Belarus
Last update 09 April 2025Diplomatic missions
Risk index
Level 4: Avoid all travels (except in case of extreme necessity)
4
Select passport type
Republic of Belarus
IMPORTANT!!!
- Belarus temporarily (until December 31, 2025) introduces a visa-free regime for Bulgarian citizens holding ordinary passports. The residence in Belarusian can not exceed 30 days from the date of entry, and the maximum stay within one year is 90 days. Bulgarian citizens can visit the Republic of Belarus without visa, using all checkpoints on the country's land and air borders.
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Bulgarian citizens holding ordinary passports can obtain an electronic visa with residence in Belarus up to 30 calendar days from the date of entry in the country.(For more details, see the section "Travel documents and visa regime"
Visa is required for holders of ordinary passport, who intend to stay in the Republic of Belarus longer than 30 days (but not longer than 90 days per calendar year).
- Embassy of the Republic of Bulgaria in the Republic of Belarus
Address: пл. Свободы 11, етаж 1, 220030 Минск, Республика Беларусь
Telephone: +375 17 374 85 58
Fax: +375 17 374 61 59
Out-of-hours hotline:+ 375 29 625 80 44; +375 29 625 80 43
Working hours: 09:00 – 17:30 Days off – Saturday and Sunday
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: www.mfa.bg/embassies/belarus
Consular Office:
Opening hours: 10:00 – 13:00 Days off – Saturday and Sunday
Consular information: Telephone: +375 17 374 62 64
Enrolment for an appointment: Telephone: +375 17 374 62 64, every working day from 14:00 to 16:00
E-mail: [email protected] - Embassy of the Republic of Belarus in Sofia, the Republic of Bulgaria
Address: 3, Nikola Karadzhov St., Reduta Residential Area, 1505 Sofia
Telephone: +359 2 971 71 31; +359 2 971 95 28
Fax: +359 2 973 31 00
Е-mail: [email protected] - Honorary Consuls of the Republic of Belarus in the Republic of Bulgaria
mr. Atanas Popov
Consular district: Burgas + districts: Varna and Dobrich;
Office: Burgas, "Vasil Levski" St. No. 7, 3rd floor
Tel./fax: +359 56 800 276
E-mail: [email protected] - mr. Krasimir Borisov
Consular district: Plovdiv + districts: Kardjali, Pazardzhik, Sliven, Smolyan, Stara Zagora, Haskovo and Yambol
Office: Bulgaria, Plovdiv, 38 Ruski Blvd
Phone: +359 32/207 243
E-mail: [email protected]
General information
Security level:
High level of security on the territory of Belarus.
Healthcare:
Foreign citizens are obliged to conclude a compulsory medical insurance contract with a Belarussian insurance company or a foreign partner of a Belarussian insurance company. The conclusion of an insurance contract can be carried out at all border crossing points. In the absence of medical insurance and in case of refusal to be insured, the foreign citizen shall not be admitted to the territory of Belarus.
Recommended vaccines and personal hygiene advice:
Vaccines:MMR vaccine, diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis vaccine, varicella (chickenpox) vaccine, poliomyelitis vaccine, and your flu vaccine each year.
Specifics of the local legislation:
When visiting the Republic of Belarus, you should comply with local laws and customs. It is recommended that you are informed about the local legal frame and comply with it. If you are detained by the local authorities you may request an immediate contact with the Embassy of the Republic of Bulgaria in Minsk. A consular officer from the Bulgarian Mission should establish contact with you in the shortest possible time.
The Republic of Bulgaria and the Republic of Belarus have signed an agreement on legal assistance in civil matters.
Customs requirements:
Customs requirements for Belarus can be downloaded from HERE.
Road traffic:
Third party liability insurance: foreign citizens who enter the territory of Belarus by road transport are obliged to have third party liability insurance for the entire period of stay, but not less than 15 days. Traffic on main roads is charged. More information: http://www.beltoll.by/ru.aspx.
Practical advice:
When visiting the Republic of Belarus, you should comply with local laws and norms. During your stay, you fall under the jurisdiction of the country. It is recommended that you inform yourself about them in advance and comply with them. If you are detained by the local authorities and if you wish, you may request that you be provided with immediate contact with the Diplomatic or Consular Mission of the Republic of Bulgaria in Minsk. A consular officer from the Bulgarian Mission should establish contact with you in the shortest possible time.
Local currency:
Belarusian ruble (BYR). Currency exchange should only take place at banks and exchange offices.
Climatic characteristics:
The climate of Belarus is moderately continental with significant influence from Atlantic air masses with frequent cyclones and, to a lesser extent, from continental and Arctic air masses. Average annual temperatures range from 7.4 °C in the southwest to 4.4 °C in the northeast. Average January temperature from -4.4 °C in the southwest to -8 °C in the northeast; average July temperature from 17 °C in the north to 18.8 °C in the south. Absolute maximum 37 °C (Brest, Gomel), absolute minimum -41 °C (Vitebsk). Annual rainfall ranges from 550 mm in the south to 700 mm in the highlands of the middle part of the country, with 2/3 of the rainfall falling in the warm season of the year. The growing season (minimum daily temperature 5 °C) ranges from 178 days in the north to 208 days in the south.
Travel papers and visas
Attention! The Republic of Belarus continues the visa-free regime for Bulgarian citizens with ordinary passports until December 31, 2025. The stay on Belarusian territory may not exceed 30 days from the date of entry, and the maximum stay within one calendar year is 90 days. Bulgarian citizens can visit the Republic of Belarus without a visa using all checkpoints on the country's land and air borders, with the exception of the checkpoints on the land border between Belarus and Russia.
Visa-free regime for a period of 30 days, including the days of arrival and departure, with a regular passport — only through Minsk National Airport, airports in Brest, Vitebsk, Gomel, Grodno and Mogilev. Land borders are crossed with a visa.
In accordance with the adopted Law of the Republic of Belarus ‘Legal Status of Foreign Citizens and Stateless Persons’ of 4 January 2010, foreigners may enter, leave or transit the territory of the Republic of Belarus in possession of a valid passport and visa.
The established procedure for visa-free passage through Minsk National Airport does not apply to persons arriving in Belarus on flights from the Russian Federation, and also to persons intending to fly to the Russian Federation (the given flights are domestic, border control for them is not carried out). The Decree also does not apply to foreigners on official travel: diplomatic, official, special and other equivalent passports.
Documents required for visa application:
- a valid international passport valid for at least 90 days after the expiry of the visa;
- 1 visa form in accordance with an approved format;
- 1 recent colour photograph 35x45 mm, full-face, on a light background;
- invitation letter.
At the request of the consular officer, additional documents necessary for the visa decision shall be provided. For the citizens of the Republic of Bulgaria it is provided the possibility to issue business visas and visas for private visit with validity up to 30 days without presenting an invitation and after filling in a visa form and indicating the purpose of the trip, the exact name and address of the inviting organization (or the full name, address and telephone number of the natural person) as well as the address of residence in Belarus.
Bulgarian citizens can also obtain entry visas at Minsk-2 airport.
Foreigners may enter and transit through the territory of the Republic of Belarus in possession of a valid foreign passport and a Belarusian visa.
A migration card must be filled in by foreign citizens upon entry to the territory of the Republic of Belarus and kept during their stay. Upon leaving the country, the card shall be handed over to the competent border authorities. In case of loss of the card, the foreign national is obliged to inform the authorities of the Ministry of Interior where he/she was registered within 3 working days.
Registration:
Foreign citizens are obliged to register within 5 days, excluding weekends, public holidays and holidays declared by the President of the Republic of Belarus as non-working days, with the Ministry of Interior, Migration Department, at their actual temporary place of residence. Registration is carried out in the presence of a migration card with a stamp from the official of the State Border Committee upon entry into the territory of the Republic of Belarus. When changing their place of residence, foreigners are obliged to register at their new address within five days.
Attention!
Your passport must have at least one blank page so that the entry visa can be affixed to it. There should be no other visa stamps on the back of this page other than the border control stamps.
Important! On January 11, 2025, the Agreement between the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus on the mutual recognition of visas and residence permits issued by both sides to foreign citizens enters into force. With them, their holders will be able to enter, transit and reside in the territory of both countries, for the period of validity of the respective visa or permit. The period of residence of foreign citizens in Belarus and Russia is calculated from the date of initial entry into the territory of one of the two states.
If one country applies a visa-free regime for third-country nationals and the other applies a visa regime, then in order to enter and reside in the latter, in addition to an identity document, a visa will also be required.
The agreement does not apply to foreign nationals and stateless persons who have a restriction on entering the territory of one of the two countries.
Crossing the common land border by road can be carried out through the following crossing points:
Yukhovichi - Doloci (Opochka - Novopolotsk);
Lake - Nevel (Kiev - St. Petersburg);
Lyozno - Kruglovka (Vitebsk - Smolensk);
Redki - Krasnaya Gorka (Minsk - Moscow);
Zvenchatka - Dubovichka (Bobruisk - Moscow);
Settlement - Novozybkov (Homel - Bryansk).
Crossing the land section of the Russian-Belarusian border through other checkpoints and roads is not allowed and will be considered a violation of the state border.
Each country reserves the right to refuse entry or reduce the period of stay on its territory.
More information can be found at the State Border Committee of the Republic of Belarus.
Consular service
Issuance of identity documents:
The Consular Office with the Embassy of the Republic of Bulgaria in Belarus, city of Minsk, is equipped with the necessary computer equipment to accept applications for the issuance of Bulgarian identity documents — passports, identity cards, driving licences and Emergency Travel Documents.
In case of theft or loss of identity documents, the citizen must notify the nearest police office. After registering the event, request a copy of the minutes. You will then need to contact the Bulgarian Embassy to apply for an Emergency Travel Document to continue your trip or to return to Bulgaria.
After the issuance of the Emergency Travel Document to a Bulgarian citizen residing in the Republic of Belarus, he/she must apply to the competent local authorities for a Belarusian exit visa.
Certifications and legalizations:
Pursuant to Article 11 of the Agreement on Legal Assistance in Civil Matters between Bulgaria and Belarus, documents drawn up or certified by a competent authority in accordance with the established form shall be accepted in the territory of the other country without the need for further legalization (no Apostille stamp is required).