VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Belarus states that they are opening the country for tourists, despite the Covid-19 pandemic which cripples global tourism since 2019. The Embassy of the Republic of Belarus in Indonesia said in a statement on Thursday, that tourists would need to follow the requirements and health protocols after arriving in the country.

Belarus is a country with ancient history and rich traditions, beautiful nature and amazing architecture, industrial giants and well-developed agriculture, unique cuisine, and hospitable people. Every year the country becomes more and more tourist-friendly. Over 11 million people visit Belarus every year.

Belarus is located in the center of Europe at the intersection of many international routes. The territory of the country spans 207,600 km². Belarus is known for its hospitality and cordiality. The country threw the door wide open for tourists as it launched the visa-free travel program for 74 countries. The visa-free travel program remained in force even during the pandemic COVID-19 making Belarus one of the most attractive destinations for tourism in Europe during these challenging times.

The visa-free travel program is meant for tourists from 74 countries including Indonesia who arrive in Belarus through the Minsk National Airport. It makes visiting Belarus as easy as possible. The period of visa-free travel for tourists is up to 30 days. This applies to both solo travelers and organized groups. The only exception is that foreign citizens must arrive on flights, not from the Russian Federation.

New COVID norms, post COVID situation

As in all countries of the world, COVID-19 has imposed certain restrictions on travel to the Republic of Belarus. For foreign citizens, entry into Belarus through land checkpoints is temporarily suspended. But fortunately, the entrance is still open through air checkpoints.

When arriving through air checkpoints, all tourists, who have reached the age of six, should have a negative PCR test performed no later than 3 days before crossing the border. 10-day self-isolation is mandatory only for persons arriving from the countries included in the List of the Ministry of Health, where cases of COVID-19 infection are registered. Indonesia is not included in this List for mandatory quarantine. For transit through the territory of Belarus in less than 24 hours a PCR test and self-isolation are not necessary.

The situation with COVID-19 in Belarus is developing in accordance with global trends. The number of new infections is falling, and the vaccination campaign is being actively pursued.

Belarus did not introduce a lockdown and did not suspend the activities of economic entities, which helped to avoid a significant negative economic effect. Among the current restrictions are only mask modes in transport and public places and social distancing. (The Embassy of Belarus)