Ales Gerasimenka: Cost of Shengen visa can make 25 euro for Belarus

“Visa Free Travel Campaign: Go Europe! Go Belarus!” managed to do the work officials were unwilling to do.

Let us recall that recently European Commission has supported Belarusan civic organizations, which called for visa simplification. Jan de Chester, the head of the visa department of the Commission Directorate-General for Home Affairs, gave an answer to their appeal.

But how long we have to wait until the situation with granting visas is improved? How much will “new” Shengen cost? EuroBelarus Information Service talked about it with Ales Gerasimenka, the organizer of the appeal and the supporter of EU-Belarus mutual visa abolishment.

- Why did you choose to send the appeal, signed by all members of the Civil Coalition “Visa Free Travel Campaign: Go Europe! Go Belarus!” on the threshold of the Eastern Partnership Summit in Vilnius in November 2013?

- We believe that the chosen moment was quite favourable, as at the Summit the problem of visa simplification procedure between EU and Belarus was meant to be discussed.

- Do you think that the answer ofJan de Chester is a victory for your Coalition and for Belarusans?

- Indeed. We are very glad to hear his positive attitude towards our appeal. His support is of great importance, as he is in charge of negotiations between EU and Belarus.

- Are you sure that his answer won’t come to mere promises?

- Let me note that Belarus lacks tight connections with European Commissioners. Jan de Chester visited Belarus in 2010, and now we witness his good will to improve EU-Belarus relations; and that enhances our chances for simplified visa regime. We hope that the negotiations are positive and prompt.

- The negotiations have just started – on January 15 Belarus gave official answer to the invitation to start negotiations about simplification of visa regime. How long will the negotiations last and how soon is the signature of the agreements expected?

- It has been three years since Belarus answered the invitation. Finally, the negotiations have started, and Deputy Foreign Minister of Belarus Elena Kupchina went to Brussels. And now we are to expect some European Commissioner on a visit to our country. Basing on the experience of some countries, I will say that the signing of the agreements will take place not earlier than after nine months, but it can well be delayed to three years.

It is important to note that our appeal calls for broader use of EU Visa Code in relation to Belarus. And even without visa simplification agreement the Code presupposes simplified visa procedure, which is now possible only in some Embassies of EU countries, like Poland and Lithuania. More than 30 per cent of Shengen visas are granted free of charge. It is for almost four years that Belarus occupies the first place in the world by number of Shengen visas, which Europeans, including many Ambassadors and European officials are very proud of.

- To which extent will visa fee and the time of visa preparation be reduced?

- If we consider the experience of the countries-members of the Eastern Partnership, we’ll see that for them cost of Shengen visa makes 25 euro. Such costs will be actual if we sign the agreements with the EU.

After the agreement is signed, visa payment will be reduced for all Belarusans and abolished for some categories of citizens.

Procedure of getting short-term visas will be simplified, term of visa-issue will be declined to 10 days, and criteria for multi-visa for more than a year will be cleared out. Visa requirements will be easier, too, which results in less bureaucratic runaround. I believe that visas for people involved in culture relations with the EU will be fully abolished.

And let me speak about one more important aspect: Visa Code provides for long-term visas. Thus, Belarusans with good visa history can count on three- and five-year visas.

- Don’t you find it weird that ordinary boys and girls from your coalition are mediators between the EU and official Minsk?

- We have experience and we have established close contacts with experts from Lithuania, Ukraine, Moldova, who were involved in visa simplification procedures in their countries. It all can be of help for common people to get visas for free or cheaply and travel round Europe.

- What do you think, after the agreements about visa simplification procedures are signed, will cheating with the e-registration for visas in Polish Embassy disappear?

- We have asked European officials about this difficult situation, but they have never heard about it. I think that this problem can be solved by visa centres, similar to those which are already working in Russia and Ukraine. Of course, they charge their clients with some fee, but we all know that private companies are faster than the state.