Cyprus's migration department said it will continue accepting applications from Belarusian citizens with expired passports, allowing them to obtain or renew residence permits provided they meet other immigration requirements, Radio Liberty reported, citing the office of the deputy minister for migration. The decision was also posted on the department's website.
A separate exception applies to children born in Cyprus to two Belarusian parents. They can obtain or renew a residence permit without a passport by presenting a birth certificate issued by Cypriot authorities. If one parent holds citizenship of another country, the child will generally need a passport issued by that country.
The question of international travel for Belarusians remains unresolved, Radio Liberty noted. A residence permit does not replace a passport or other travel document and does not solve the problem of leaving Cyprus for Belarusians without valid passports.
The deputy minister's office could not clarify whether time spent in Cyprus with such a residence permit would count toward the period required for citizenship. Journalists were referred with that question to Cyprus's Interior Ministry, which handles naturalization.
Since September 2023, Belarusian embassies and consulates have stopped issuing new passports and renewing old ones abroad following a decree by Alexander Lukashenko. Obtaining a document now requires a personal appearance in Belarus, where a person risks facing criminal prosecution. UN experts warned the decision could affect hundreds of thousands of Belarusians, especially those living in exile. For example, Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya was denied a bank account at a Polish bank because of an expired passport. In some countries, such as Spain, authorities recognize Belarusian passports even after their validity has expired.