In short: from 19 January 2026, a joint instruction by the Director General of Migration Management and the Commissioner General for Immigration and Borders establishes that Belarusian nationals present in Spain on 19 January 2026 may use their expired passport to process any immigration authorisation or permit, as well as the issue and delivery of the TIE (foreigner identity card), for as long as the extraordinary circumstances motivating the instruction persist.
In person or by representative? Not applicable as a personal procedure — this is an administrative instruction changing the document admission criteria for all immigration procedures involving Belarusian nationals.
Why this instruction exists: a Belarusian decree of 4 September 2023 prohibited Belarusian embassies and consulates abroad from issuing passports to nationals living outside Belarus. Around 6,000 Belarusian citizens in Spain were effectively required to return to Belarus to renew documents, with a real risk of political detention. The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights stated on 20 September 2023 that this measure restricts the human rights of Belarusians; the EU Council, in its conclusions of 19 February 2024, reiterated support for Belarusian citizens within the EU. Several member states (Austria, Cyprus, Lithuania, France, Sweden, Estonia) had already been applying a similar approach.
Single instruction:
- Belarusian nationals present in Spain on the date of the instruction may present their expired passport for all immigration authorisations and permits and for the issue and delivery of the TIE.
- The instruction applies exclusively for as long as the extraordinary circumstances persist.
Signed on 19 January 2026 by Santiago Antonio Yerga Cobos (Director General of Migration Management) and Julián Avila Polo (Commissioner General for Immigration and Borders).
Official source: Joint instruction Belarus — PDF Migraciones.
Informational only; check the official source and a professional for your specific case.