The cost of Schengen visas for Belarusians will decrease from July 1

Belarus and the European Union have completed all procedures necessary for the visa facilitation and readmission agreements to enter into force.

Belarus and the European Union have completed all procedures necessary for the visa facilitation and readmission agreements to enter into force. This information was confirmed to a BELTA correspondent by Anatoly Glaz, Head of the Information and Digital Diplomacy Department – Press Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

According to him, today the Ministry of Foreign Affairs received an official notification from the European Union on the completion of internal ratification procedures for the agreements. Belarus completed these procedures back in April. "Thus, all procedures have been completed. The agreements will enter into force on July 1," said Anatoly Glaz.

Under the visa facilitation agreement, the cost of processing visa applications for Belarusian citizens will be reduced to 35 euros. The processing time for applications will be 10 calendar days. The possibility of issuing visas on an urgent and expedited basis is provided for. Grounds are established for exempting certain categories of citizens from paying the visa fee.

Simultaneously, the readmission agreement enters into force. Belarus and the European Union will be required to accept back into their territories their own citizens, third-country nationals, and stateless persons who do not meet or no longer meet the criteria for legal stay on each other's territories.

Belarus and the EU began negotiations on the visa and readmission agreements in 2014. However, for a number of reasons, the parties could not quickly agree on the documents and signed them on January 8, 2020. The ceremony took place in Brussels. From the Belarusian side, the agreements were signed by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Vladimir Makei. The European Union was represented by the Deputy Prime Minister – Minister of Internal Affairs of Croatia, Davor Božinović (Croatia holds the Presidency of the Council of the European Union), and the European Commissioner for Home Affairs, Ylva Johansson.