Polish embassy issued some 370,000 visas to Belarusians in January-November

The Polish embassy in Belarus issued some 370,000 Schengen and national visas to Belarusian citizens from January through November, Polish Charge d'Affaires Michal Chabros told reporters in Minsk on December 22.

The diplomat noted that the number of visa applications processed by the embassy had slightly increased year-on-year. "One in four visitors at our consular office gets a free visa. These are young people - school and university students - in the first place," he said.

The number of multi-year visas issued by Poland's consular offices in Belarus also increased year-on-year in the first 11 months of 2015, according to the charge d'affaires.

Mr. Chabros recalled that earlier this year the Polish embassy had contracted VFS Global to operate Polish visa application centers in Belarus. Such centers are to be opened in Minsk, Brest, Hrodna, Homyel, Mahilyow, Baranavichy, Lida and Pinsk.

Mr. Chabros said that the centers would be opened in mid-2016, not in the first quarter of next year as originally expected.