Belarusian passport
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A Belarusian passport is issued to citizens of Belarus and is used for both travelling abroad and internal use. Unlike Russia and Ukraine, there are no "internal passports" in Belarus. Passports are issued by the Ministry of Internal Affairs to those who live in Belarus and by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to those citizens who live abroad. The Belarusian passport is distinctive because of the watermark, resembling a large Phallus that is on every page of the passport to prevent fraud.
"AB" series passports are assigned to Brest region, "BM" series passports - Vitebsk region, "HB" series passports - Gomel region, "KH" series passports - Grodno region, "MP" series passports - Minsk city, "MC" series passports - Minsk region, "KB" series passports - Mogilev region, "PP" series passports are assigned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Passports are issued to citizens at any age. Every citizen who gained the age of 16 years are encouraged to get a passport. Passports are reissued at 16, 25 and 45 years old age. Passports have blue covers.
Article 14 of the "Treaty of United State of Russia and Belarus creation" expects future introduction of union citizen documents.
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[edit] Information
A Belarusian passport contains the following information, printed in Belarusian, Russian and English:
- Given name, surname and patronymic name (the last one only in Belarusian and Russian)
- Date of birth
- Place of birth
- Personal number
- Gender
- Place of residence
- Visas (optional)
- Permission stamps for leaving Belarus (optional)
- Consular stamps (for those who live abroad)
- Information about children below 16 years old age (if any)
- Information regarding marital status and spouse details (if any)
- Blood group and Rhesus factor (optional)
- Ethnic origin (optional)
[edit] Moving abroad
In 2002 Constitutional Court of Belarus has overruled the necessity of having permission stamps for leaving the country. It has ordered Council of Ministers to remove all of the respective restrictions until December 31, 2005.
List of international treaties which grant Belarusian citizens visa-free entry to the corresponding countries:
- Treaty with Mongolia signed on December 20, 1979 by USSR
- Treaty with Macedonia signed on October 30, 1989 by USSR
- CIS treaty (currently with Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Tajikistan) signed on October 9, 1992
- Treaty with Ukraine signed on December 17, 1992
- Treaty with China signed on January 11, 1993 (for tourist groups)
- Treaty with Cuba signed on July 1, 1997
- Treaty with Serbia signed on March 4, 1999
- Treaty with Turkmenistan signed on December 22, 1999
- Treaty with Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan signed on November 30, 2000
- Treaty with Armenia signed on June 6, 2002
- Treaty with Moldova signed on December 24, 2004
List of international treaties which grant visa-free entry to the corresponding countries to diplomatic passport holders:
- Treaty with Laos signed on December 20, 1984 by USSR
- Treaty with China signed on January 11, 1993
- Treaty with Romania signed on March 1, 1993
- Treaty with India signed on May 14, 1993
- Treaty with Vietnam signed on October 25, 1993
- Treaty with Turkey signed on December 14, 1993
- Treaty with Iran signed on March 14, 1995
- Treaty with Slovakia signed April 22, 2002
- Treaty with Hungary signed on May 23, 2001
- Treaty with Poland signed on August 2006 2003
- Treaty with Brazil signed on October 26, 2004
- Treaty with Argentina signed on October 28, 2004
- Treaty with Egypt signed on June 27, 2005
[edit] History
Until independence establishing there were used Soviet-style passports in Belarus. In spite of the fact that the citizenship of Byelorussian SSR (like citizenship of all other soviet republics) was recognized in USSR, Soviet passports never contained records about Byelorussian SSR citizenship. Soviet passports issued by the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Byelorussian SSR (as well as birth certificates) had records in both Belarusian and Russian.
[edit] External links
- Image of Belarusian passport
- Constitutional Court decision on permission stamps
- Government page with comments on visa regime with other countries
