Vitali Malchanau, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s Representative for Latvia and Estonia, held negotiations with the Latvian Ministry of the Interior regarding the legalization of stay for Belarusians in Latvia whose passport has either expired or is close to expiration. The issue is relevant as the regime has suspended consular services in Belarus’ diplomatic missions, while many Belarusians face persecution in case they go to the country to renew their passports.
“Unfortunately, Latvian legislation currently does not provide for alien passports. However, thanks to cooperation from the Ministry of Interior, as well as the country’s leadership, we found a solution that will protect Belarusians.
It is worth noting that this information is relevant only for those who have a Latvian residence permit and whose passport expires in less than 3 months. If your passport has already expired, the only available procedure to legalize your stay is to apply for refugee status. Read a guide on how to do this at the link.
For help in the legalization of stay in Latvia, please contact us via the Telegram bot @AskOffice_Bot or email askoffice@tsikhanouskaya.org, providing details of your case. We have to stress that each case will be considered individually”, commented Vitali Malchanau on the outcomes of the meeting.
Additional information on obtaining an alternative document to replace a Belarusian passport in other countries can be found at pashpart.org.
