NATIONAL PASSPORT OF BELARUS

Why was the project for the national passport of Belarus initiated?

 

The safety of Belarusians and the protection of their interests during forced emigration is a priority of the United Transitional Cabinet of Belarus (UTC). The national passport project arose in response to the needs of Belarusians, whose lives the regime tries to complicate after relocation by forcing them to return to Belarus to renew their documents. There have been cases of Belarusians being detained when returning to Belarus to resolve such issues. Having a valid passport is critically important for legal status abroad. The situation worsened with the changes to the law on July 11, which allows the Lukashenko regime to strip Belarusians of their citizenship for so-called "extremist activity."

 

The main goal of this project is to deny the regime the ability to control Belarusians abroad and to facilitate their legalization.

What challenges have been faced?
 

The national passport of Belarus is a unique travel document project that will be issued without the involvement of official state authorities.
 

To succeed, the project needs to resolve a complex set of political, technical, and organizational issues. The political aspect is the most challenging.
 

Over the past year, Svetlana Tikhanovskaya and her team have conducted numerous negotiations and consultations with the leadership of the European Commission (EC) and various national governments. The passport design has been presented to the EC Travel Document Committee, achieving a general understanding and positive reception of the project.
 

The next stage is producing physical samples of the passport—a necessary condition for its recognition. It is expected that manufacturing the samples will take several months.

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What are the chances of recognition?

 

A complete passport sample will be presented to the EC, which will then forward it to EU member states, proposing that they consider recognizing the document according to their internal procedures.
 

Recognition by a particular country means that the passport will be accepted for border crossing, visa application, and other purposes typical of a standard passport.
 

To ensure positive recognition, the UTC will negotiate with governments. It is critically important for Belarusians living in countries where recognition will be considered to support this process through appeals to officials, politicians, experts, and media or civil society.

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Who will issue the passport?

 

The national passport of Belarus will be issued by the UTC through a network of passport centers.

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Who will be eligible for the passport?

 

After the fall of the Lukashenko regime and the restoration of democracy, the national passport of Belarus will be issued to all citizens of the Republic of Belarus. However, for security reasons, the project is currently primarily focused on Belarusians living abroad.
 

We do not recommend that those residing in Belarus apply for this passport. It is expected that the regime will label this passport as "extremist," with all the resulting consequences for its holders. Until democratic changes occur in the country, the passport will not be suitable for travel to Belarus.

 

Who designed the passport?

 

The passport design was developed by specialists from the Heraldic Council. It features national symbols and colors, as well as depictions of significant Belarusian architectural landmarks. Under ultraviolet light, a depiction of Marc Chagall’s painting Above the City appears.

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What is the Belarus national passport?

The passport will be a biometric, machine-readable document that meets all the requirements of the International Civil Aviation Organization. It will be a paper booklet with a polycarbonate data page and a passport chip embedded in the cover.

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How will the application process and issuance of the document work?
 

Applications for the passport will be accepted at offices located in countries with the largest populations of Belarusians living abroad. The possibility of organizing mobile documentation centers to visit other countries according to a defined schedule is being considered.
 

The data collection process will involve a standard documentation procedure (filling out an application form, photographing, and collecting biometric data).
 

The passport will be issued at the same place where the application was submitted or by mail (if possible). Passports of the Republic of Belarus from 1996 and the biometric passports from 2021 will not be confiscated to preserve the ability for citizens to return to Belarus using those documents.
 

How will personal data security be guaranteed?

 

The security of passport data will be ensured in strict accordance with EU data protection legislation (General Data Protection Regulation (2016/679)) and additional internal security protocols.
 

What will the cost of the passport be?

 

The passport will be issued for a fee. The final cost will be determined after the practical stage of creating the documentation system is completed.

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Does the Belarus national passport provide any additional privileges?

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The national passport of Belarus will replace the "blue" passport for confirming citizenship and international travel. It will not serve as a substitute for national visas or a residence or work permit in EU countries. To travel, the passport holder will need to obtain visas from the respective countries, and for residence or work, appropriate permits will be required according to national laws.

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What are the prospects for the holder?

 

The main advantage for the holder of the Belarus national passport is autonomy from the regime. The legalization process in countries that recognize the passport will no longer be an issue in cases of expiration, page exhaustion, unserviceability, or loss of the passport.
 

This will be especially important for Belarusians in Ukraine, whom the regime has left without necessary consular assistance and the ability to exchange documents after the Belarusian embassy in Kyiv was closed.
 

In the first stage, the Cabinet's efforts will focus on recognition of the passport by EU member states and countries with the largest Belarusian populations, followed by discussions on visa-free regimes for holders of the Belarus national passport.