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.
