In case of extension, the duration of visa-free stay in Belarus may be prolonged to 12-14 days, the Foreign Ministry spokesman Dmitry Mironchik said during an online conference on 15 February.
The official added that MFA had initially advocated for a longer term.
However, for visa-free stay to be longer than 5 days, changes in the existing legislation would be required, Dmitry Mironchik explained. The process would have to involve the Parliament, and the decision would not have been made so quickly.
“It was high time to introduce it. So we decided to make this half-step in order to assess the effect”, the ministry’s spokesman said.
5-day visa-free entry to Belarus started to operate on 12 February. About 500 foreign nationals have already used the opportunity to visit Belarus without a visa.