Temporary restrictions on border crossings have been introduced due to coronavirus

Photo by the State Border Committee

Lithuania

Lithuania, from 0.00 on March 16, is introducing a ban on entry into the country for most foreigners, with the exception of truck drivers, family members of Lithuanian citizens, persons with residence and work permits in the country, and diplomats. Residents of foreign countries, including citizens of Belarus, will be provided with a "humanitarian corridor" for three days for transit to their homeland through the territory of Lithuania. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Belarus informed about this on its Facebook page.

In particular, it will be possible to cross the territory of Lithuania in transit to return to their countries from March 16 to March 18 inclusive. From 0.00 on March 19, entry into the territory of Lithuania will be prohibited.

"The number of border crossing points for crossing the state border will be reduced. Currently, the operation of the Medininkai - Kamenny Log and Raigardas - Privalka checkpoints in the normal mode is confirmed," the message also states. "We strongly recommend all citizens of Belarus wishing to return home to do so before 0.00 on March 19."

Belarusians currently in Lithuania or planning to cross it in transit are asked to calculate their travel routes in advance and take care of purchasing tickets in advance. Also, monitor changes in the situation with the schedule of available transport for departure.

"Belavia airline has confirmed the possibility of booking seats on flights on the Vilnius-Minsk route for March 15, 16, 17, 19, and 20, 2020," the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Belarus advises compatriots.

Belarusians planning to leave Lithuania from March 16 to March 30 must register by sending the following information to the email address khmyl@mfa.gov.by with the subject line "Emergency Departure": surname, name, patronymic, date of birth, expected dates and method of departure.

For additional questions, please contact the embassy by emergency phone numbers: +370 699 59 434, +370 695 41 778, +370 600 16 244.

Citizens of Belarus are advised to be very attentive to

their health, not to neglect preventive protection and hygiene measures and the recommendations of Lithuanian healthcare organizations. In case of the slightest symptoms of illness or after contact with a probable coronavirus carrier, one should contact Lithuanian medical institutions and the hotline 1808.

Ukraine

From 00:01 on March 16, Kyiv time, for two weeks, foreigners and stateless persons will not be allowed to cross the state border of Ukraine, including for transit purposes. The ban on crossing the border will not apply to employees of diplomatic missions, consular offices and representative offices of international organizations accredited in Ukraine, their family members, as well as citizens who have a permanent or temporary residence permit in Ukraine.

Poland

From 00:00 on March 15, Polish time, Poland's borders will be closed to foreign citizens for 10 days (with the possibility of extension). International air and rail traffic, including transit, will be suspended. The processing of foreign citizens at the Polish border crossing points in "Białowieża" (from the Belarusian side "Pererov"), "Czeremcha" ("Wysokolitovsk"), "Połowce" ("Peschatka"), "Sławatycze" ("Domačevo") and "Rudawka" ("Lesnaya") will be suspended.

Crossing the border at the Polish road border crossing points "Terespol" ("Brest Avtodorozhny"), "Kukuryki" ("Kozlovichi"), "Kuźnica Białostocka" ("Bruzgi"), "Bobrowniki" ("Berestovitsa"), as well as railway crossing points - "Terespol" ("Brest Railway"), "Siemianówka" ("Svislach") at the Svislach railway station, "Kuźnica Białostocka" ("Grodno") at the Grodno and Bruzgi railway stations for entry into Poland will be allowed for: citizens of Poland, those who are spouses or children of Polish citizens or are under their care, persons holding a Pole's Card, heads of diplomatic missions and staff of diplomatic and consular offices, as well as their family members, citizens with the right of permanent or temporary residence in Poland, as well as drivers of vehicles for the transportation of goods.

Restrictions on crossing the border with Ukraine and Poland will be in effect until further notice. The State Border Committee recommends taking this information into account when planning trips.

At the same time, the aforementioned measures in neighboring countries do not restrict the departure of Belarusian citizens from them. For those who planned to return to their homeland in transit through these countries, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Belarus recommends acting in accordance with the specific situation and seeking alternative options. Those who find themselves in a situation where they cannot return home should report themselves to the relevant foreign institutions of Belarus or to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

"The situation is not static. In this regard, we additionally ask citizens planning foreign trips to contact the relevant diplomatic missions or consular offices of these countries for detailed information on the nature and duration of the restrictions. Up-to-date information will be posted as it becomes available, including on the websites of Belarusian diplomatic missions in foreign countries," - added the foreign policy department.

Emergency contact numbers for Belarusian embassies in neighboring countries: 

  • Poland - +48 694 459 554
  • Lithuania - +370 699 59 434
  • Latvia - +371 6 732 53 21
  • Ukraine - +38 050 406 23 30
  • Estonia - +372 580 14 707
  • Russia - + 7 495 777 66 44

 Railway communication is suspended

Lithuania

Suspensions of railway traffic continue in

in connection with the situation caused by the coronavirus COVID-19. The following trains are cancelled and will not run temporarily: train №801/802 Minsk-Vilnius (departing from March 21); trains №804/803 and №808/807 Vilnius-Minsk (from March 16); train №805/806 Minsk-Vilnius (from March 16); train №809/810 Minsk-Vilnius (from April 27), as well as a through carriage Gomel-Kaliningrad in trains №301/359-360/100 departing from Gomel from June 5, from Kaliningrad - from June 6.

International trains formed by JSC "Russian Railways" will follow transit through the territory of Lithuania without passenger boarding and disembarking at Kena, Vilnius, Kibartai stations. This procedure will affect trains: №30/29 Kaliningrad-Moscow departing from Kaliningrad from March 16, from Moscow - from March 15; №80/79 Kaliningrad-Saint Petersburg departing from Kaliningrad from March 17, from Saint Petersburg - from March 15; №360/359 Kaliningrad-Adler departing from Kaliningrad from March 16, from Adler - from March 15; №148/147 Kaliningrad-Moscow departing from Kaliningrad from April 23, from Moscow - from April 24; №426/425 Kaliningrad-Chelyabinsk departing from Kaliningrad from May 25, from Chelyabinsk - from May 28.

Latvia

Train №31/32 Kyiv-Riga departing from Kyiv from March 16, from Riga - from March 17, as well as attached carriages Minsk-Riga, running in trains №31/32 departing from Minsk and Riga from March 17; train №87/88 Minsk-Riga departing from Minsk from March 18, from Riga - from March 19 are cancelled and will not run temporarily.

Ukraine

In connection with the situation caused by the coronavirus COVID-19, Ukraine has decided to close international railway traffic. Based on this, the operation of some trains, through and attached carriages is temporarily suspended, as reported by the press center of Belarusian Railway.

These include the following trains: №32/31 Kyiv-Riga, as well as attached carriage Minsk-Riga; №53/54 Kyiv/Kharkiv-Saint Petersburg; №86/85 Minsk-Kyiv; №94/93 Minsk-Odesa; №100/99 Minsk-Zaporizhzhia, as well as through carriages Minsk-Chisinau; №361/362 Chisinau-Saint Petersburg, as well as through carriages Grodno-Saint Petersburg; №371/372 Mogilev-Lviv, as well as

Baranovichi-Lviv and Minsk-Mogilev; №856/855 Gomel-Snodsk.

Also, more than a dozen trains and carriages will be cancelled and will temporarily not run. In particular, train №31/32 Kyiv-Riga departing from Kyiv from March 16, from Riga - from March 17, as well as the attached carriage Minsk-Riga, departing from Minsk and Riga on March 17. Train №54/53 Kyiv/Kharkiv-Saint Petersburg departing from Kyiv and Kharkiv from March 15, departing from Saint Petersburg - from March 16; train №86/85 Minsk-Kyiv departing from Minsk from March 15, from Kyiv - from March 16; train №94/93 Minsk-Odessa departing from Minsk from March 17, from Odessa - from March 18 are cancelled.

Train №100/99 Minsk-Zaporizhzhia departing from Minsk from March 16, departing from Zaporizhzhia - from March 17; trains №856/855 Gomel-Snodsk-Gomel departing from Gomel and Snodsk from March 21; train №361/362 Chisinau-Saint Petersburg, departing from Chisinau from March 15, from Saint Petersburg - from March 17 will not run.

In addition, through carriages are cancelled: in the Grodno-Saint Petersburg service, running in trains №26/362 departing from Grodno from March 16; in the Grodno-Saint Petersburg service, running in trains №83/7/25 departing from Saint Petersburg from March 17; in the Minsk-Chisinau service, running in trains №100/362 departing from Minsk from March 16; in the Chisinau-Minsk service, running in trains №361/99 departing from Chisinau from March 17.

International line train №371 Mogilev-Lviv departing from Mogilev on March 15 will run to Horyn station and on March 16 will depart back on the Horyn-Mogilev route. Further, train №371/372 Mogilev-Lviv-Mogilev is cancelled and will temporarily not run. In turn, the attached carriage Baranovichi-Lviv departing from Baranovichi from March 15 and departing from Lviv from March 16 is cancelled.

Poland

Trains №126/125 and 128/127 Brest-Warsaw-Brest, train №304/303 Krakow-Grodno, trains №119/120, 121/122 and 123/124 Brest-Terespol-Brest are cancelled and will temporarily not run from March 15.

 

    • Unused travel documents for cancelled trains can be returned at ticket offices without additional fees or charges - upon presentation of tickets.
    • Payments for electronic tickets can be refunded through the online resource where the travel document was purchased. The deadlines for returning travel documents are not limited.
    • Passengers are asked to treat the current situation with understanding and to carefully monitor changes in the train schedule. The resumption of service will be announced additionally.
    • More detailed information about the train schedule can be obtained on the website www.rw.by, as well as at railway ticket offices and by calling the Contact Center of Belarusian Railway at 105.

    According to materials from BELTA.