Pavel Latushka appealed to representatives of the European Commission regarding the problem of blocking Belarusians' access to banking services

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On February 3, the Deputy Head of the United Transitional Cabinet of Belarus, Head of the NAM Pavel Latushka sent a repeated appeal to the Chairman of the Polish Financial Supervision Authority (KNF) Jacek Jastrzębski with a request for a possible response to the situation with problematic issues regarding the opening of bank accounts for Belarusian citizens residing in Poland.

Pavel Latushka informed the KNF leadership that, despite previously provided explanations (KNF letter dated January 26, 2026), according to information received from Belarusian citizens, Millennium Bank continues to refuse Belarusians the opening of accounts on the basis of a temporary foreigner's identity certificate (TZTC). The letter lists specific bank branches where cases of refusal to open accounts occurred. Such practice also takes place in other banks.

At the same time, a number of banks (including PKO Bank Polski) have been blocking access to electronic and mobile banking, cards, and online payments for Belarusian citizens who are legally residing in the EU since October 2025, which effectively restricts their ability to manage their own funds, earnings, and scholarships.

The appeal emphasizes that such measures are not provided for by EU sanctions legislation and constitute over-compliance. Pavel Latushka appealed to the KNF with a request to conduct additional communication with banking institutions and provide possible explanations in order to grant Belarusians access to financial services. A detailed legal opinion with legal analysis and proposals for resolving the situation is attached to the letter.

Also, the problem of opening accounts was raised on February 3 in Warsaw during Pavel Latushka's meeting with representatives of the European Commission and the European External Action Service. During the meeting, Pavel Latushka conveyed an appeal addressed to the Directorate-General for Financial Stability, Financial Services and Capital Markets Union of the European Commission (FISMA) with a request to provide clarifications for European financial institutions regarding the latest EU sanctions package against the Lukashenko regime.

The letter emphasizes that the new restrictions were directed against the Lukashenko regime and related structures (the Republic of Belarus, its government, state bodies and institutions, persons acting on behalf of or at the request of the aforementioned entities), however, in practice, some banks in the EU interpret them too broadly and block private individuals' access to electronic and mobile banking, payment cards, and their own funds.

As a result, Belarusians not connected with the regime, who are awaiting legalization, legally working or studying in the EU, are deprived of basic financial services and the ability to use their earnings and scholarships. In this regard, it was proposed to issue a clarification or, if necessary, introduce targeted amendments to the EU regulation to guarantee access to retail banking services for Belarusian citizens.

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