Sweden’s revised guidance says Belarusians should not return for passports
Belarusian citizens abroad who cannot renew national passports should not be encouraged to return solely to get one, under revised guidance that directs Sweden’s Migration Agency staff.
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The legal position, version 2.0 and dated 10 August, replaces a 2024 version. It is internally controlling agency guidance — not legislation, a court ruling or an automatic right to a Swedish travel document.
Belarus stopped issuing or renewing passports through its foreign missions in 2023. Migrationsverket cites reports that returnees can face suspicion, arrest or other controls, and concludes that those outside Belarus cannot obtain a passport abroad under current conditions.
That matters in assessments of alien’s passports and conditional exceptions from Sweden’s passport requirement. The agency says an applicant abroad may be treated as unable to obtain a passport within a reasonable time, but other legal conditions still apply. Any alien’s passport issued on this basis should be restricted so it is not valid in Belarus.
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