Vietnam-Belarus visa exemption agreement: An important step in cooperation between the two countries

The visa exemption agreement for ordinary passport holders between Vietnam and Belarus takes effect from January 30, 2025.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and Belarusian Prime Minister Roman Golovchenko witnessed the signing and handover of the Agreement between Vietnam and Belarus on visa exemption for ordinary passport holders, December 8, 2023. (Source: VGP)

On December 8, 2023, in Hanoi, on behalf of the Government of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam and the Government of the Republic of Belarus, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Vietnam Le Thi Thu Hang and Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Belarus Evgeny Shestakov officially signed the Visa Exemption Agreement for Ordinary Passport Holders between Vietnam and Belarus. The Agreement takes effect from January 30, 2025.

The event not only marks a new step forward in bilateral relations but also opens up many opportunities for extensive cooperation in many fields.

According to the Agreement, citizens of both sides holding ordinary passports are exempt from visas for 30 days for each entry; the total time of residence in the territory of the other side does not exceed 90 days within 1 year.

Vietnam and Belarus have good political and diplomatic relations, the two sides maintain delegation exchanges and contacts at all levels. Cooperation in other areas such as security, defense, education, and culture is also promoted by both sides. It can be said that the signing of the Visa Exemption Agreement for ordinary passport holders between Vietnam and Belarus is a clear demonstration of the traditional friendship between the two countries.

The agreement will create practical travel convenience for citizens of the two countries who want to travel, visit, invest, do business...

This is an effort of the Vietnamese Government in creating favorable conditions for international tourists in general, and Belarusian tourists in particular, to visit Vietnam, contributing to the development of international tourism as well as enhancing cooperation, cultural exchange, investment, market research and promoting the development of bilateral relations in many fields.

At the same time, the Agreement demonstrates the Vietnamese Government's desire to establish appropriate immigration mechanisms on the basis of reciprocity and bilateral visa exemption with appropriate partner countries to facilitate mutual travel of people from both sides.

Vietnam and Belarus signed an agreement on visa exemption for diplomatic and official passport holders in 1993. Since 2015, Belarusian citizens (regardless of passport type) have been unilaterally exempted from visas when entering Vietnam.