Visiting Belarus

[Alla 3]

Me and my husband have an interview soon. We were thinking if I'll get approved to go visit my family in Belarus for winter holidays.

But unfortunately I have no idea what do we need to start with. I was trying to research but it all is very confusing.

1.I changed my last name but my belarussian passport is in maiden name. Will I have problems entering Belarus if I have my husband's last name in US and maiden name on Belarussian passport? How does it work? Or do I need a travel passport?

2.As I understand my husband will need a visa, does he need an invitation letter from my family?

Thank you for your time.

[Used to be broken 147]

You have to use your Belarus Passport to travel in and out of Belarus as a Belarus Citizen. If its going to expire plan on being stuck in Belarus while you get it updated.

Its easiest and fastest to get tourist VISA from this website vs family invitation which is time consuming and unreliable. *he told me you do not have to stay in hotel but say you will... not sure how this works with the registering with authorities you should ask him. He got me a VISA voucher within a week but I did not end up using it.

www.allbelarus.com/

Alternately you can have your family go to the ministry of interior and as for invitation,, think it costs 15 bucks.. it takes about a month and another two/three weeks in the mail to you here in US. Then you mail it to Belarus Embassy and provide a return DHL envelope with your passport in it regardless of your method of invite. you need copies of tickets, itinerary and proof if financial ability to travel along with health insurance for the trip.

Edited June 30, 2010 by brokenfamily

[Enigma11561 336]

As the above states, you use your Belarussian passport both going and coming back. Just make sure you don't lose your green card! You will need to show it at your US POE. MAKE SURE THE NAME ON YOUR TICKET IS EXACTLY THE SAME AS IN YOUR PASSPORT.

As far as your husband is concerned, I have always used www.visahq.com for my visas. All info can be inputted online. Very reliable.They will provide the letter of invitation ( which is really BS) and handle everything. You send them your passport and in a week or so it comes back FedEx with the visa stamp. Never had a problem coming in from Kiev by train or Minsk by airline. And nobody ever asked for anything while I was there. Just stay away from the crowds as it is getting nasty there these days.