Is the Belarus-Russia visa recognition into force yet, or do I still need a Belarus transit visa?
A Belarusfeed article from December 2018 notes:
Once the Belarus-Russia visa recognition agreement comes into force, foreigners won’t need two visas to stay in Belarus and Russia.
Belarus and Russia fully agreed on a draft intergovernmental agreement on the mutual recognition of visas on Friday, 30 November [2018].
(...)
The Belarusian side expects the mutual recognition of visas to come into force by May [2019].
However, the official website of the Republic of Belarus noted in April 2019:
BelTA reported earlier that Belarus and Russia were supposed to sign the mutual visa recognition agreement at a session of the Council of Ministers of the Union State of Belarus and Russia in Brest in December 2018. However, Belarus had failed to complete all the necessary intrastate procedures in time for the session.
which implies it is not yet in force for May 2019.
What is the current situation? Do I still need a Belarus transit visa when taking the train between Poland and Russia?
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Do I need a transit visa for Belarus?
You don't need a visa to transit Belarus by air, but the maximum period you can transit and remain airside is 24 hours. You must get a transit visa in all other circumstances including if you are travelling by train on any regional rail routes, should these be open for travel.Can I travel Belarus on Russia visa?
No,Russian visa does not allow to visit Belarus.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 I transit through Russia?
Transit Visas are issued to US citizens, foreign nationals, and stateless persons traveling to another country by way of the Russian Federation. Transit visas are issued for up to 10 days when traveling by car or train, and for 3 days by plane.Free Entry of European Country - Belarus, Russia sign agreement on Visas
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