According to zipcodesexplorer, Belarus (Russian: Белару́сь) is a country in Europe bordering Russia, Ukraine, Poland, Latvia and Lithuania. Belarus has been independent from the former Soviet Union since 1991. The capital of Belarus is Minsk. A number of major cities in Belarus are: Brest, Hrodna, Gomel and Vitebsk.
Belarus is a country that is mostly flat. The country has many pieces of primeval forest, swamps and rivers. Belarus has the oldest preserved primeval forest in the world. This is called the Białowieża Forest and is located on the border with Poland. Tourists often come for the nature, the historic towns or the many castles. Belarus is also known for its Jewish history. During World War II, almost all Jews in Belarus were murdered by the Germans. See a2zcamerablog for top 10 sights in Belarus.
Where is Belarus located?
Travel information of Belarus
Official name: Republic of Belarus
Continent: Europe
Area: 207,600 km²
Capital: Minsk
Country code: BY, BLR
Population: 9,477,918 inhabitants (2020)
Form of government: Presidential Republic
Highest point: 346 m (Dzerzhinskaya)
Distance (Amsterdam – Minsk): 1,519 km
Flight time: approximately 2 hours and 30 minutes
Negative travel advice
Current status: All trips to Belarus are discouraged. Due to this status, a negative travel advice
is in effect for Belarus. A detailed explanation of this travel advice can be found on The Netherlands worldwide.
Corona
Due to the coronavirus (COVID-19), there may be (temporary) measures in Belarus that you as a tourist may have to deal with. For the most up-to-date corona travel advice, please refer to our special coronavirus travel advice page. For the number of current corona infections, number of deaths and various corona-related graphs of Belarus, please visit Countryaah.
Travel offer
On our travel offer page you will find an overview of reliable travel organizations that offer complete tours and holidays to Belarus. In addition, you will find an overview of separate travel components (car rental, hotels and airline tickets) with which you can compose your ideal trip yourself.
Travel guides and maps
Are you looking for a travel guide, map, walking map, cycling map, book or DVD about Belarus?
Excursions, activities and day trips
With the help of Countryaah you can reserve an excursion, activity, guided tour, entrance ticket and/or day trip for your stay in Belarus at a discount. This way you are assured of a place, in some cases you can skip the queue and you can already plan your travel program.
Weather and climate
Belarus has a continental climate. During the winter months the temperatures are around 0 to -10 degrees and during the summer months around 15 to 25 degrees.
The current weather (weather forecast) and a weather forecast for Belarus can be found on our extensive weather page.
Detailed information about the climate of Belarus can be found at Climate info.
Best time
June, July and August are the best months to travel to Belarus. This avoids the long winter period with a lot of winter precipitation.
Language
Belarusian and Russian are both official languages in Belarus. Polish is also spoken.
Would you like to translate from or into Belarusian, Russian and/or Polish for free? Use the Google translator for this.
Travel documents
You must have a valid passport that is valid for at least 3 months upon departure from Belarus.
A visa is required. You can apply for this in person at the Embassy of Belarus in The Hague. If you travel in and out of Minsk airport, you can stay for 5 days without a visa.
Embassies and consulates
Below is an overview of relevant diplomatic representations, including addresses and contact details.
Netherlands Embassy in Poland (also for Belarus): netherlandsworldwide.nl.
Dutch consulate in Belarus: netherlandsworldwide.nl.
Embassy of Belarus in the Netherlands: rijksoverheid.nl.
Consulates of Belarus in the Netherlands: rijksoverheid.nl.
For urgent assistance, you can contact the Ministry of Foreign Affairs 24/7 on +31247247247.
Vaccination (inoculation)
Before visiting Belarus, it is advisable to get one or more vaccinations.
For extensive vaccination advice and to make a vaccination appointment at home, please visit Thuisvaccinatie.nl. You can also see here whether your health insurance reimburses the vaccination(s).
Money and Currency
In Belarus, payment is made with the Belarusian ruble (BYR).
The current position of this currency (currency, currency) can be found on our exchange rate page.
An overview of all ATMs in Belarus can be found on our ATMs page.
Price level
Prices in Belarus are much lower than in the Netherlands. The price difference with the Netherlands is -55% on average. Some examples are: restaurants (57% cheaper), food (52% cheaper), imported beer in catering (47% cheaper), cigarettes (82% cheaper) and public transport (92% cheaper). Please note that the price difference in tourist areas, especially during high season, may vary.
Tipping
In Belarus it is not customary to tip.
Time difference
During our summer time it is 1 hour later in Belarus.
During our winter time it is 2 hours later in Belarus.
Belarus has no difference in winter time and summer time.
Check the local time, date and time zone for Belarus on our time difference page.
Traffic and route
In Belarus you have to drive on the right.
You do not need an international driver’s license to drive and/or rent a motor vehicle in Belarus.
With the Google route planner you can compile a route description from, to or within Belarus.
Electricity
In Belarus the same plugs and sockets are used as in the Netherlands.
More information about electricity in Belarus can be found on our electricity page.
Emergency services
If you need help from the police, fire brigade and/or ambulance in an emergency, you can use the emergency numbers below.
– Police: 102
– Fire: 111
– Ambulance: 103
Tap water
It is not recommended to drink water from the tap. The quality differs per area.
If you are unable to buy bottled water, use a water purifier to purify the water or boil the water for 5 minutes. After this you can safely use it as drinking water and for things like brushing teeth, cleaning lenses and washing vegetables and / or fruit. More information about drinking water and/or the purchase of water purification products can be found on our drinking water page.
News and newspapers
The latest news related to Belarus can be found on Google news.
An overview of the newspapers from Belarus can be found on Abyznewslinks.
Internet
Websites from Belarus end in.by.
Official websites of Belarus: president.gov.by and belarus.by.
Telephony
The country code (international access code) to call someone in Belarus is 00375 or +375.
If you want to call the Netherlands from Belarus, dial 8 (wait for dial tone) 1031.
(If you use a country code, leave out the first 0 of the number to be called.)
Phone numbers can be found in the Telephone Directory of Belarus.
Photos and videos
On Flickr you will find a nice collection of photos from Belarus.
On Youtube you will find a nice collection of videos from Belarus.
Public holidays
An overview of all public holidays in Belarus can be found on Beleven.org.
Reviews and travel experiences
On Zoover and TripAdvisor you will find reviews from travelers about accommodations (eg hotels and holiday homes), restaurants and destinations in Belarus, supplemented with photos, videos and places of interest.
Travelogues
Are you looking for a travelogue about Belarus?
Here you will find travel reports and experiences of travelers who have previously visited Belarus. It is also possible to keep a free diary of your trip for family and/or friends.
Nature and World Heritage
An overview of the protected nature areas (including national parks, reserves and wildlife parks) in Belarus can be found on Protected Planet.
An overview of the world heritage sites in Belarus can be found on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Customs rules
Do you want to know how much you are allowed to import and export when traveling to Belarus? On the IATA website you will find an overview with the maximum quantities of cigarettes, alcohol, money and perfume, among other things. If you stick to these quantities, you don’t have to declare anything to customs. In addition, on this website you will find the laws and regulations regarding the importation of pets and a list of everything that may not be imported and/or exported to Belarus.
Entrepreneurship and doing business
If you are planning to do business in or do business with Belarus, it is wise to prepare well. The Netherlands Enterprise Agency can help you with this. On PaulSourcing.com you will find a large amount of information about Belarus, including: opportunities, import and export rules, trade figures, do’s and don’ts, current sanctions, business partners and subsidies.
Relevant legislation
Below you will find relevant legislation and regulations that you may encounter during your visit to Belarus.
– Alcohol: Buying and/or drinking from the age of 18.
– Alcohol and traffic: The maximum permitted alcohol content is 0.3.
– Tobacco: Buy from the age of 18, smoking at all ages.
– Smoking ban: No
– Homosexuality: Allowed
Did you know that…
…There is a dictatorship in Belarus?
…Belarus is the only European country that has the death penalty?
…In almost every city a street is named after Lenin?
… People in Belarus are crazy about cheese?
…Ice hockey is one of the most popular sports in Belarus?