facebook

How can a foreigner obtain a permanent residence permit in the Republic of Belarus?

In accordance with Article 53 of the Law of the Republic of Belarus No. 105-3 of 04.01.2010 "On the Legal Status of Foreign Citizens and Stateless Persons in the Republic of Belarus" (as amended and supplemented), permanent residence in the Republic of Belarus is granted to foreigners who:

- are close relatives of citizens of the Republic of Belarus permanently residing in the Republic of Belarus;
- are persons who have been granted refugee status or asylum in the Republic of Belarus;
- have the right to family reunification;
- have resided in Belarus for the last five continuous years after receiving a temporary residence permit, and for highly qualified workers - for the last three continuous years. The period of residence in the Republic of Belarus is considered continuous if the foreigner has been in the Republic of Belarus legally and has not left the Republic of Belarus, or if the foreigner has left the Republic of Belarus legally for no more than ninety days in a calendar year;
- have a basis for acquiring citizenship of the Republic of Belarus through the registration procedure;
- have previously held citizenship of the Republic of Belarus; are are workers and specialists needed by organisations of the Republic of Belarus;
- have exceptional abilities and talent or have outstanding services to the Republic of Belarus or high achievements in science, technology, culture or sport;
- are foreigners who have made investments in the territory of the Republic of Belarus in the amount of are foreigners who have made investments in the territory of the Republic of Belarus in the amount of at least fifteen thousand base units by means not prohibited by legislative acts of the Republic of Belarus;
- have the right to receive a permanent residence permit on other bases provided for by international treaties of the Republic of Belarus.

To carry out the administrative procedure (the procedure for to obtain a permanent residence permit in the Republic of Belarus is defined by subparagraph 12.7.1 of paragraph 12.7 of Chapter 12 of the List of administrative procedures carried out by state bodies and other organisations at the request of citizens, approved by Presidential Decree No. 200 of 26 April 2010 (as amended and supplemented), the foreigner must apply to the territorial unit for citizenship and migration, providing the following documents:

- statement;
- autobiography;
- a document for travelling abroad (except for persons granted refugee or asylum status in the Republic of Belarus) or a certificate confirming the identity of a foreign citizen or stateless person
 - for foreign citizens and stateless persons who do not have identity documents;
- certificate of termination of citizenship of the Republic of Belarus
 - for a person who has ceased to be a citizen of the Republic of Belarus, or of belonging to the citizenship of the Republic of Belarus 
- for a person who is not a citizen of the Republic of Belarus;
- a document for travelling abroad by a minor or any other document indicating citizenship (nationality) of a foreign state or lack thereof (except for persons granted refugee status or asylum in the Republic of Belarus);
- 4 age-appropriate color photographs of the applicant, 40x50 mm in size (on one sheet);
- a document on the presence or absence of a criminal record, issued by the competent authority of the state of citizenship and previous habitual residence not more than 6 months ago - for foreign citizens and stateless persons who have reached the age of 14;
- documents confirming the existence of grounds for obtaining permanent residence permit;
- a document confirming the legality of the foreign citizen's stay in the Republic of Belarus;
- medical certificate on the state of health, confirming the following absence of diseases included in the list of diseases that pose a threat to public health, for foreign citizens and stateless persons who have reached the age of 14;
- a document of the competent authority of the state of citizenship and/or previous habitual residence confirming that the foreign citizen or stateless person is not married (except in cases of spousal reunification), issued not more than 6 months ago, for foreign citizens and stateless persons who have reached the age of 18 and are children or adopted children of citizens of the Republic of Belarus, foreign citizens or stateless persons permanently residing in the Republic of Belarus applying for a permit;
- documents confirming the kinship of the foreign citizen or stateless person with the inviting person and the availability of sufficient housing conditions for the inviting foreign citizen or stateless person who has applied for a permanent residence permit, as well as the inviting person's legal source of income that provides him, his family members and the foreign citizen or stateless person who has applied for a permanent residence permit with the minimum subsistence level established in the Republic of Belarus;
- for foreign citizens and stateless persons applying for a permanent residence permit in individual cases of family reunification;
- a document confirming the payment of the fee (2 base units for foreign nationals and stateless persons for consideration of an application for a permanent residence permit; free of charge for foreign nationals and stateless persons under 14 years of age).

In accordance with part 6 of Article 15 of the Law of the Republic of Belarus No. 433-3 of 28.10.2008 "On the Basis of Administrative Procedures" (as amended and supplemented) - documents issued by competent authorities of foreign states, except for documents certifying the identity of a citizen, are accepted if they are legalised or apostilled, unless otherwise provided for by the legislation on administrative procedures, as well as international treaties of the Republic of Belarus.

Documents drawn up in a foreign language must be accompanied by a notarised translation into Belarusian or Russian, unless otherwise provided for by this Law and other acts of legislation on administrative procedures.

In accordance with paragraph 7 of Decision No. 144 of the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Belarus of 03.02.2006 "On Approval of the Regulations on the Procedure for Issuing Permanent Residence Permits to Foreign Citizens and Stateless Persons in the Republic of Belarus" (as amended and supplemented), a state body applying for a permanent residence permit for a foreigner, on the grounds that the foreigner is an employee or specialist needed by an organisation of the Republic of Belarus, sends a reasoned request for a permanent residence permit signed by the head of the state body.

The state body applying for a permanent residence permit for a foreigner on the grounds that the foreigner is a person who has made investments in the territory of the Republic of Belarus in the amount of at least fifteen thousand basic units by means not prohibited by legislative acts of the Republic of Belarus (types of investments and methods of their implementation in the territory of the Republic of Belarus are defined in the Law of the Republic of Belarus No. 53-3 "On Investments" dated 12.07.2013). 

For reference.
In the territory of the Republic of Belarus investments are realised as follows:
- creation of a commercial organisation;
- acquisition, creation, including through construction of real estate objects immovable property, except for the acquisition or construction by citizens of the Republic of Belarus, foreign citizens and stateless persons of residential houses, residential premises for the residence of these citizens of the Republic of Belarus, foreign citizens and stateless persons and (or) members of their families;
- Acquisition of rights to intellectual property objects;
- Acquisition of shares, stakes in the authorised capital or units in the property of a commercial organisation, including cases of increasing the authorised capital or units in the property of a commercial organization
- on the basis of concession;
- within the framework of public-private partnership;
- by other means than those prohibited by legislative acts.

Such applications must be supported by copies of documents evidencing the existence of grounds for granting a permanent residence permit to a foreigner, including evidence of professional education or work experience in a speciality, investment in the territory of the Republic of Belarus in the amount of at least fifteen thousand basic units by means not prohibited by legislative acts.

Based on the results of consideration of the application of a state body for a permanent residence permit on the grounds that the foreigner is an employee or specialist needed by the organisation of the Republic of Belarus, the decision is made by the head of the citizenship and migration division (his/her deputy) or a person acting as his/her deputy. In the absence of the head of the subdivision for citizenship and migration (his/her deputy), the decision is taken by the head of the internal affairs body.

The Office for Citizenship and Migration, after preliminary consideration of a request by a State body to issue a permanent residence permit to a foreigner on the grounds that the foreigner has made investments in the territory of the Republic of Belarus in the amount of at least 15,000 basic units by means not prohibited by the legislative acts of the Republic of Belarus, sends it to the citizenship and migration unit at the place of the foreigner's intended permanent residence in the Republic of Belarus in order to prepare materials for the issuance of a permanent residence permit.

The prepared materials are sent to the citizenship and migration department for consideration and decision-making.

The unit for citizenship and migration, the citizenship and migration department, and the Office of Citizenship and Migration examine the grounds for the granting of a permanent residence permit.

The citizenship and migration unit and the department for citizenship and migration examine the grounds on which a foreigner may be refused a permanent residence permit in Belarus.

The unit for citizenship and migration or the department for citizenship and migration that has taken the decision to issue (or refuse to issue) a permanent residence permit, notification of the decision is handed in or sent by mail no later than five days from the date of the decision to the place of temporary stay or temporary residence of the foreigner in Belarus and/or to the State body applying for a permanent residence permit.

After obtaining a permanent residence permit in the Republic of Belarus, the foreigner is documented with a biometric residence permit.

More detailed information can be obtained from the territorial subdivision on citizenship and migration or the Department of Citizenship and Migration of the Department of Internal Affairs of the Brest Regional Executive Committee at the address: 19 Vorovskogo Street, Brest, 224030 (by phone 80162537295; 80162585670).