Less then three months until “Polish” Schengen
ERB has tried to find out whether a single-entry Polish visa will cost Belarusians 60 euro. The fact that Poland was going to join the Schengen agreement this November instead of the beginning of 2008 became known on August 1. The price of a single-entry visa will rise from 5 to 60 euro. A new visa policy will be introduced in accordance with the Schengen Agreement.
ERB asked the press secretary of the Polish Embassy Monica Sadkowska to explain the way the visa policy wuold be changed.
Monica Sadkowska: “More documents will be needed to get a visa. It will also take a bit longer to get it. More documents will be considered before the decision to give you a visa is taken”.
The press secretary of the Embassy assured that old visa will be accepted even after November 1. They are unlikely to be cancelled. However, the possibility of lowering the price of visas to 35 euro (the thing the Belarusian Ministry of Foreign Affaires insists on) does not depend on the Polish government’s decision.
Monica Sadkowska: “At the moment we cannot take a decision about lowering the cost of Schengen visas for Belarusians. All Polish Embassies will work according to Schengen regulations starting from November 1”.
At the same time, the Embassy admits that some benefits including lower visa prices can be introduced for certain categories of citizens. First of all it concerns inhabitants of the borderland.
Monica Sadkowska: “We will continue working out ways of simplifying the visa policy for these Polish and Belarusian citizens”.
According to the press secretary, a lot of documents and rules concerning the work of the Embassy according to Schengen rules have not been completely worked out yet. There is no answer to many questions now. For example, it is still not clear how much the new Polish visas for half a year and a year will cost or whether there will be free visas for musicians that are going to come to “Basovishcha” next year. The only thing that is clear is that it will be possible to use a Polish visa to visit other European countries.
Monica Sadkowska has promised ERB to organize a meeting with the head of the Embassy’s consular service at the beginning of the next week. It is planned that all questions will have answers by that time.
ERB asked the press secretary of the Polish Embassy Monica Sadkowska to explain the way the visa policy wuold be changed.
Monica Sadkowska: “More documents will be needed to get a visa. It will also take a bit longer to get it. More documents will be considered before the decision to give you a visa is taken”.
The press secretary of the Embassy assured that old visa will be accepted even after November 1. They are unlikely to be cancelled. However, the possibility of lowering the price of visas to 35 euro (the thing the Belarusian Ministry of Foreign Affaires insists on) does not depend on the Polish government’s decision.
Monica Sadkowska: “At the moment we cannot take a decision about lowering the cost of Schengen visas for Belarusians. All Polish Embassies will work according to Schengen regulations starting from November 1”.
At the same time, the Embassy admits that some benefits including lower visa prices can be introduced for certain categories of citizens. First of all it concerns inhabitants of the borderland.
Monica Sadkowska: “We will continue working out ways of simplifying the visa policy for these Polish and Belarusian citizens”.
According to the press secretary, a lot of documents and rules concerning the work of the Embassy according to Schengen rules have not been completely worked out yet. There is no answer to many questions now. For example, it is still not clear how much the new Polish visas for half a year and a year will cost or whether there will be free visas for musicians that are going to come to “Basovishcha” next year. The only thing that is clear is that it will be possible to use a Polish visa to visit other European countries.
Monica Sadkowska has promised ERB to organize a meeting with the head of the Embassy’s consular service at the beginning of the next week. It is planned that all questions will have answers by that time.
