How the Interior Ministry Says Belarusian Children Born Abroad Can Enter Belarus

Reform.news Editorial Team · 8 August 2026, 12:45

https://reform.news/en/how-the-interior-ministry-says-belarusian-children-born-abroad-can-enter-belarus/

The Interior Ministry explained how children of Belarusians living abroad can travel to Belarus if they do not have a Belarusian passport.

The Department of Citizenship and Migration explained that a child is considered a citizen of Belarus regardless of where they were born if at least one of their parents is a Belarusian citizen.

To cross the border, such children need a 1996-model passport or a biometric passport. If they do not have either document, they can enter Belarus using a certificate of return.

“Belarus does not recognize its citizens as holding citizenship of a foreign state,” the Interior Ministry stressed.

Thus, if a child is born to a Belarusian family abroad, they cannot enter Belarus using a passport of another country.

In Belarus, a passport can be issued to a child virtually from the moment of birth upon presentation of a birth certificate. For children aged 14 and older, obtaining a passport is mandatory.