At the moment Belarus is open and quite country, as it had been some years ago.
- European citizens can visit Belarus visa-free for the period up to 30 days through ground border or through Minsk International airport. (valid already till 31.12.25)
- Citizens of 76 countries can visit Belarus without visa through Minsk International airport for the period up to 30 days
- US citizens need to obtain visa to visit Belarus. But we see that the embassy is very open for those, who want to get visa. They ask for less documents, in majority of the cases they do not ask for letter of invitation, just the confirmation of booking and Belarusian insurance.
now in details
Visa-free For Europeans
We have visa-free entry for citizens of 35 European countries via any international checkpoint ( ground border from Poland and Lithuania and Minsk International airport) .
Key Details:
- Eligible Countries: All EU member states (27 countries), United Kingdom, Switzerland, Norway, Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia, Andorra, Vatican, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Monaco, and San Marino. See full list
- Entry Points: Visa-free entry is available through all international road and rail checkpoints with valid travel documents for up to 30 days.
- Transit: Foreigners using the visa-free regime can transit to third countries through airport (excluding Russia).
- Multiple Entries: You can enter Belarus an unlimited number of times until December 31, 2025.
- Stay Duration: The total stay should not exceed 90 days in a calendar year.
This is a fantastic opportunity for our customers to visit Belarus more easily and meet potential matches. We look forward to welcoming you!
Visa-free through Minsk International airport
We have also have visa-free entry for citizens of 76 countries through Minsk International Airport. See full list here
Key details:
- entrance/exit only through the border checkpoint at the Minsk International Airport (MSQ), “Airport Brest”, “Airport Gomel”, “Airport Grodno”, “Airport Mogilev”, “Airport Vitebsk”
- a valid passport for foreign travels
- medical insurance in the amount of at least €10,000 (can be done at the airport upon arrival, costs around 1 euro per day)
The visa-free regime does not apply to people arriving in Belarus by plane from Russia and planning to go to the airports of Russia (these are internal flights with no border control).
Visa to Belarus for US citizens
Since 2021 US citizens need to obtain visa to Belarus. According to our recent experience, now you can obtain visa very easy. For the period less than 30 days you can provide just the booking of the hotel for the time of stay and insurance, valid in Belarus.
So you apply to Belarusian embassy. Every embassy has it’s own website, and slightly own rules. At many places you can apply even by post. At other – personally. Please check the website of the Embassy in your country.
You come there with the following documents:
- printed pdf with the confirmation of hotel booking How to get hotel confirmation
- insurance, valid in Belarus How to get insurance
- visa application with your recent picture Download application here
That’s usually enough to get touristic visa to Belarus.
Visa fee is 35 Euro or 70 Euro for express Visa (issued in 1 day).
If it’s not convenient for you to apply in your country, I could recommend to obtain visa in Vilnius.
Travel to Minsk through Istanbul by plane
There are no direct flights from European countries to Minsk. But you can fly to Belarus via Turkey, Dubai, Kazakhstan, Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, China, Egypt. However, Istanbul is the main connection point. Most probably you will not even see Minsk as destination at the airlines tickets website.
There is only one company that has direct flights from Istanbul to Minsk and back – national Belarusian flight company Belavia. You can buy Istanbul-Minsk-Istanbul tickets directly at https://Belavia.by website. Sometimes the payment can be declined by your bank (as part of the sanctions against Belarus), then we recommend to buy the tickets at kupibilet.ru website (it’s registered in Dubai, so EU banks authorize the payment) or via kupibilet app.
How to buy Belavia ticket if your bank blocks the payment because of sanctions
Travel to Minsk through Vilnius (flight + bus)
There is another way to come to Belarus. You can fly to Warsaw Poland or Vilnius Lithuania and then go by bus to Minsk. Vilnius is preferrable, because it’s only 180 km from Vilnius to Minsk.
Of course, there may be a queue at the border. Therefore, it is important to travel by regular bus, which run on schedule. Usually they pass the border faster and the whole journey takes no more than 5 hours.
You can find the timetable of the buses at getbybus.com . We recommend to travel with Eurolines or Toks from Vilnius to Minsk and with Minsktrans from Minsk to Vilnius. When you buy the tickets, select as starting point exactly Vilnius airport, not the bus station in the city Vilnius. It’ll make your trip even more convenient
At the moment we do not recommend the travel by car/ private transfer through the border, as well as the routes from Poland. It’s possible, but there can be a long queue at the border. It’s unpredictable. That’s why we recommend to use regular bus to enter Belarus, they go to separate queue and usually can be maximum 1-2 hours late according to the schedule.
Using Visa/Mastercard in Belarus
Most Visa and Mastercard cards issued in the US and EU work in Belarus. However, there may be instances where transactions are declined. This can happen for two main reasons:
1. The service provider may use a bank that is under sanctions and does not accept foreign cards.
2. Your own bank may block transactions to Belarus.
So,
Bring Cash: It is advisable to carry Euro or USD cash for the majority of your expenses. It’s better to have extra cash than to find yourself unable to pay for essentials like hotel accommodations.
Use New Banknotes: Ensure that the cash you bring consists of new banknotes, as Belarusian banks do not accept old ones.
If you plan a trip to Belarus, and you have further questions, you are welcome to contact the agency. We’ll be glad to see you in Minsk soon!