Belarus temporarily closes border amid COVID-19

“On 1 November, the Republic of Belarus temporarily banned entry of foreign nationals and stateless persons at road checkpoints, simplified border checkpoints, checkpoints at railway stations, river ports across the state border of the Republic of Belarus in order to prevent the spread of the infection caused by COVID-19,” reads the communication of the State Border Committee.

This restriction does not apply to foreign nationals with diplomatic and service passports; heads and members of official delegations; foreigners providing international gratuitous assistance to Belarus; drivers performing international road and international mail transportation; crews of inland water transport vessels, train crews, locomotive crews of international railway service.

The restriction does not apply to foreigners who are spouses, parents or children of Belarusian citizens; foreigners who have the right to permanent or temporary residence in Belarus; foreigners who have work permits or proof of employment documents in Belarus; foreigners who travel to Belarus in the event of serious illness, or death of, a close relative; foreign nationals transporting stem cells, organs for transplantation.

The same applies to citizens of the Russian Federation transiting through Belarus to Russia, and also foreigners transiting through Belarus in accordance with the Belarus-Ukraine interstate government agreement on simplified crossing of the border section Slavutich-Chernobyl nuclear power plant, which goes through the territory of Belarus, to workers, vehicles and cargoes of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant and enterprises that work in the exclusion zone, and foreign specialists involved in the international Chernobyl NPP projects.

This restriction does not apply to those arriving in Belarus through Minsk National Airport.

Citizens of Belarus, foreigners who are spouses, parents or children of Belarusian citizens, and also foreign nationals who have the right to permanent or temporary residence in Belarus, should self-isolate for 10 calendar days from the day of arrival from foreign countries included in the Healthcare Ministry's list of COVID-19 high-risk countries. They will not be allowed to cross the border until the 10-day deadline expires.

The self-isolation requirement does not apply to employees of diplomatic missions and consular institutions of Belarus in foreign countries, holding diplomatic or service passports, their families. The same applies to employees of the State Courier Service of Belarus and the Special Communications Company, drivers performing international road and international mail transportation operations; members of aircraft crews, vessels of inland water transport, train crews, locomotive crews of international railway service, individuals who returned to Belarus after a business trip.