Country Reciprocity Schedule

Belarus Reciprocity Schedule

Visa
Classification		 Fee Number
of Applications		 Validity
Period
A-1 None Multiple 24 Months A
A-2 None Multiple 24 Months B
A-3 1 None One 3 Months
B-1 $100.00 Multiple 12 Months B C
B-2 $100.00 Multiple 12 Months B C
B-1/B-2 $100.00 Multiple 12 Months B
C-1 None Multiple 12 Months
C-1/D None Multiple 12 Months
C-2 None Multiple 12 Months
C-3 None Multiple 12 Months
CW-1 11 None Multiple 12 Months
CW-2 11 None Multiple 12 Months
D None Multiple 12 Months
E-1 2 No Treaty N/A N/A
E-2 2 No Treaty N/A N/A
E-2C 12 None Multiple 12 Months
F-1 $100.00 Multiple 12 Months B C
F-2 $100.00 Multiple 12 Months B C
G-1 None Multiple 12 Months
G-2 None Multiple D 12 Months
G-3 None Multiple 12 Months
G-4 None Multiple 12 Months
G-5 1 None One 3 Months
H-1B $300.00 Multiple 12 Months 3
H-1C $300.00 Multiple 12 Months 3
H-2A $300.00 Multiple 12 Months 3
H-2B $300.00 Multiple 12 Months 3
H-2R $300.00 Multiple 12 Months 3
H-3 $300.00 Multiple 12 Months 3
H-4 $300.00 Multiple 12 Months 3
I $300.00 Multiple 12 Months
J-1 4 $100.00 Multiple 12 Months B C
J-2 4 $100.00 Multiple 12 Months B C
K-1 None One 6 Months
K-2 None One 6 Months
K-3 None Multiple 24 Months
K-4 None Multiple 24 Months
L-1 $300.00 Multiple 12 Months
L-2 $300.00 Multiple 12 Months
M-1 $100.00 Multiple 12 Months B C
M-2 $100.00 Multiple 12 Months B C
N-8 $300.00 Multiple 12 Months
N-9 $300.00 Multiple 12 Months
NATO 1-7 N/A N/A N/A
O-1 $300.00 Multiple 12 Months 3
O-2 $300.00 Multiple 12 Months 3
O-3 $300.00 Multiple 12 Months 3
P-1 $300.00 Multiple 12 Months 3
P-2 $300.00 Multiple 12 Months 3
P-3 $300.00 Multiple 12 Months 3
P-4 $300.00 Multiple 12 Months 3
Q-1 6 $300.00 Multiple 12 Months 3
R-1 $300.00 Multiple 12 Months
R-2 $300.00 Multiple 12 Months
S-5 7 None One 1 Month
S-6 7 None One 1 Month
S-7 7 None One 1 Month
T-1 9 N/A N/A N/A
T-2 None One 6 Months
T-3 None One 6 Months
T-4 None One 6 Months
T-5 None One 6 Months
TD 5 N/A N/A N/A
U-1 None Multiple 48 Months
U-2 None Multiple 48 Months
U-3 None Multiple 48 Months
U-4 None Multiple 48 Months
U-5 None Multiple 48 Months
V-1 None Multiple 120 Months
V-2 None Multiple 120 Months 8
V-3 None Multiple 120 Months 8

Documents

Civil documents, except as noted below, are available in Belarus. Certified copies as well as originals of available documents may be exported. The person to whom the record pertains obtains a certified copy at a local notary office, then has the document apostiled either at the Ministry of Justice (judicial records), the Ministry of Education (educational records), the Archive Committee (all archive records) or the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (all other records). Alternatively, the notary's seal and signature may be authenticated at the Ministry of Justice, and then that seal may be authenticated at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

In the U.S., Belarusian documents can be requested through the Belarusian Embassy in Washington, D.C. which is located at 1619 New Hampshire Ave., N.W. or the Consulate General in New York, 708 Third Avenue, 20th Floor, New York, NY 10017.

Some civil records were destroyed during World War II and may not be available. Local authorities generally will issue a certificate to that effect. A replacement statement of identity is also available from local authorities when a birth certificate is unavailable.

The Embassy in Minsk cannot assist in obtaining civil documents or verifying the accuracy of civil records in Belarus.

Birth, Marriage, Divorce and Death Certificates

Available. Original certificates can be exported out of the country. However, Belarusian authorities recommend against exporting original documents, and suggest Belarusian emigrants obtain copies (Belarusian Form-DIZ) certified by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Copies can be obtained upon application to the Bureau of Acts of Civil Status (ZAGS).

Police and Prison Records

Available for the period an applicant resided in Belarus. Applications should be made in person to the respective regional office of the Center for Information and Analysis of the Ministry of Interior. If an applicant lives outside Belarus, an application should be filed with the respective Belarusian diplomatic mission abroad. The maximum waiting period on applications made in the country is two weeks. For applications made abroad, there are no standard time limits.

Military Record

Available and mandatory for immigrant visa applicants except for those who have a PP series passport (passport of a citizen permanently residing abroad). According to Belarusian legislation, all Belarusian citizens residing abroad should exchange their MP (MC, KH, BM, HB, AB, KB) series passport for a PP series passport. To obtain the PP series passport, a Belarusian citizen must return his military record book, his labor record book and some other documents to the Belarusian state. Most travelers, however, continue to travel on their MP (MC, KH, BM, HB, AB, KB) series passport and should have their military records.

Belarus Internal Residence Documents

  1. National passport (both an internal ID and travel document issued to all at the age of 14, or under the age of 14 for travel purposes),
  2. Foreigner's Residence Permit (Vid na Zhitel'stvo Inostrannogo Grazhdanina),
  3. Stateless Person's Residence Permit (Vid Na Zhitel'stvo Litsa Bez Grazhdanstva),
  4. Temporary Certification in Lieu of Passport (Spravka).

Belarus Travel Documents

  1. National passport is dark blue with the words "Republic of Belarus" and "Passport" in English, Belarusian and Russian in gold lettering on the outside front cover. The seal of Belarus also appears on the front cover. The passport's number is perforated on the first 16 pages of the 32-page passport. The inside back page contains biographical data covered by a plastic laminate and the page appears to be machine-readable. The pages are beige, and, if held to the light, reflect the Cyrillic letters P and B for the Republic of Belarus, which are visible in a block pattern running horizontally and vertically. UV light reveals a picture of a fern leaf on each page. Older version of the passport has a glued-in picture, the current version has a digitalized image. Passport validity varies depending on the age of the passport holder in which the passport was issued: from one year to 55 years (if obtained at the age of 45). In mid 2012, Belarus began to issue 10 year validity passports only.
  2. Diplomatic passport is dark green with the words "Republic of Belarus" and "Diplomatic Passport" in English, Belarusian and Russian in gold lettering on the outside front cover. The seal of Belarus also appears on the front cover. The passport's number is perforated on the first 16 pages of the 32-page passport. The inside back page contains biographical data covered by a plastic laminate and the page appears to be machine-readable. The pages are beige, and, if held to the light, reflect the Cyrillic letters P and B for the Republic of Belarus, which are visible in a block pattern running horizontally and vertically. UV light reveals a picture of a fern leaf on each page. Older version of the passport has a glued-in picture, the current version has a digitalized image.
  3. Official (service) passport is red burgundy with the words "Republic of Belarus" and "Official Passport" in English, Belarusian and Russian in gold lettering on the outside front cover. The seal of Belarus also appears on the front cover. The passport's number is perforated on the first 16 pages of the 32-page passport. The inside back page contains biographical data covered by a plastic laminate and the page appears to be machine-readable. The pages are beige, and, if held to the light, reflect the Cyrillic letters P and B for the Republic of Belarus, which are visible in a block pattern running horizontally and vertically. UV light reveals a picture of a fern leaf on each page. Older version of the passport has a glued-in picture; the current version has a digitalized image.
  4. Travel Document is light brown with words "Republic of Belarus" in English, Belarusian and Russian in gold lettering on the outside front cover. The document's number is perforated on the first 16 pages of the 32-page passport. The inside back page contains biographical data covered by a plastic laminate and the page appears to be machine-readable. The pages are light blue, and, if held to the light, reflect an image of a snowflake, which are visible in a bee cell pattern throughout the page. UV light reveals an ornamented page number in the middle of each page. Older version of the travel document has a glued-in picture; the current version has a digitalized image. The document is issued in lieu of the national passport to stateless persons residing in Belarus.



Visa Issuing Post

Minsk, Belarus (Embassy--activities currently suspended)

PSC 78, Box B
APO AE 09723

Visa Services

Visa processing has been suspended. For more information on where to obtain a visa, please click here.

Country Specific Footnotes

  1. Diplomatic couriers may be issued A-1 visas valid for multiple applications for entry within 12 months, or one entry for three months, depending on the request of the host government. A-1 TDY visas are valid for three months and one entry.

  2. Tiered Fee Schedule: Multiple entries, 12 months at $100.00, or one entry, 6 months for no fee.

  3. Children under the age of 16 are exempt from the visa reciprocity fee. However, they are subject to the application processing (MRV) fee.

  4. G-2 applicants from Belarus who would otherwise be subject to INA 212(f) but are exempt for travel to the UN should receive a single-entry visa annotated with the phrase "Traveler to remain within a 25-mile radius of UN Headquarters, NYC."

Visa Category Footnotes

  1. The validity of A-3, G-5, and NATO 7 visas may not exceed the validity of the visa issued to the person who is employing the applicant. The "employer" would have one of the following visa classifications:

    • A-1
    • A-2
    • G-1 through G-4
    • NATO 1 through NATO 6

  2. An E-1 and E-2 visa may be issued only to a principal alien who is a national of a country having a treaty, or its equivalent, with the United States. E-1 and E-2 visas may not be issued to a principal alien if he/she is a stateless resident. If the spouse and children of an E-1 or E-2 principal alien are stateless, or if they are nationals of a country which does not have a treaty with the United States, they may be accorded derivative E-1 or E-2 status. In these cases, the reciprocity schedule of the principal alien's nationality is used.

    Example: John Doe is a national of the country of Z that has an E-1/E-2 treaty with the U.S. His wife and child are nationals of the country of Y which has no treaty with the U.S. The wife and child would, therefore, be entitled to derivative status and receive the same reciprocity as Mr. Doe, the principal visa holder.

  3. The validity of H-1 through H-3, O-1 and O-2, P-1 through P-3, and Q visas may not exceed the period of validity of the approved petition or the number of months shown, whichever is less.

    Derivative H-4, L-2, O-3, and P-4 visas, issued to accompanying or following-to-join spouses and children, may not exceed the validity of the visa issued to the principal alien.

  4. There is no reciprocity fee for the issuance of a J visa if the alien is a United States Government grantee or a participant in an exchange program sponsored by the United States Government.

    Also, there is no reciprocity fee for visa issuance to an accompanying or following-to-join spouse or child (J-2) of an exchange visitor grantee or participant.

    In addition, an applicant is eligible for an exemption from the MRV fee if he or she is participating in a State Department, USAID, or other federally funded educational and cultural exchange program (program serial numbers G-1, G-2, G-3 and G-7).

    However, all other applicants with U.S. Government sponsorships, including other J-visa applicants, are subject to the MRV processing fee.

  5. Under the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), Canadian and Mexican nationals coming to engage in certain types of professional employment in the United States may be admitted in a special nonimmigrant category known as the "trade NAFTA" or "TN" category. Their dependents (spouse and children) accompanying or following to join them may be admitted in the "trade dependent" or "TD" category whether or not they possess Canadian or Mexican nationality. Except as noted below, the number of entries, fees and validity for non-Canadian or non-Mexican family members of a TN status holder seeking TD visas should be based on the reciprocity schedule of the TN principal alien.

    Canadian Nationals

    Since Canadian nationals generally are exempt from visa requirement, a Canadian "TN' or "TD" alien does not require a visa to enter the United States. However, the non-Canadian national dependent of a Canadian "TN", unless otherwise exempt from the visa requirement, must obtain a "TD" visa before attempting to enter the United States. The standard reciprocity fee and validity period for all non-Canadian "TD"s is no fee, issued for multiple entries for a period of 36 months, or for the duration of the principal alien's visa and/or authorized period of stay, whichever is less. See 'NOTE' under Canadian reciprocity schedule regarding applicants of Iranian, Iraqi or Libyan nationality.

    Mexican Nationals

    Mexican nationals are not visa-exempt. Therefore, all Mexican "TN"s and both Mexican and non-Mexican national "TD"s accompanying or following to join them who are not otherwise exempt from the visa requirement (e.g., the Canadian spouse of a Mexican national "TN") must obtain nonimmigrant visas.

    Applicants of Iranian, Iraqi or Libyan nationality, who have a permanent resident or refugee status in Canada/Mexico, may not be accorded Canadian/Mexican reciprocity, even when applying in Canada/Mexico. The reciprocity fee and period for "TD" applicants from Libya is $10.00 for one entry over a period of 3 months. The Iranian and Iraqi "TD" is no fee with one entry over a period of 3 months.

  6. Q-2 (principal) and Q-3 (dependent) visa categories are in existence as a result of the 'Irish Peace Process Cultural and Training Program Act of 1998'. However, because the Department anticipates that virtually all applicants for this special program will be either Irish or U.K. nationals, the Q-2 and Q-3 categories have been placed only in the reciprocity schedules for those two countries. Q-2 and Q-3 visas are available only at the Embassy in Dublin and the Consulate General in Belfast.

  7. No S visa may be issued without first obtaining the Department's authorization.

  8. V-2 and V-3 status is limited to persons who have not yet attained their 21st birthday. Accordingly, the period of validity of a V-2 or V-3 visa must be limited to expire on or before the applicant's twenty-first birthday.

  9. Posts may not issue a T-1 visa. A T-1 applicant must be physically present in the United States, American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands or a U.S. port of entry, where he/she will apply for an adjustment of status to that of a T-1. The following dependents of a T-1 visa holder, however, may be issued a T visa at a U.S. consular office abroad:

    • T-2 (spouse)
    • T-3 (child)
    • T-4 (parent)

  10. The validity of NATO-5 visas may not exceed the period of validity of the employment contract or 12 months, whichever is less.

  11. The validity of CW-1 and CW-2 visas shall not exceed the maximum initial period of admission allowed by DHS (12 months) or the duration of the transition period ending December 31, 2014, whichever is shortest.

  12. The validity of E-2C visas shall not exceed the maximum initial period of admission allowed by DHS (24 months) or the duration of the transition period ending December 31, 2014, whichever is shortest.