Difficulties during trip from Poland to Russia via Belarus
I have an EU citizenship and I want to travel by train from Warsaw, Poland to Moscow, Russia. I know that I need both Russian and Belarussian visas, but I have heard from some people that a few months ago there were difficulties during crossing BY-RU border by train, and some people had even got entry refusal.
Has anyone heard of such problems? Is everything okay now or not?
Best Answer
Since 2020-07-01, the situation has changed, as Russia and Belarus have signed a visa agreement and should now recognise each others visas. Your Russian visa is now enough to visit or transit Belarus, and you should no longer need a separate visa. See also this answer for more details on the Russia-Belarus border.
Warning as of 2020-07-07: another source in Russian, dated 2020-07-01, states it will take several more months until it actually takes force. These sources contradict each other. Either it's already in force, or it will be soon (and as of July 2020, the 2019-2021 Coronavirus Pandemic means few travellers should make the overland EU-Belarus-Russia trip anyway).
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Is safe to travel to Belarus?
Belarus - AVOID ALL TRAVEL Avoid all travel to Belarus due to the risk of arbitrary enforcement of local laws and the armed conflict between Russia and Ukraine. The ability of the Embassy of Canada to Poland to provide consular services in Belarus is extremely limited.Can I travel from Belarus to Russia?
There is virtually no border control when traveling between Belarus and Russia, but document checks may be carried out by Russian authorities on the way from Belarus to Russia by road, as it is prohibited by Russian law for third-country nationals to enter Russia outside border control.Can Polish citizens travel to Belarus?
Belarus visa free travel!Visa-free travel is settled for the citizens of Poland for not more than 30 days. A valid national passport of the citizen of Poland or another substituting document for traveling abroad is required.Is the Belarus Russia border open?
COVID-19. All COVID restrictions for international travellers entering Belarus have been lifted. There is no longer a mandatory requirement to provide proof of vaccination or a negative PCR test result to enter the country, regardless of your COVID-19 vaccination status.Migrants freezing to death on Belarus-Poland border - BBC News
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