Participants and guests of the 2014 FIFA World Cup can enter Belarus visa-free from April 25

April 25, Minsk /BELTA/. From April 25 to May 31, a visa-free entry regime to Belarus has been established for official participants of the Ice Hockey World Championship in Minsk, as well as for championship guests, BELTA reports.

Each tourist, from April 25, upon entering the country, has the right to present border control officers with only their valid passport and a ticket to any match of the 2014 World Hockey Championship, or an electronic version of the ticket. Moreover, each tourist will be able to enter under these conditions on any of the designated days. This means that if a guest has a ticket only for the championship final, they will still be able to enter Belarus without a visa and stay in the country until the match they are interested in. One ticket grants only a single visa-free entry to Belarus. This rule also applies to young children. Even if a child is very young, they need their own ticket for visa-free entry into the country; otherwise, parents need to arrange for a visa.

For official persons and championship participants, the basis for visa-free entry to Belarus is their inclusion in the accreditation system lists of the International Ice Hockey Federation. This organization handles accreditation in various areas, including print and television journalists, officials, VIP guests, etc. Thus, everyone with a corresponding accreditation badge has the right to enter Belarus visa-free during the specified period. It is sufficient for them to present their valid passport and accreditation certificate to border control officers. It was previously reported that a list of media accredited for the championship had already been determined. A total of over 260 journalists and 130 photojournalists will work at the 2014 World Championship in Minsk. Thus, the total quota of 400 accredited media representatives will be fully utilized.

Furthermore, a decision was previously made to issue free entry visas to all participants of test events held by the International Ice Hockey Federation, as well as observers from national hockey federations, who will arrive in Minsk before the start of the World Championship, including for familiarization with the accommodation conditions of their teams and the specifics of the championship. According to established practice, before each championship, representatives of participating national teams arrive in the host country to study the hotels where the team will be accommodated, familiarize themselves with organizational aspects, etc. All of them are also entitled to visa-free entry into the country.

In addition, goods imported into the country for the upcoming championship will be exempt from import customs duties and value added tax.

Fifteen main border crossing points have also been designated. A green channel has been introduced at each of them. Border crossings are staffed by employees fluent in foreign languages. Procedures for resolving disputed issues have been worked out.

Team arrival schedules have already been formed. They are expected to arrive in Minsk on May 6-7. -0-

News of Belarus (BELTA)