How Many And What Kind Of Visas Germany Issues To Belarusians: Interesting Trends

The FRG remains one of the most loyal countries in this matter.

After 2020, Germany became the leader in the number of Schengen visas for Belarusians. According to the statistics of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Federal Republic of Germany, more than 43 thousand people received them last year. But the trend is downward: visas are issued less and less, while the validity of half of them is less than a year. Waiting for the record is delayed for a year. "Deutsche Welle" investigated how many and what kind of visas are issued by the FRG embassy in Minsk and what are the prospects.

Last year, Belarusians were issued 20% fewer visas

In 2025, the FRG embassy in Minsk issued 42 thousand 763 Schengen visas of type C, which are suitable for tourism, business trips, visits to relatives and friends. For comparison, in the United Arab Emirates, the FRG issued 40,560 visas with a population of 11 million people.

If we compare with 2019, the "pre-coronavirus" year, when 35,502 visas were issued in Belarus, it turns out that now there are more of them.

But the trend is downward. A year earlier, in 2024, Germany issued 52 thousand visas to Belarusians and was number one in this respect, says the statistics of the European Commission. The top-5 included Italy (one thousand visas less), Hungary, France, Poland. That is, last year the number of visas decreased by almost 8 thousand, immediately by 20%.

"The main reason is the limited resources of consulates. After 2020, the European diplomatic missions in Minsk are working in a reduced number. The second reason is the tightening of checks, which reduces the throughput. Also, Germany is considering visas to Austria, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Belgium," comments Belarusian visa expert Anastasia Lysokovskaya.

Waiting for an appointment at the German Embassy has recently reached a year and a half. "In 2025, the situation has improved, but on average the record still took a year," the expert specifies.

"Schengen visa "for a trip" - a new reality"

"One of the main trends in recent years - a sharp decline in the number of long-term visas. In the past, it was often issued for a year or two, now it is more often for the dates of travel or for a short period of time. Schengen visa "for a trip" - a new reality", - says Anastasia Lysokovskaya. According to the expert, this trend is not separate for Belarusians, but "a pan-European one, associated with the desire of the states to control migration risks.

In this sense, the situation in the German embassy differs for Belarusians rather positively. The official 42.7 thousand visas include both multiple-entry and single-entry visas. The German Foreign Ministry told DW about the ratio: 3,919 visas in 2025 were issued for a single trip, while 38,844 visas, that is, nine out of ten, were multiple-entry. However, about 62% of the multiple-entry ones had an expiration date of less than a year.

The embassy issued 7,582 visas for one year, 4,039 for two years, 1,558 for three years, and just 467 for four years. And another 2,620 lucky people received German visas for five years.

Fewer humanitarian and more workers

The FRG embassy in Minsk in 2025 issued 1,353 visas of category D, i.e. national, among which 582 work visas, 235 visas for spousal reunification, 202 visas for late migrants, for study or immigration on Jewish lines.

Belarusians received just nine humanitarian visas last year. A year earlier, there were 35, and the largest number was in 2022 - 131 visas. In 202, Germany first suspended and then tightened the approach to their issuance.

The admission of foreign citizens on humanitarian grounds is now possible in order to protect the political interests of the Federal Republic of Germany in particularly significant individual cases, explained DW in the German Foreign Ministry. Such a decision is made by the Federal Ministry of the Interior on the basis of a request from the Foreign Ministry, and only after the Ministry of the Interior declares the admission of a particular person, the procedure of visa processing for him begins.

What will happen to visas for Belarusians next?

"With a high probability, 2026-2027 will not bring visa facilitation for Belarusians, and the sanctions policy, reduced diplomatic missions and high load on consulates will remain," said Anastasia Lysokovskaya. According to the expert, the Schengen zone for Belarusians will not close, but the rules will become tougher. "Tens of thousands of Belarusians get visas. The system works, but it requires more and more time, documents and planning," she summarizes.

Anastasia Lysokovskaya says that in recent years, the Schengen countries can be divided into several groups: "More strict - Greece, Hungary, Bulgaria, partly Poland, they more often refuse or issue visas "for a trip", there are risks of visa revocation if you use it not for its intended purpose. Stable - Germany, France, Spain, Italy, they are more loyal in issuing long visas, but the waiting period remains long".

The expert advises those who just want to travel to think about the route and choose a country "with a developed system of visa centers, a high percentage of approval and relatively fast recording time": "In practice, for Belarusians it is most often Greece, especially for one trip, Spain - with a confirmed income you can get a multi-visa. It is important to understand: it is impossible to submit documents "anywhere", it is necessary to comply with the rule of the main country of stay. But it is possible to combine them if you have a flexible itinerary.

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