Belarus’s State Border Committee counted 200,754 travelers from 38 countries under its visa-waiver program since 1 January 2026. The government has extended the arrangement through 31 December 2026.
BelTA reported the latest total on 19 October, citing the committee. The count covers entries this year, not the program’s full history.
The waiver applies to citizens of European countries and permits stays of up to 30 days from the date of entry, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Travelers can enter through international road and rail border crossing points.
The arrangement began on 15 April 2022 for Lithuanian and Latvian citizens, as well as people holding Latvian non-citizen status. Poland joined on 1 July 2022. A further expansion followed on 19 July 2024, adding 35 countries.
Those additional countries account for 96,018 visits since that expansion. The figure is separate from the broader running totals for the waiver’s original participants.
Since the program launched, 1,458,923 European residents have visited Belarus. Lithuania accounts for 735,792, Latvia for 461,789 and Poland for 165,324.
The rolling counts rose through the year
The agency’s updates show how the 2026 count accumulated. The table also records the broader total since April 2022 and, where provided, the country breakdown and the count from the 35-country expansion.
| Report date | Entries since 1 January 2026 | Cumulative visits since 15 April 2022 | Lithuania | Latvia | Poland | 35 additional countries |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mid-January 2026 | over 3,000 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 27 April 2026 | 56,845 | 1,315,014 | 683,313 | 420,660 | 143,804 | — |
| 11 May 2026 | 66,690 | 1,324,859 | 686,841 | 423,844 | 145,447 | — |
| 7 July 2026 | 110,320 | 1,368,489 | 702,762 | 437,140 | 152,073 | 76,514 |
| 14 July 2026 | 116,908 | 1,375,077 | 704,862 | 439,167 | 152,960 | 78,088 |
| 3 August 2026 | 139,082 | 1,397,251 | 712,115 | 446,234 | 155,714 | 83,188 |
| August 2026, date unspecified | more than 153,000 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 10 August 2026 | more than 146,000 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 7 September 2026 | 169,338 | 1,427,507 | 722,213 | 454,336 | 160,085 | 90,873 |
| 5 October 2026 | 189,836 | 1,448,004 | 730,969 | 459,237 | 163,560 | 94,238 |
| 12 October 2026 | 195,057 | 1,453,226 | 733,358 | 460,337 | 164,461 | 95,070 |
The agency’s website has a dedicated section on the waiver. Denis Glebko, official representative of the Polotsk Border Guard Detachment, also pointed travelers to a mobile app called “Border of Belarus,” saying it answers questions about crossing under the arrangement.
Travelers describe visits for care and safety
Medical tourism is one reason visitors make the trip. Nearly 800 visa-free tourists visit the Lepel Military Sanatorium each year, with the largest number coming from Latvia, said Svetlana Golubeva, head of the sanatorium department.
“Latvians come because it's close and affordable. We have a rich medical base with unique procedures. There are people who come back every year, sometimes twice a year”
A Latvian visitor described Belarus as green and expansive, and said people and police were friendly. The visitor also spoke about feeling safe, particularly for a daughter.
Another Latvian resident described seeking dental care for a child. The resident said a 6-year-old had gone half a year with a rotten tooth before the family began traveling to Belarus for treatment.
“We arrived and got treatment without any problems”
The waiver remains in place until 31 December 2026, the date set for its current extension.
