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?

Edited June 30, 2010 by Alla

[Bobby+Umit 161]

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?

You can probably change your passport in the US at the Belarus embassy/consulate with your new name. They would require proof of the change (marriage cert, etc...)

If you still have your maiden name on your passport - it should not affect you with entry into that country - however, your plane tickets must match* that name. (another reason to change your passport before travel).

Not sure on the entry requirements for that country - I doubt he would need a letter (most countries allow Americans more access than you would expect) - for example, when I go to Turkey, I buy the visa to visit at the airport in Turkey - no issues.

*to avoid any security issues.

[peejay 327]

My wife is a US citizen, but has maintained her Belarusian citizenship, passport, and residency. Her Belarusian passport is in her maiden name. Her US passport is in her married name. When she travels to Belarus she shows her Belarusian passport to check in for the flight and to enter Russia. She flies to Moscow because the tickets are significantly cheaper via Singapore Airlines and the flight is nonstop from Houston to Moscow. She then takes the train to Belarus from Moscow. On the return trip home she shows her US passport to check in on the flight back to Houston and to reenter the USA. The border police at the airport always want to see both passports and the migration card they gave when she entered Russia before they let her leave, but they could care less whether a Belarusian has 2 passports and dual citizenship. She has done this twice without problems. The customs people in the USA also want to see both passports too. If they don't see any visas in the US passport when she returns from Russia they want to know why. The Belarusian passport answers the question. They don't care whether she has 2 passports or dual citizenship either.

I guess the same situation would exist if your Green Card is in your married name and your Belarusian passport is in your maiden name.

I have no idea what she would do if she flew directly from the USA to Minsk. So far she hasn't done that yet. However, some of our Belarusian friends that are dual citizens also travel back and forth the same way, but they are males and have the same surname on their documents. I have no experiences to relay about females with married and maiden names entering and leaving Belarus. My wife's example was to travel from USA to Russia and then to take the train to Belarus. Belarusians can travel to and from Russia without a visa. However, the Russians require that Belarusians to get a migration card when entering Russia at the airport and it must be returned to them when leaving by airport.

I am only a US citizens since I was born in the USA, but I have relatives in Belarus. My Belarusian cousin has always gotten me a business visa when I traveled there. Your husband will need a visa to travel to Belarus. He can get a tourist visa through a Belarusian travel agency or he can get an invitation from your relatives for a visa. I am not familiar with those options because I never had to go that route to get a visa.

For me the biggest headache when traveling to Belarus was the registration. My wife has told me that US citizens do not have to register anymore if they stay less than 7 days, but I personally have not researched the new rules. Most of the answers to your questions in that regard can be found on the website for the Belarusian embassy in the USA. Here is the link:

http://www.belarusembassy.org/

[Alla 3]

peejay, thank you so mush for your answer! It is really helpful. To fly straight to Minsk costs about $2,500 per two.

I totally forgot that through Moscow is much cheaper.

I hope you don't mind if I pm you a couple questions?!

[peejay 327]

peejay, thank you so mush for your answer! It is really helpful. To fly straight to Minsk costs about $2,500 per two.

I totally forgot that through Moscow is much cheaper.

I hope you don't mind if I pm you a couple questions?!

It is not a problem if you wish to PM me for questions.

The problem for your husband to fly into Moscow is that he would need some sort of Russian visa to be allowed to board the airplane to Moscow and to travel through Russia by train to Belarus. He would also have to get a Belarusian visa and to get it stamped by Belarusian border police when he entered Belarus. Not to mention the registration requirements if his stay there was long enough to require registration. The visa stamps are done automatically when a US citizen enters Belarus through the airport in Minsk, but I have no clue how this would be done if he entered Belarus from Russia by train. For you to fly into Moscow and to travel to Belarus by train is easy since you are a Belarusian citizen, but for your US citizen husband to do this is much more complicated and would require some research.

[Used to be broken 147]

It is not a problem if you wish to PM me for questions.

The problem for your husband to fly into Moscow is that he would need some sort of Russian visa to be allowed to board the airplane to Moscow and to travel through Russia by train to Belarus. He would also have to get a Belarusian visa and to get it stamped by Belarusian border police when he entered Belarus. Not to mention the registration requirements if his stay there was long enough to require registration. The visa stamps are done automatically when a US citizen enters Belarus through the airport in Minsk, but I have no clue how this would be done if he entered Belarus from Russia by train. For you to fly into Moscow and to travel to Belarus by train is easy since you are a Belarusian citizen, but for your US citizen husband to do this is much more complicated and would require some research.

Not sure where you are leaving the US from but Warsaw Poland, Frankfurt, Vienna and Rome have direct flights to and from Belarus using Belavia, Luftansa and I believe LOT. It would probably much easier to route directly through the EU country than Russia.

As someone mentioned if you travel through Russia it requires the US Citizen to obtain mulitple entry VISA's for Russia and one for Belarus which both cost around $100 bucks and requires more advance planning to send the passport to 2 different consulates for VISA stamps.

www.allbelarus.com can get you a quick invitation and is reliable service with good communication and can also be found on SKYPE most everyday, think it cost around $35 and was faster than the family member getting the invite through interior ministry.

Have fun, say hi to Lukashenko for me and bring me back some of those little cheesecake candy bars in the dairy section

Edited July 1, 2010 by brokenfamily

[Alla 3]

Not sure where you are leaving the US from but Warsaw Poland, Frankfurt, Vienna and Rome have direct flights to and from Belarus using Belavia, Luftansa and I believe LOT. It would probably much easier to route directly through the EU country than Russia.

As someone mentioned if you travel through Russia it requires the US Citizen to obtain mulitple entry VISA's for Russia and one for Belarus which both cost around $100 bucks and requires more advance planning to send the passport to 2 different consulates for VISA stamps.

www.allbelarus.com can get you a quick invitation and is reliable service with good communication and can also be found on SKYPE most everyday, think it cost around $35 and was faster than the family member getting the invite through interior ministry.

Have fun, say hi to Lukashenko for me and bring me back some of those little cheesecake candy bars in the dairy section

We live in Chicago, but will have to fly from Atlanta. This is so hard... I will definitely review all ways.

Thank you!

[Used to be broken 147]

You have the best connections from Chicago and the cheapest.. India air to Frankfurt is quite cheap... why would you fly from Atlanta?

[Bad_Daddy 2,209]

We live in Chicago, but will have to fly from Atlanta. This is so hard... I will definitely review all ways.

Thank you!

Too bad your flying from Atlanta and not Chicago. "Polish LOT Airline" from Chicago > Warsaw > Minsk is about as cheap as it gets. You can get an invitation visa via a family member (in law, etc..or friend), or a tourist visa. These visa's are best done via someone in Belarus, and not the Belarus embassy here in the U.S.

http://www.belarusembassy.org/consular/eng/visa_requirements.htm <--- visa fee's, etc... are here on this link. Also be prepared to pay insurance at Minsk airport when you arrive. While your in Belarus I would suggest to make sure get all passports in your "married name" thus avoiding any future hassles in regards to travelling. You can get your Belarusian passport changed to your married name while in Minsk. Make sure you have/bring your appropriate paperwork with you when you do this.

[Used to be broken 147]

While your in Belarus I would suggest to make sure get all passports in your "married name" thus avoiding any future hassles in regards to travelling. You can get your Belarusian passport changed to your married name while in Minsk. Make sure you have/bring your appropriate paperwork with you when you do this.

That endeavor will probably be complicated by the belarus authorities wanting an "apostille" on the copy of the marriage certificate if you got married stateside. Be prepared and have it authenticated before you leave.

[Alla 3]

Thank you guys so much for your reply!

First, our GC was approved And second, I think I will fly on my maiden name to Belarus and on my married name back.

I checked the prices and indeed as Why_me said, to Warsaw is the cheapest and actually the most convenient way, as my parents reside in Grodno.

As I understand I will need 2 visas to enter Poland and one for my husband to enter Belarus.

I've never thought it will be so hard to figure it all out. The small problem that left how to buy tickets for the bus in poland

[Enigma11561 336]

I dont understand how you fly over in one name but fly back under a different name. Your plane tickets need to match the name in your passport and assuming your doing a round trip are not both flights under the same name? My wife is not yet a citizen but does have AP. So she is using the name on her Belarus passport in both directions which matches the name on her tickets.

[Ron-Tanya 23]

At certain times of the year CONDOR (sister of Lufthansa) flies from certain US cities thru Frankfurt then to Minsk. The flight is on Condor to Fra then Lufthansa takes you to Minsk. If you stay in the international side of the Frankfurt Airport you do not need a Visa or Schengen. My flight last year from Fort Lauderdale to Minsk was just under $800 round trip. Also if you live nearer to Kiev same deal with Condor. Check it out and have a good flight.