Tourism minister seeks to extend visa-free regime to 15-20 days

The Ministry of Sport and Tourism proposes to extend the visa-free stay for foreigners in Belarus up to 15-20 days, Sport and Tourism Minister Siarhei Kavalchuk said in a statement.

The state news agency BELTA reports the decision on the extension has already been taken, but the number of days is what has to be approved. There are proposals to increase the number of countries that the visa-free regime rule would apply to. "Our stance is: the more countries, the better," Kavalchuk noted. The relevant stakeholders like security agencies have already received the set of proposals, he said.

The minister does not rule out that foreigners could be allowed to enter Belarus without a visa not only via the National Airport Minsk but also via regional airports.

The 5-day visa-free regime has been in effect since February 2017 and covers 80 countries, including the EU members states, United States and Canada. Entry without a visa is only possible via the Minsk international airport. Officials say the measure contributed to a 12% increase in the number of foreign visitors last year.