Poland goes quiet, Lithuania shuts down: where Belarusians can actually get a Schengen visa in 2025

The Lithuanian visa centre in Minsk is closed. This isn't a rumour or a temporary hiccup — Lithuania stopped issuing tourist visas to Belarusians back in 2024, and nothing has changed in 2025. So if you still have the old mental shortcut of "fly into Vilnius, connect from there" — let it go. The hub is right next door, but the visa to reach it can no longer be obtained from Minsk.

The statistics, though, will surprise many people: despite the gloomy backdrop, Belarusian citizens received nearly 528,000 Schengen visas in 2023. The refusal rate held at around 4% — several times lower than for Russian, Indian or most African-country applicants. So in principle, the Schengen zone is open to Belarusians. The question is which door to walk through.

Where appointments are actually available

Here's the practical picture for 2025. Poland remains the main working option, but a temperamental one: appointment slots in Minsk appear and vanish for weeks at a time, get snapped up within minutes, and visas are increasingly issued strictly for the stated purpose of the trip — with tickets, accommodation bookings and a clear itinerary. "Just in case, give me five years" is something Polish consular officers almost never do anymore.

Hungary, Greece, Italy and Spain are where Belarusians are actually getting appointments within reasonable timeframes in 2025. These consulates operate through visa centres in Minsk, and southern Europe is still interested in tourists. Greece and Spain are traditionally lenient: if you have a hotel and a return ticket, your chances are good. Italy scrutinises finances a little more closely, but it's far from a disaster.

Latvia and Estonia technically issue visas but are cool about it and frequently demand solid reasons — not simply "I fancy a weekend in Riga." Germany and France mean long waits and thorough scrutiny; you apply there when you specifically need that country, not just "any Schengen stamp."

The defining rule of 2025: a visa for a real trip

The old Belarusian habit of getting a multi-entry visa in advance and then travelling at will barely works anymore. Consulates read the purpose and the dates. If you apply at the Greek consulate, be prepared to actually fly to Greece — not to pop over to Barcelona "along the way." The main country of stay rule has always existed on paper, but until recently it was largely ignored. Not anymore.

A word on costs. The Schengen consular fee rose to €90 per adult in June 2024, plus the visa centre's service charge — typically another €30–40 on top. Treat that as your baseline: for a family of four, fees alone will come to nearly €500, before flights or insurance.

My advice is simple: don't chase whatever country someone in a random chat group calls "the easiest." Pick a consulate that matches your actual trip. Want the islands — go Greece or Spain. Need a ski season in the Alps — then be patient with the German or Austrian queue, because travelling on someone else's visa to a different country in 2025 is a lottery where the prize is a refusal next time around.

Belarusians can still get a Schengen visa. The pocket it goes in just has a lock on it now, and the key is an honest itinerary — not a stockpile for the future.