New obligations for employers and foreign employees
The Edict of the President of the Republic of Belarus No. 202 dated May 21, 2025 “On enhancing the role of employers in the field of external employment migration” establishes the following innovations in the regulation of the foreigners employment activity:
- employment agreement shall be concluded within 30 days from the date of obtaining special permit for the right to engage in employment activity (for previously entered foreigners) or from the date of entry into Belarus;
- employers are obliged to:
- before concluding the employment agreement, check the foreigner's knowledge of the Russian or Belarusian language to the extent necessary for communication;
the list of professions and positions for which knowledge of one of the state languages is mandatory, as well as the procedure for conducting the assessment will be determined by the Government;
in case of unsatisfactory result of the knowledge assessment, employment shall be refused;
- appoint responsible persons for control of employment activity and conditions of stay (residence) of foreign employees;
- ensure that foreigners are visited at least once during the term of the employment agreement to assess their actual residence at the place of stay, compliance of living conditions with sanitary and other rules, compliance of foreigners with the rules of use and maintenance of residential premises;
- ensure the control over the validity of visa, passport, driver's license and other documents necessary for the stay of foreigners and their employment activity;
- employers are not entitled to temporarily transfer foreigners to another employer.
The Edict does not apply to citizens of member states of the Eurasian Economic Union and foreigners permanently residing in Belarus.
The Edict shall take effect on August 23, 2025.
