVO

Correct, that would eliminate legal problems of combining Belarus and Russian visit on the same trip. The Standard Belarus visa will allow entry through any port open to tourist travel. You may also be able to use the super cheap MSQ-MOW flights, although this needs to be verified. I understand they are no longer considered to be internal flights, and arrive at international terminals -- which means your Russian visa will be properly activated.

VitaliU

The answer is complicated.

1) You can visit Brest without a visa and cross the border by train BUT the visa you will get on arrival will only allow you to visit Brest and nearby area. You cannot travel to Minsk on that visa or continue on to Russia. You will need to go back to Poland.
2) you can fly to Minsk from Poland and get a 30-day free visa on arrival at MSQ. it will allow you to go anywhere in Belarus BUT you cannot fly to Russia directly from Belarus. Even though Russia treats flights from Belarus as international (passport check), Belarus does not (no passport check).

The only 100% legal and safe scenario to visit both Belarus and Russia from Poland I can think of, is for you to fly from Warsaw to Minsk, get your 30-day free stamp, see whatever you want in Belarus and then fly to Moscow on an itinerary that has a stop in an EU country (Warsaw, Vilnius, Riga, Helsinki, etc). This way, you will leave Minsk on an international flight and arrive in Moscow on an international flight as well.

In the past, you could also do it via Ukraine or Gergia but these days Russia has no flights to/from those countries.

And you cannot legally go from Belarus to Russia by train, regardless of what visas you have.

Marquis790

Ok, this is interesting. Reading the rules on the Belarus consulate website they state Belarus visa free travel on arrival into Minsk cannot be from a Russia-direct flight, but I didn't know I couldn't leave Minsk directly to Moscow. Given that a train seems impossible on my passport, I may have to fly and be careful about order of flights to transit MSQ to MOW. Thanks for the advice as these exact rules are not explained.

MaxVO

Just get a regular visa for Belarus. All those gymnastics will cost you more than a visa, and it will have no restrictions of the free visa for trains or ports of entry/exit.

VitaliU

There are multiple reports of third country nationals taken off trains with or without visas and while Belarus is negotiating with Russia, no agreement has been reached. The OP may or may not be lucky. A flight to Vilnius or Riga costs less than $100 and, if you ask me, it is money well spent

VitaliU

There is no rule that states you cannot leave from MSQ for Moscow. However, the practicalities make it impossible, since you will not be able to go through passport control in Minsk if you are departing on a flight leaving Moscow. They depart from a dedicated concourse.

VitaliU

Sorry for the long post but this answers most/all questions and misinformation that keep reappearing on this thread. Source: US State Department.

30 Day Visa Free Travel

U.S. passport holders traveling to Belarus via Minsk International Airport may enter visa-free for up to 30 days (the 30-day limit includes the day of arrival and the day of departure) for tourism or business.

Visa-Free Travel Requirements

U.S. citizens wishing to enter Belarus for 30 days without a visa must:

• Hold a valid passport;
• Enter and exit Belarus via Minsk International Airport;
• Arrive from and depart to any country other than the Russian Federation;
• Show evidence of finances in the form of cash, credit cards or travelers checks equivalent to 25 Euros for each day of stay;
• Show evidence of a medical insurance policy with at least 10,000 Euros of coverage valid throughout Belarus. Such a policy may be purchased at the airport upon arrival; please see the Embassy of Belarus website for information about current fees; and
• Register with the local office of the Citizenship and Migration Department of the Ministry of the Interior for stays longer than five working days (see below).

The Visa-free option is not available to you if:

• You are coming directly to or from the Russian Federation.
  
• You enter and exit Belarus anywhere other than Minsk International Airport.
  
• You plan to stay longer than 30 days.
  
• You are entering on a diplomatic or official passport.
  

Travelers who stay longer than 30 days or who violate the visa-free registration rules can face administrative action which may include a fine of up to €550, deportation, and prohibition from entering Belarus in the future.

Visitors to Belarus may request a visa before traveling from the Embassy of Belarus. Instructions for obtaining a visa are available on the Embassy of Belarus website. Please note that the Government of Belarus has the authority to deny entry to any foreign visitor whether or not he/she has a visa.

Travelling between Russia and Belarus

Car and Train Travel: Belarus and Russia do not have international passport control capabilities at the land border. Therefore, U.S. citizens and other foreigners, even those holding valid visas, may not cross the Belarusian – Russian border by car, train, or on foot. Only Russian and Belarusian passport holders may transit the land border.

Air Travel: U.S. citizens require a visa in order to travel by air between Belarus and Russia. Regulations regarding travel between Russia and Belarus may change unexpectedly. Even if you already hold a visa, before planning a trip we recommend you visit the Embassy of Belarus website and the website of the Embassy of the Russian Federationfor the latest information.

Registration

All U.S. citizens staying in Belarus for more than five business days are required to register with the local office of the Citizenship and Migration Department of the Ministry of Interior (formerly OVIR). This requirement applies to visa holders and those who enter Belarus under the 30-day visa-free regime. Please keep in the mind the following:

• Registration must be completed within five business days of arrival.
• If you are staying in a hotel, the hotel will complete the registration for you.
• If you have a short term rental of an apartment or house, be sure to check with the rental agent; they may be able to assist you.
• If you are staying in a private home, you must complete the registration process yourself.
• If you fail to register or if you remain in Belarus longer than 30 days you will face administrative action which may include a fine of up to €550, deportation, and prohibition from entering Belarus in the future.
• Foreign citizens entering on a tourist or business visa may not stay in Belarus for more than 90 days total during any calendar year, including dates of entry and departure.

Visit the Belarusian Embassy web site for the latest information regarding entry requirements for traveling to Belarus.

Transiting Schengen Countries:

• Your passport should be valid for at least three months beyond the period of stay if you plan on transiting a Schengen country.
  
• You will need sufficient proof of funds and a return airline ticket.
  
• For additional details about travel into and within Schengen countries, please see our Schengen fact sheet.
  

The U.S. Department of State is unaware of any HIV/AIDS entry restrictions for visitors to Belarus on a 30-day visit. Long-term residents (those spending more than 90 days a year in Belarus) or students must obtain an HIV/AIDS test in Belarus and submit the results to the Department of Citizenship and Migration when applying for an extension of stay or residency. We recommend you verify this information with the Embassy of Belarus before you travel.

You will find information on dual nationality, prevention of international child abduction and customs regulations on our websites.

MaxVO

I think the OP wanted to enter Belarus by train. You missed the earlier posts. Taking a train to Russia makes no sense for many reasons -- primarily because it's slow and expensive. Air travel to Russia is cheap and comfortable. The issue is a detour to a 3d country on a separate itinerary. That could be neither cheap nor comfortable. Thus a $100 visa may be a preferable option.

VitaliU

I don't think so. " I am considering traveling by train: Warsaw, Poland - Brest, Belarus - Minsk, Belarus - Moscow, Russia.".

Either way, my response stands

eielef

In my recent experiences:
1) By car, there is only one way to go, and that means a VERY long detour to a border control called Три Сестры, or Three Sisters, which is the border between RU, BY and UA. You'll have to go through customs and passport control on the Russian side, drive some 300m, and they if you continue straight you go to Belarus, if you turn left you enter Ukraine. That is the ONLY way to enter Belarus by car (as confirmed by both, Russian and Belorussian border officers).
2) By train: is impossible to take the train from Moscow to Minsk being a foreigner (non-Russian/non-Belarussian). It is not legal.
3) By plane: the easiest way. I flew MSQ-DME three weeks ago, in Belavia. Flight was very full. When we entered the terminal (we came by bus) a lady told: FOREIGNERS come upstairs. She was very intense and spoke "some" English. We were in the general arrivals area with other people, e.g, from a flight arriving from Qatar. We were not many people, some other had Ukrainian passports. So when I got to the migration booth, I gave my passport and the migration card I had received in MSQ the day before. The guy scanned my passport, stamped the passport and gave me back the same migration card. You don't get a new one. It is also not stamped. Only your passport is stamped, and not even close to the BY stamp. But then, when you leave, no one really cares, they stamp the BY migration card, keep it, and that's it...
In Belarus, in MSQ airport there is a special part of the terminal (gates named E10 to E13) which are ONLY to flights to Russia. There is no passport control there. No stamp, nothing.
I dont know how would it be the other way round (meaning the flight MOW-MSQ) but this answers your post.

Cheers
Eielef @mow

VitaliU

All true. However, since you you did not go through passport control when leaving Belarus, you are now listed in their database as someone who entered the country and never left. This may lead to problems next time you try to cross a Belarusian or Russian border. The two countries are not able to synch their visa policies but they do share the database of people who are banned from entering either one of them. If you never plan to go back, it is not a problem of course.