New code in national visas will serve to protect Pole Card holders
On January 16, a Regulation of the Minister of Internal Affairs and Administration amending a regulation on visas for foreigners was published in the Journal of Laws. According to the new regulation, visa stickers of foreigners who obtain visas to exercise their rights under the Pole Card will bear code "23" instead of code "18", which was previously applicable in such cases.
According to the justification of this change, the regulation amendment addresses a perceived increase in the intensity of repression by Belarusian authorities against citizens of Belarus who are holders of the Pole Card. In turn, code "23" in the visa stickers (covering a list of other purposes of stay not specified in the Law on Foreigners) will limit the ability of Belarusian authorities to identify that holders of these visas are also holders of a valid Pole Card.