The Government of Belarus has decided to waive on-arrival visa fees for Sri Lankan students travelling to the country for the first time to pursue higher education, the Daily Mirror reported on Sunday.
The decision follows the official visit to Belarus by Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism Vijitha Herath in May 2026.
Separately, steps have been initiated to simplify visa application procedures for family members wishing to visit Sri Lankan students currently studying in Belarus.
The measures are expected to provide financial relief to Sri Lankan students seeking higher education in Belarus, and to make it easier for their families to visit them.
Not reported
The filing does not say what the on-arrival visa fee was, when the waiver takes effect, or how many Sri Lankan students currently study in Belarus. It does not say whether the waiver covers only the first entry or the full duration of a course, nor what “first-time” excludes — whether a student who has previously visited Belarus on any visa would be ineligible.
It does not say what the simplified family visa procedure will involve or when it will be in place, and it carries no comment from the Belarusian side or from Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Education. It does not name the Sri Lankan or Belarusian officials who agreed the measure, or say through what instrument it was agreed.
Single source. The Daily Mirror filed at 8.55 a.m. Colombo time on Sunday under reporter Darshana Sanjeewa Balasuriya, and was the only verified newsroom carrying the story at the time of writing. Neither the Hiru nor the NewsFirst rails carried an item on it. Ada Derana could not be checked — adaderana.lk has returned an HTTP 403 block to this desk for some 63 consecutive days.
