Türkiye, Belarus Ease Visa Rules to Boost International Transport

New protocol allows drivers and crew in freight and passenger transport to stay up to 90 days within any 180-day period

By Abdullahi Yusuf

Türkiye and Belarus have taken a major step to strengthen their trade and logistics ties with the signing of a new protocol to relax visa regulations for international transport operators.

The agreement, signed on Monday by Türkiye’s Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Guclu Cem Isik and Belarusian Deputy Foreign Minister Yevgeny Shestakov, updates the existing 2013 mutual visa exemption framework.

Under the revised rules, drivers and crew members of freight vehicles, buses, aircraft, and ships engaged in international transport between the two countries will now be able to stay for up to 90 days within any 180-day period without needing a visa. This marks a significant shift from the earlier provision, which allowed a visa-free stay of 90 days within a one-year period.

Ambassador Isik described the move as a response to long-standing requests from the international transport associations of both nations, saying it would “make cross-border logistics more seamless and deepen commercial links between Türkiye and Belarus.”

The protocol is pending ratification by the legislative bodies of both countries before it comes into force. Once implemented, officials expect it to ease the movement of goods and passengers and provide a much-needed boost to bilateral trade and transport cooperation.

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