Japanese card network JCB has expanded its acceptance to Belarus for the first time through an agreement with Belinvestbank.
The move enables Japanese tourists to access 500 ATMs and 7,300 merchants within Belarus, which opened its borders last year to visa-free entry, enabling visitors to spend up to five days in Belarus without acquiring a visa or registering with authorities, according to a Tuesday press release.
“This means you will be able to use JCB cards almost everywhere in Belarus,” said Andrey Brishtelev, chairman of the board of Minsk, Belarus-based Belinvest, in the release.
The agreement expands the reach of JCB’s network for cardholders in Japan, China, Korea and Taiwan who travel to Europe, and augments JCB’s goal of increasing its card issuance in Russia with key banking partners, the release said.
“Belarus is one of the main routes for business people and tourists coming from Russia,” said Takashi Suetsugu, general director of JCB International Eurasia, in the release.
