Published: 09.07.2026
Belarus approved for negotiations a draft protocol to its agreement with Russia on freedom of movement and the choice of place of stay and residence. The draft would allow citizens to obtain temporary or permanent residence authorization based on their citizenship and reduce the processing period for permanent residence applications from three months to two.
According to the source, this is still a draft protocol approved as a basis for negotiations, not a rule that has already entered into force. If adopted, it could make temporary or permanent residence authorization easier for Belarusian and Russian citizens in the other country and shorten the permanent-residence processing period. The change would primarily affect Russian citizens planning a long-term move to Belarus and Belarusians relocating to Russia. It is worth monitoring, but applications under the proposed new grounds should wait until the changes officially take effect.