Summer is the season of long-awaited vacations. You want to finish all urgent tasks at work as soon as possible, pack your suitcase and fly towards the sea and the sun. Get ready for your trip so that you don't have to think about anything but relaxation while traveling.

Here are some simple and effective rules that might help you.

1. Find out at the Department of Citizenship and Migration whether you are included in the database of citizens of the Republic of Belarus whose right to leave the Republic of Belarus is temporarily restricted.

Recently, there have been more cases when Belarusian citizens find out at the border or at the airport that they are prohibited from leaving the country. You need to come to the Department of Citizenship and Migration of the Ministry of Internal Affairs with your passport and make a request (it is impossible to get such information by phone or email). You will receive a response in a few minutes, a specialist will issue you a certificate. However, it is valid at the time of receipt, since the database is updated daily. Perhaps at the time of your appeal you were not on the list of those whose exit is restricted, but while you were driving to the border, your surname appeared on the list, which means the border guards will stamp your passport with "Exit denied".

2. Check your documents.

Before leaving for abroad, you should first check whether all the necessary documents are properly prepared.

- Passport. According to the legislation of a number of countries, the passport must be valid for at least 6 months after returning home from the trip. The passport should not have any damage, stains or посторонних records.

- Having visas to countries with which a visa regime for entry has been established. Please note that with a "Schengen visa" you must first enter the country that issued the visa, and only after that you can travel around the "Schengen area". It should be taken into account that a visa issued by one of the Schengen countries gives the right to enter and stay on the territory of all countries included in the Schengen zone. For Belarusian citizens, some countries provide entry to their territory without a visa, or it is put at the airport when you arrive in this country. You can find the list of visa-free countries on the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Belarus http://mfa.gov.by/visa/freemove/ by going to "Visas and Consular Issues", then to "Visa-Free Travel".

- Health insurance. Pay special attention to obtaining health insurance. When receiving the policy, make sure you clearly understand what medical services are covered by your insurance in the host country and how they are paid for. Negligence in obtaining health insurance can result in large expenses in case of illness or accident.

3. Having useful addresses and phone numbers in case of unforeseen situations (Embassy (Consulate) of the Republic of Belarus in the destination country; hotline for safe travel and stay abroad +375162218888).

What do you need to know about the departure of minor children abroad?

First, a minor (under 18 years of age) traveling outside the Republic of Belarus must have a passport regardless of age. Second, a completed consent form for the minor's departure from the Republic of Belarus must be presented to the staff of the State Border Committee at the border.

When is this document required?

- with relatives (grandmother, grandfather, aunt, uncle, brother, sister), acquaintances, etc. – consent of both parents is required;
- with mom or dad, then the consent of the second parent is not needed (if the child is not listed in the parent's passport, it is necessary to provide the child's birth certificate at the border to confirm the family relationship with the child);
- as part of an organized group of children (excursion, vacation, etc., but not for recuperation) – consent of both parents is required;
- as part of an organized group of children for recuperation – consent of either mom or dad is required.

To avoid re-issuing consent for the child's departure, parents can issue consent once for any country in the world until the child reaches adulthood.

It is important that such written consent of the legal representative for the departure of a minor from Belarus must be certified by a notary or in the department of citizenship and migration of the internal affairs body at the place of residence of the legal representative or the child.

If an orphan child or a child left without parental care is traveling abroad accompanied by guardians or without their accompaniment but with their written consent for the minor's departure, the following documents must be provided:

- a copy of the order from the local education department (office) regarding permission for a minor to travel for a specified period (the copy is certified with the seal and signature of the head of the local education department);
- an extract from the decision of the local executive and administrative body granting a minor the status of an orphan or a child left without parental care (the extract is stamped by the issuing authority)

The departure of minors from the Republic of Belarus for health improvement, sanatorium-resort treatment, or medical care is regulated by Article 14 of the Law of September 20, 2009, No. 49-Z "On the Procedure for Departure from the Republic of Belarus and Entry into the Republic of Belarus for Citizens of the Republic of Belarus".

- In case of unforeseen situations involving detention by local law enforcement, threats from others, traffic accidents, etc., you should immediately report this to the embassy or consular office of the Republic of Belarus or to the relevant consular offices of the Russian Federation.

- Take precautions to avoid theft of documents, money, and valuables (if possible, use the safe at the hotel to store valuables). If you lose (or have your) passport stolen, you must report it to the police with a statement of theft or loss. They will issue you a certificate of passport loss, then you must contact the nearest embassy or consular office of the Republic of Belarus or the relevant consular offices of the Russian Federation to apply for a Return Certificate to the Republic of Belarus. To apply for the certificate, you will need: 2 color photographs (3.4 x 4.5 cm), 20 euros for the consular fee, and preferably a copy of your passport, which will help the embassy staff to quickly establish your identity.

- If you take credit/debit cards with you, write down the support phone numbers of the issuing banks separately. In case of loss/theft of the cards, immediately call the support service to block them.

- if you don't know the language of the country you are visiting, have a phrasebook or dictionary with you;
- follow the rules of conduct and laws of the country you are visiting;
- to prevent infection, find out which infections are reported among the residents of the country where you are going to rest (for example, yellow fever), and get preventive vaccinations before you leave;
- make sure you have enough money, a driver's license (if you plan to rent a car), return tickets, and other documents that will help you return to the Republic of Belarus without any problems. Make a copy of your passport and keep it separate from the original;
- in the Republic of Belarus, open roaming or buy a card for calling home as soon as you arrive in the destination country to stay in constant contact with your family;
- leave your exact address of your planned stay abroad at home;
- agree with your family on a code phrase that will indicate that something has happened to you and you need help;
- find out the phone number and address of the nearest embassy or consular office of the Republic of Belarus to your holiday destination;
- before you go, put together and take a first aid kit with you;
- remember that you must leave the country before your visa expires, otherwise you may be arrested and expelled from the country;
- during a tourist trip, you do not have the right to paid work;
- be sure to contact the hotline of the NGO "Club of Business Women" for information on safe travel and stay abroad before you go:
a) 8-801-201-5555 from landline phones, mobile operators A1, MTC call is free;
b) 113, free calls without codes from landline phones (administered by the NGO "Club of Business Women" and the ICNGO "Gender Perspectives").
The hotline is open from 08-00 to 20-00 without weekends;

Travel safely and enjoy!

Wishes for you from the staff of the hotline for safe travel and stay abroad of the NGO "Club of Business Women" (Brest)