September – Club evening with Ms Schindler, Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany in Minsk, and Mr Chmyl, Foreign Ministry
On 5 September, after the traditional summer break, our regular club evening took place. The evening was dedicated to one of our recurring themes: the issue of visits by Belarusian citizens to EU countries and, especially, to Germany, as well as by foreign citizens of Belarus. A large number of participants of the evening - about 40 people registered for the event - clearly showed that the topic continues to be one of the central ones for representatives of German business in Belarus.
The evening was opened with the presentation by Monika Schindler, Head of the Visa and Consular Legal Department of the Embassy of Germany in Minsk, who in her usual precise and highly competent manner described the current valid regulations and their application in the Visa Department of the Embassy of Germany in Minsk as well as the actual requirements for submission of applications and their processing. With the help of vivid examples she illustrated possible difficulties in the application process and shared tips on how to avoid them. Although each application is handled individually, a few general rules can be laid down, which are to be observed by everyone when applying for a visa: Firstly, it is necessary to obtain accurate and complete information for your specific case - namely from official sources - from the German embassy's website or through personal consultation at the visa office; secondly, only correct and as complete information as possible must be provided in the application and when answering questions at the visa office.
In contrast, EU nationals do not need a visa to travel to Belarus for up to 30 days if they enter the country via Minsk airport. This was explained by the second reporter of our evening, head of the Citizenship and Travel Abroad Department of the Main Consular Administration of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Belarus Yaroslav Khmyl. This visa-free travel regime has been extended from five days to two weeks during the shortest time possible, and then to 30 days, which shows the Belarusian government's intention to support the development of social and economic contacts with the West. This rule - with the exception of special cases involving combined visits to Russia - is clearly structured and easy to understand. Most of the questions that followed therefore concerned special topics of interest to entrepreneurs, such as rules on work visas and obtaining indefinite or multi-year residence permits. Mr Chmyl answered these questions not only with detailed information about the regulations in force, but also with some practical advice.
The evening ended, as always, with an informal networking event during the buffet, which gave all participants the opportunity to deepen the topics touched upon in group discussions as well as with both experts. Thus, the September Club Evening was very informative and useful from a practical point of view for all present. For this, our heartfelt thanks go to Ms Schindler and Mr Chmyl and the organisations they represent - the German Embassy in Minsk and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Belarus.
The evening was opened with the presentation by Monika Schindler, Head of the Visa and Consular Legal Department of the Embassy of Germany in Minsk, who in her usual precise and highly competent manner described the current valid regulations and their application in the Visa Department of the Embassy of Germany in Minsk as well as the actual requirements for submission of applications and their processing. With the help of vivid examples she illustrated possible difficulties in the application process and shared tips on how to avoid them. Although each application is handled individually, a few general rules can be laid down, which are to be observed by everyone when applying for a visa: Firstly, it is necessary to obtain accurate and complete information for your specific case - namely from official sources - from the German embassy's website or through personal consultation at the visa office; secondly, only correct and as complete information as possible must be provided in the application and when answering questions at the visa office.
In contrast, EU nationals do not need a visa to travel to Belarus for up to 30 days if they enter the country via Minsk airport. This was explained by the second reporter of our evening, head of the Citizenship and Travel Abroad Department of the Main Consular Administration of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Belarus Yaroslav Khmyl. This visa-free travel regime has been extended from five days to two weeks during the shortest time possible, and then to 30 days, which shows the Belarusian government's intention to support the development of social and economic contacts with the West. This rule - with the exception of special cases involving combined visits to Russia - is clearly structured and easy to understand. Most of the questions that followed therefore concerned special topics of interest to entrepreneurs, such as rules on work visas and obtaining indefinite or multi-year residence permits. Mr Chmyl answered these questions not only with detailed information about the regulations in force, but also with some practical advice.
The evening ended, as always, with an informal networking event during the buffet, which gave all participants the opportunity to deepen the topics touched upon in group discussions as well as with both experts. Thus, the September Club Evening was very informative and useful from a practical point of view for all present. For this, our heartfelt thanks go to Ms Schindler and Mr Chmyl and the organisations they represent - the German Embassy in Minsk and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Belarus.
