On January 11, 2025, after both sides completed the necessary internal procedures, the Agreement signed on June 19, 2020 between the Government of the Russian Federation and the Government of the Republic of Belarus on mutual Recognition of visas and on Other issues related to the entry of Foreign citizens and Stateless Persons into the territory of the States parties to the Treaty on the Establishment of the Union State entered into force.
According to the statements of the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus, the Agreement regulates the procedure for foreign citizens and stateless persons to cross the joint border of the States parties to the Treaty on the Establishment of the Union State, including its land section, which was previously open only to citizens of Russia and Belarus.
The text of this Agreement is available at this email address: https://www.mfa.gov.bylkcfinder/uploadlfilesIPress Service/agreement Russia.pdf
According to the Agreement, the parties mutually recognize visas granting the right to enter and stay in the territory of the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus, as well as marks on crossing the external border of the Union State.
Foreign citizens and stateless persons who enter, exit, stay and (or) transit through the territories of Russia and Belarus in the visa regime and have a visa from one of the two countries, as well as an identity document recognized by both states, receive the right to enter, leave, stay, transit through the territories of both states. during the validity period of such a visa.
If a visa-free regime is provided for in both Russia and Belarus, in accordance with international treaties, then an identity document recognized by both states is sufficient to enter and stay in both countries.
If these persons have a visa-free regime in one country and a visa regime in another, then a visa will be required to enter the latter and stay there, in addition to an identity document.
Foreign citizens and stateless persons who have a temporary residence permit, a residence permit, or a document for attending an international event in one country and an identity document have the right to enter, leave, stay, and transit through the territory of another country without visas during the validity period of these documents.
The period of stay of foreign citizens and stateless persons in the territories of Russia and Belarus is calculated from the date of entry into the territory of one of the countries from the territory of a third state.
The Agreement does not apply to foreign citizens and stateless persons who are restricted from entering the territory of one of the two States.
Entry into the territories of Belarus and Russia is possible both through international checkpoints across the state border, and directly along the used routes of international rail and air communications, as well as on the roads listed in the Annex to the Agreement.
Currently, the Agreement provides for six such sites: Yukhovichi – Dolostsi (Opochka – Novopolotsk), Yezerishche – Nevel (Kiev – St. Petersburg), Liozno – Kruglovka (Vitebsk – Smolensk), Radishes – Krasnaya Gorka (Minsk – Moscow), Zvenchatka – Dubovichka (Bobruisk – Moscow), Selishche – Novozybkov (Gomel – Bryansk). Crossing the land section of the Russian-Belarusian border by other routes is not allowed and will be regarded as a violation of the state border.
Thus, with the entry into force of the Agreement, Tajik citizens were given the opportunity to cross the border between Russia and Belarus by road or rail (starting in 2020, restrictions were introduced, citizens of third countries and stateless persons could travel from Belarus to Russia and vice versa only by air). Now our citizens have the opportunity to travel through the territory of Belarus to the western and northwestern regions of Russia by road and rail.
Source: www.mintrans.tj
