U.S. Embassy in Minsk suspends visa services


The consular section of the U.S. Embassy in Minsk has stopped providing visa services due to lack of personnel, reports the embassy press service on Facebook.

It is a result of the diplomatic mission staff reduction made at the request of the Belarusian authorities.

U.S. Embassy in Belarus.
Photo: Reuters

“As a result of an acute shortage of personnel due to the forced downsizing of the U.S. Embassy in Minsk, the consular department has suspended all visa services starting from February 15 and offers only emergency services,” reads the statement.

Emergency services include U.S. passports and consular birth certificates issued abroad.

The U.S. Embassy will continue to provide services under current conditions and regrets that actions by Belarusian authorities have limited the availability of consular services:

“We encourage persons seeking visa services to make appointments at neighboring U.S. embassies and consulates, and we regret the inconvenience. Please be aware that processing times may be longer than usual.”

All requests for services for U.S. citizens should now be sent to ConsularMinsk@state.gov.

In January 2022, information emerged about the threat of closing the U.S. Embassy in Minsk. It was due to the pressure from the Belarusian authorities on the diplomatic mission’s staff to shrink considerably. On February 1, the U.S. Department of State ordered the families of U.S. diplomats to leave Belarus due to the possible escalation of tensions around Ukraine.

belsat.eu

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