View source for Belarusian passport

{{Short description|Passport of the Republic of Belarus issued to Belarusian citizens}}
{{Infobox Identity document
| document_name       = Belarusian passport
| image               = Belarus biometric passport cover 01.png
| image_caption       = The front cover of a contemporary Belarusian [[biometric passport]] [[File:EPassport logo.svg|20px]] | image2 = 
| image_caption2 = The polycarbonate data page of the current Belarusian [[biometric passport]] [[File:EPassport logo.svg|20px]]
| date_first_issued   = 1996<br />2006 (updated)<br/>2021 (biometric)
| using_jurisdiction  = {{flag|Belarus}}
| valid_jurisdictions = 
| document_type       = [[Passport]]
| purpose             = Identification
| eligibility         = [[Belarusian nationality law|Belarusian citizenship]]
| expiration          = 10 years
}}
A '''Belarusian passport''' ({{langx|be|беларускі пашпарт|biełaruski pašpart}}; {{langx|ru|белорусский паспорт|belorusskiy pasport}}) is issued to [[Belarusian citizenship|citizens of Belarus]] and is used for both external and internal travel. Unlike [[Russian Federation|Russia]], there are no [[internal passport]]s in Belarus. Passports are issued by the [[Ministry of Internal Affairs (Belarus)|Ministry of Internal Affairs]] in Belarus and by the [[Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Belarus)|Ministry of Foreign Affairs]] to citizens who live abroad.

"AB" series passports are assigned to [[Brest Region]],
"BM" series passports - [[Vitebsk Region]],
"HB" series passports - [[Gomel Region]],
"KH" series passports - [[Grodno Region]],
"MP" series passports - [[Minsk]] city,
"MC" series passports - [[Minsk Region]],
"KB" series passports - [[Mogilev Region]],
"PP" series passports are assigned to the [[Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Belarus)|Ministry of Foreign Affairs]].

Passports can be issued to citizens at any age. Upon turning 14, every citizen is encouraged{{vague|date=September 2024}} to obtain a passport. Belarusian passports have blue covers.

Article 14 of the "Treaty on the Union between Belarus and Russia" expects the future introduction of identity documents of the [[Union State]].

==History==
Until [[Belarus]] established its independence, [[Passport system in the Soviet Union|Soviet passports]] were used. In spite of the fact that  [[Byelorussian SSR]] citizenship (like citizenship of all other soviet republics) was recognised by the [[USSR]], Soviet passports never mentioned [[Byelorussian SSR]] citizenship. Soviet passports issued by the [[Ministry of Internal Affairs]] in the [[Byelorussian SSR]] (as well as [[birth certificate]]s) had records in both Belarusian and Russian.
<gallery>
File:Passport_of_BNR.jpg|1918
File:Belarusian_Passport_(cover).jpg|1991-1995
File:Belarusian_Passport.jpg|1991-1995
</gallery>

<gallery caption="2006 passport">
File:Пашпарт._Рэспубліка_Беларусь._2001.jpg|Cover
File:Пашпарт. Рэспубліка Беларусь. 2009. 1.jpg|First pages of a passport containing coat of arms and the words "Passport of a citizen of the Republic of Belarus" in Belarusian, Russian and English.
File:Bel-passport3.jpg|Pages 30-31 of a passport with records in Belarusian and Russian (surname, name, patronymic name, date of birth, personal number, place of birth, date of issue, date of expiry and issuing authority).
File:Bel-passportl.jpg|Last pages of a passport.
File:Page 29 of Belarusian passport with foreign travel permission stamps.png|Page 29 of a passport with two foreign travel permission stamps.
</gallery>

<gallery caption="2021 biometric passport">
Belarus Passport.svg|Cover
Belarus biometric passport 02.png|First page
Belarus biometric passport 04.png|Page with personal info
Belarus biometric passport 08.png|Pages 6-7
Belarus biometric passport 15.png|Pages 20-21
Biodata card of Belarus passport under UV light.jpg|Integrated biodata card under UV light
Page 1 of Belarus passport under UV light.jpg|Page 1 under UV light
Page 17 of Belarus passport under UV light.jpg|Page 17 under UV light
</gallery>

==Information==
A Belarusian passport contains the following information, printed in Belarusian, Russian and [[English language|English]]:

* Given name, surname and patronymic name (the latter only in Belarusian and Russian)
* [[Date of birth]]
* Identification number
* [[Sex]]
* Place of birth 
* Date of issue
* Date of expiry
* Authority 
* Holder's signature
* Signature of the authority issuing the Passport
* Code of issuing state (BLR)
* Official seal 
* Place of residence
* [[Visa (document)|Visa]]s (if any)
* Consular stamps (for those who live abroad)
* Information about children under 16 (if any)
* Information regarding marital status and the spouse's details (if any)

==Moving abroad permission stamps==
Before 1 January 2008, Belarusian citizens had to apply for permission stamps in their passports in order to cross Belarusian borders. Permission stamps were given if there were no specific legal restrictions for their moving abroad.

In 2002, the [[Constitutional Court of Belarus]] stated in its decision that permission stamps were not constitutional.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://ncpi.gov.by/ConstSud/rus/resh/z146.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060105000458/http://ncpi.gov.by/ConstSud/rus/resh/z146.html|archive-date=2006-01-05|title=Constitutional Court decision on permission stamps}}</ref> The Council of Ministers was ordered to propose a different kind of a citizen border control by 31 December 2005.

By a Presidential decree issued on 17 December 2007, permission stamps were finally abolished.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.president.gov.by/press49177.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080118103437/http://www.president.gov.by/press49177.html#doc|archive-date=2008-01-18|title=Presidential Decree abolishing permission stamps}}</ref>

==Visa requirements==
{{main|Visa requirements for Belarusian citizens}}
[[File:Visa Requirements for Belarusian Citizens.svg|400px|thumb|{{main|Visa requirements for Belarusian citizens}}
{{legend|#002377|Belarus}}
{{legend|#1191E5|Free movement ([[Union State]])}}
{{legend|#22B14C|Visa free access}}
{{legend|#B5E61D|Visa on arrival}}
{{legend|#61C7A1|[[eVisa]]}}
{{legend|#79D343|Visa available both on arrival or online}}
{{legend|#ABABAB|Visa required prior to arrival}}]]
As of 6 May 2025, Belarusian citizens had visa-free or visa on arrival access to 81 countries and territories, ranking the Belarusian passport 62nd in terms of travel freedom according to the [[Visa (document)#Visa restrictions|Henley Passport Index]].<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.henleyglobal.com/passport-index/ranking | title=Global Passport Ranking}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[Belarusian citizenship]]
* [[Visa policy of Belarus]]
* [[Visa requirements for Belarusian citizens]]
* [[New Belarus passport project]]

==External links==
{{commons category|Passports of Belarus}}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20110228181115/http://gpk.gov.by/border/crossing/foreign_nationals.php Government page with comments on visa regime with other countries]

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}
<br/>{{Belarus topics}}
{{Passports}}

<!--Categories-->
[[Category:Passports by country|Belarus]]
[[Category:Foreign relations of Belarus|Passport]]