Belarus: visa and entry rules

Belarus's borders: every crossing point

Belarus's land border crossings, neighbour by neighbour:

With Russia: there is no control for citizens of the two countries, the roads run straight through. For citizens of third countries no crossing points exist here.
With Lithuania: Kamenny Log — Medininkai, Benyakoni — Salcininkai.
With Latvia: Grigorovshchina — Paternieki.
With Poland: Brest — Terespol, Domachevo, Kozlovichi (freight).
With Ukraine: closed.

The western routes have been cut back sharply. Lithuania and Poland have closed most of their crossings, leaving one or two working, and the queues there are measured in days. This is not about the Belarusian side: the decision was taken by the neighbouring country.

The border with Ukraine is closed to passenger traffic.

The Russian route is formally not a border, but that is exactly why a foreigner cannot use it — and people find this out on the approach.

Driving to Belarus

Your insurance has to cover Belarus; if the policy does not extend to the country, a Green Card is bought on entry.

The toll roads run on the BelToll system — a transponder is mandatory on the motorways, and the fine for driving without one is issued automatically.

Speed limits and cameras are strict, and the fines catch up with foreign plates as well.

Plan your onward exit to the west separately: the Lithuanian and Polish crossings are working in reduced numbers.

Travelling to Belarus with a pet

A rabies vaccination is mandatory, given no later than 21 days before entry.

A veterinary certificate — Form No. 1 if you are coming from Russia or another EAEU / Union State country, a simplified procedure. If you are travelling from outside the EAEU — including the US, UK, Canada, Australia or New Zealand — a different, standard third-country procedure applies instead; this page does not have those details, so check with Belarus's veterinary service before you go.

A microchip is not required by the Belarusian side.

Parasite treatment is recorded in the veterinary passport.

There is no quarantine. Of all the destinations in this section this is the simplest one for a trip with an animal.

Overstaying your visa in Belarus

There is no visa-free period to overstay — the country does not set one.

You can be penalised for the lack of registration during a long stay; the responsibility also lies with the host.

Ordinary administrative offences work as they do everywhere: traffic fines catch up with foreign-registered cars too, and unpaid ones surface at your next entry.