Vocational and technical education

Vocational and technical education is a level of basic education aimed at developing the student's personality, their professional становление, obtaining special theoretical and practical training, culminating in the awarding of a qualification as a worker with vocational and technical education or an employee with vocational and technical education.

The procedure for admitting individuals to receive vocational and technical education (including foreigners) is regulated by the Rules for admitting individuals to receive vocational and technical education, approved by the Decree of the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Belarus dated July 14, 2011, No. 953.

Vocational and technical education institutions can be of the following types:

• vocational and technical school;
• professional lyceum;
• vocational and technical college.

The period for obtaining vocational and technical education is:

1. in the full-time form of education:
   • based on general basic education without obtaining general secondary education or special education — from one to two years;
   • based on general basic education with obtaining general secondary education — from two years and six months to three years (can be extended by no more than six months);
   • based on general secondary education — from one to two years.
2. in the evening form of education is determined by the period of obtaining vocational and technical education in the full-time form of education and can be extended by no more than one year.
3. in the part-time form of education ranges from six months to one year and six months.

Citizens of the Republic of Belarus, as well as foreign citizens and stateless persons — foreign citizens and stateless persons permanently residing in the Republic of Belarus, persons of Belarusian nationality who are citizens of foreign states or stateless persons permanently residing on the territory of foreign states, citizens of the Russian Federation, the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, the Republic of Tajikistan have the right to receive vocational and technical education in public educational institutions at the expense of the republican and (or) local budgets, in private educational institutions on a fee-paying basis — at the expense of legal entities, individual entrepreneurs, individuals or the citizen's own funds.

Admission of foreign citizens and stateless persons temporarily staying or temporarily residing in the Republic of Belarus on a legal basis and having the necessary level of previous education for obtaining vocational education is carried out on the basis of contracts for the training of a worker or employee on a paid basis, concluded by educational institutions with foreign citizens and stateless persons or their representatives, which, in addition to the conditions established by law, provide for the responsibility of the parties for payment of expenses in case of the need to expel a foreign citizen from the Republic of Belarus.