MFA explained why a Belarusian woman was not allowed into Laos despite the visa-free regime
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Belarus explained the situation with a Belarusian woman who, at the beginning of the year, reported that border guards did not allow her into Laos, even though a visa-free agreement had been concluded between the countries prior to that.
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As reported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Laotian side officially confirmed: the agreement on visa-free travel between the countries is fully in force, and the problem was not related to border guards' "ignorance" of it or the agreement "not working."
It turned out that the woman had not one, but two passports — Belarusian and Dutch. Upon departure from Malaysia, she passed control with her Dutch document, and upon entering Laos, she presented her Belarusian passport to take advantage of the visa-free regime.
However, this contradicts immigration control rules in Laos. According to local laws, if a person uses one passport when exiting a country, they must use the same document when entering the next country. This inconsistency was precisely the reason for the refusal, and not problems with the visa-free regime itself.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Belarus emphasized that the agreement is working but requires strict adherence to the rules. Belarusians planning trips to Laos were advised to simply be careful when preparing documents to avoid similar situations.
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