The Belarus Passport Center has published a brief report on its work so far this year.
What has been done?
The activities of the Belarus Passport Center have been relocated from Lithuania. An audit was conducted, the Center’s structure was reformed, and non-essential costs were optimized. This is expected to help the project become self-sustaining in the long term, speed up administrative processes, and strengthen engagement with citizens and international partners.
A process for receiving, processing, and verifying applications through the official website has been established. The system is operating normally. Applicants have access to a support service and feedback channel.
As of September 2026, 600 documents had been issued, with more than 60 applications currently being processed.
A security audit of the passport project was conducted. No data breaches or direct threats were identified. The full protection of personal data remains a key priority. Detailed information about the new security protocols and the application process will be published before the procedure is officially launched.
Mobile biometric data collection points have been organized in Poland, Ukraine, Lithuania, and the United States. Outreach sessions are also being held in other EU countries where Belarusians live.
The Belarus Passport Center assisted in receiving several groups of released political prisoners. The Center provided premises where they could receive assistance from the Red Cross and Belarusian human rights organizations.
Document holders were able to participate in the Coordination Council election. They also have access to the digital infrastructure of Belarus’s democratic forces.
A remote biometric data collection project is being developed. Its goal is to make obtaining the document safer and as accessible as possible for Belarusians in different countries. Currently, biometric data must be provided in person at the Passport Center or at a mobile collection point. This often requires significant time and financial resources, especially in countries and regions with small Belarusian communities.
With the involvement of international experts in identity documents, the project’s prospects were assessed and a draft roadmap for the document’s international recognition was developed.
Seeking partners
The New Belarusian Passport project is open to cooperation and expanding its presence in different countries.
We are looking for diaspora organizations and Belarusian communities that can help organize mobile biometric data collection points and inform Belarusians about them.
We are also open to cooperation with human rights and legal organizations, technology companies, and partners willing to provide financial support to the project.
Every potential partner undergoes mandatory vetting. Trust and security remain the project’s core principles.
If your organization is interested in cooperating with the Belarus Passport Center, please send your proposal to info@belarus-passport.com.
What is the New Belarusian Passport?
The New Belarusian Passport project was launched in response to the needs of Belarusians following the regime’s adoption of the so-called “passport decree”, which prevented citizens from renewing Belarusian documents abroad, as well as amid growing transnational repression.
The document is intended to help preserve and protect the agency of Belarusians and Belarusian society, reduce citizens’ dependence on the regime, and, in the long term, address practical problems faced by Belarusians in exile.
Our goal is to create a document that confirms a person’s identity and Belarusian citizenship and that, in the future, could become an internationally recognized travel document.
The passport is available in physical and electronic forms, contains a biometric component, and has been developed in accordance with the standards of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) applicable to international travel documents.
The document is currently issued to Belarusians living abroad who hold a valid or expired passport of the Republic of Belarus, as well as a residence permit or another document confirming the legality of their stay in the relevant country. Applications have been accepted since February 2025.
The document currently serves as an additional means of confirming identity and Belarusian citizenship and does not have the legal status of a passport issued by a state. Each document contains a unique personal identification number from the holder’s passport of the Republic of Belarus, along with key biometric data. This allows organizations and institutions in third countries to verify the holder’s identity. Each recipient of the document also undergoes a basic verification procedure.
The New Belarusian Passport does not replace documents issued by the country of residence, does not waive visa requirements, and currently does not provide any special rights or privileges.
It can be used to access the digital infrastructure of Belarus’s democratic forces, in the New Belarus and Three Slany digital projects, as well as to participate in voting, including elections to the Coordination Council.
