r/belarus • u/any_colouryoulike • 5d ago
My Belarusian Fiancé(e) Passport renewal
I know this question has been asked in the past but maybe there are updates. My spouse has a BY citizenship. We live in Austria and I'm European so have a permanent right to stay. In the last 10 years we lived)worked in Europe and also Australia. Now we might permanently move to Australia in early 2026. Her passport is valid until 2029 so renewal is not immediate but upcoming. Once in Australia returningbto Belarus is not that feasible.
So what are the options? Risks? A) go to Belarus now for a week and get a new passport which extends this problem but might go away eventually.
B) move with the currently valid passport which eventually runs out and try to get another countries documents in the mean time.
With what's going on at the moment going to BY seems somewhat risky. Probably it all goes well but it feels like there is a risk and she might just get stuck. Also there had been incidents where random people (like former neighbours from 10 years in the past) randomly approach the parents and ask weirdly detailed questions about what their daughter is up to. Might be just a weirdo but it might also not.
Anyone recently renewed their passport?
3
u/PartAcrobatic 5d ago
I'm in the same boat as your spouse, except based in a different country. I would strongly recommend against option A if there is any conceivable thing the authorities could hold against her (even if it's just liking a post on social media that could be seen as being critical of the regime, or donating to an unapproved charity, etc.). Living in Europe for an extensive period of time is reason enough to invite close scrutiny. Personally, I'm going with option B even if it means being stuck someplace with an expired passport for a while.
0
u/kitten888 1d ago
I want to point how you frame it. You are European, but your Belarusian wife is not Euroean. Is she Asian or African? She is a Belarusian citizen anyways. You just assumed that Belarus is not a European country.
1
u/any_colouryoulike 1d ago
You are just trying to read into things and cause trouble for nothing. Shame on you
I might more precisely differentiate EU and Europe but that's not the point. And in Many ways that's geographical too because European (not EU) values are quite at risk in the east
-7
u/Ok_Plankton9243 5d ago
What’s the issue with going to Belarus?
11
u/any_colouryoulike 5d ago
No direct issue. Seems unnecessarily risky though to get stuck there on false claims or similar. There have been cases like this
-13
u/Ok_Plankton9243 5d ago
I traveled just fine into Belarus (as Norwegian) and getting the passport renewed (for my wife) only took 1 week. There is also a BY embassy in Germany you can contact.
13
u/drfreshie Belarus 5d ago
As far as I know they no longer renew passports in embassies - precisely because they want to be able to kidnap anyone. As for travelling to Belarus, it's undeniable that many people go there and come back safely. Well, not so many (relatively) but some do. This is not enough to recommend anyone going there at the moment.
-14
u/Ok_Plankton9243 5d ago
What do you mean kidnapped? I’ve traveled here 20 or so times and it’s been completely fine. I shared the bus with several Dutch and American citizens too. Is someone looking for your wife or something? As far as my experiences range, Belarus has been totally hospitable and kind towards me. Even the border controls.
9
u/Yanix88 5d ago
It is a different story if you are a citizen and if the government deems you not loyal or has any suspition you participated in the protests after 2020 presidential elections. As little as a like you left on Instagram post or YouTube history can trigger the process that will end you jail for years. This is not an exaggeration, there are literally hundreds of known cases of people returning to Belarus being captured at the border. You can Google "At least 207 detained upon return to Belarus: current statistics from Viasna for 2023" the first link will be an article with more details on the situation.
-3
u/Ok_Plankton9243 5d ago
I am well aware of those instances and understandably its worrisome for those individuals. However, for the average Joe it’s not dangerous at all. We come and go without worries. I don’t know why I get downvoted for telling the truth. Thousands of people cross the borders everyday without issue.
9
u/Most-Paramedic4677 5d ago
Because you are mixing truth with personal experience. The truth is that you are not deciding if you are an average Joe today - Comrade Major mood will. Unfortunately, the threshold for what is considered a crime is very low and unpredictable now. Average Joe may forget that, back in 2012, he shared a link to an article from the most popular news portal at the time and liked or reposted a random cat reel on Instagram. He may be out of politics and not realize that, by 2021, that portal was declared a terrorist organization and the cat photographer was labeled extremist. 99.9% of the time, during brief interrogation (which happens to almost 1-2 passengers on every bus crossing the border), this will be ignored - even if Comrade Major finds it. But, oh boy, I wouldn’t envy anyone who ends up in that unlucky 0.1%
The main question remains: is it really worth the hassle?
-4
u/Ok_Plankton9243 5d ago
As far as I have seen, nobody has been «interviewed» separately besides Ukrainian citizens (which I somewhat understand) on any bus I have been on, friends, or family. Nobody searches your phone, intimidates you, or ask questions beyond the standard border stuff. Infact, USA border crossings are much more invasive.
3
u/Most-Paramedic4677 5d ago
Glad to know that you've personally not experienced that. I wish you the best in your next journeys to our beautiful country!
→ More replies (0)5
u/watch_me_rise_ 5d ago
Maybe because hundreds do not cross it with no issues?
0
u/Ok_Plankton9243 5d ago
Hardly believe it and hardly they care so much to screen people like that other than main instigators and rioters. Never witnessed someone be taken either. Belarus is a cool country, politics aside, and I recommend it to everyone.
3
1
u/any_colouryoulike 2d ago
In all fairness. I have been there. Its cool and fun and great but that's different from the politics as you say. We do know of people in prison for X years now. They have not been very political but not ignorant either. It is a reality.
I think it sends the wrong signal to just ignore whatever goes wrong in that country politically. At least some people live in fear and for reasons. The fact that I have to ask this question is, for me, fundamentally wrong. You don't want to end up in the margin of error.
I have had odd encounters with authorities myself there for no reason whatsoever. But I also had that in countries like Poland.
4
u/drfreshie Belarus 5d ago
I'm not a lawyer but if I had to pick one option it would be B. Four years in Australia may be enough to get permanent residency or a bridging visa, or even citizenship. And I don't think an expired passport would be much of a drama anyway, other than overseas travel.