An information campaign has begun in the Vitebsk region in connection with new EU entry rules

Specialists are conducting explanatory work through the media, meeting with work collectives, and actively responding to citizens' calls. As noted by Tatyana Romashova, Head of the Citizenship and Migration Department of the Internal Affairs Directorate of the Vitebsk Regional Executive Committee, the number of questions is quite large, which allows us to conclude that many passports will be submitted for exchange. In this regard, passport officers ask everyone who intends to travel to EU countries to pay attention to their main identity document and exchange it in advance if necessary.

February 19, Vitebsk / Diana Kurilo - BELTA/. Citizenship and Migration Services of the Vitebsk region have launched an information campaign in connection with the new rules for entering European Union countries, Tatyana Romashova, Head of the Citizenship and Migration Department of the Internal Affairs Directorate of the Vitebsk Regional Executive Committee, told a BELTA correspondent.

Specialists are conducting explanatory work through the media, meeting with work collectives, and actively responding to citizens' calls. As Tatyana Romashova noted, the number of questions is quite large, which allows us to conclude that many passports will be submitted for exchange. In this regard, passport officers ask everyone who intends to travel to EU countries to pay attention to their main identity document and exchange it in advance if necessary. Moreover, traditionally, from March, there is an influx of 16-year-old citizens who are getting a passport for the first time and are eager to do so by the time they register for centralized testing. Meanwhile, there will be no increase in staff or additional technical support in the citizenship and migration departments.

Currently, in the Vitebsk region, a passport can be obtained or exchanged within one to one and a half weeks, although legislation defines a longer period for issuing the document - up to one month. In 2009, the region's citizenship and migration services issued 84.2 thousand passports.

As BELTA previously reported, the new Visa Code of the European Union comes into force on April 5, 2010. According to Art. 12 of this document, citizens of Belarus will have to enter the EU with passports containing at least two blank pages. The passport's validity must not expire earlier than three months after the intended date of departure from the EU. If a citizen has obtained a visa for multiple entries, the validity must not expire earlier than three months after the last intended date of departure from the territory of an EU Member State. The passport must also have been issued no more than 10 years ago. -0-