October 23. Belarus is open for tourism but in order to keep its pandemic figures under control, the government and the Healthcare Ministry have released several biosecurity restrictions to protect their nationals as well as visitors.
This means that depending on the country you are visiting from you may need to take a 10-day quarantine upon arrival.
As of October 21, the country decided to exclude 28 countries from its non-quarantine list.
Keep reading to learn if your country is among the 36 lucky ones that are still on the green list and do not need to undergo quarantine.
RELATED:
– Russia Reopening Borders Restrictions
– Ukraine Reopening Borders – Current Restrictions
– Poland Reopening Travel Restrictions
Who can enter Belarus without a 10-day quarantine?
Foreign nationals from these countries are allowed entry without this restriction.
- Albania
- Algeria
- Australia
- Austria
- Azerbaijan
- China
- Croatia
- Cuba
- Cyprus
- Egypt
- Estonia
- Fiji
- Finland
- Georgia
- Germany
- Greece
- Hungary
- Ireland
- Italy
- Kazakhstan
- Latvia
- Malaysia
- Mauritius
- Monaco
- Mongolia
- New Zealand
- Norway
- Romania
- Russia
- San Marino
- Serbia
- Singapore
- South Korea
- Sri Lanka
- Tanzania
- Thailand
- Turkey
- UAE
- Uzbekistan
- Vietnam
Starting on October 21, travelers visiting from these countries must observe a 10-day quarantine.
- Belgium
- Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Bulgaria
- Canada
- Czech Republic
- Denmark
- France
- Iceland
- Ireland
- Lebanon
- Liechtenstein
- Lithuania
- Luxembourg
- Malta
- Moldova
- Netherlands
- North Macedonia
- Poland
- Portugal
- Romania
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- Sweden
- Switzerland
- Tunisia
- UK
- United States
What is the situation with neighboring countries, are their land borders open?
Poland, Ukraine, Lithuania, Latvia, and Russia are starting to reopen their land borders with some countries. Unfortunately, not those with Belarus which will remain closed until further notice.
What do I need to do to enter Belarus?
These are some of the requirements you need to be granted entry to Belarus.
- Since October 13, the government has instituted a mandatory 10-day quarantine for every traveler coming from the list of countries with high COVID-19 infection rates.
- People who cannot prove through a document that their transit through high-risk countries lasted less than 24 hours must undergo quarantine as well.
- All travelers from low-risk countries need to show proof of their health with negative COVID-19 test results. The test must have been taken in the previous 48 hours before your arrival and the results must be in Russian, Belarusian or English.
- Every traveler must acquire health insurance that covers COVID-19 treatment. They will be asked to obtain one during their visa process. And later, they will need to show proof of it when crossing the border.
- Visitors who plan to stay for more than 5 days must register with the police department. Your hotel, hostel or any other lodging facility can take care of this for you. It is also possible to do it online through this link.
Do I have to purchase medical travel insurance to visit Belarus?
Yes. All visitors are requested to show proof of travel insurance for Belarus covering the length of their stay. The minimum covering value allowed is €10,000.
Exceptions:
- Tourists crossing the country on a transit visa
- Diplomats and official delegations
- Flight crew and rail staff
- CIS citizens
- Refugees
- Other cases (as stipulated in international agreements or established on a reciprocal basis). For more information, please contact the Belarusian Embassy.
Do I need a visa to go to Belarus?
Probably. But any travelers from any countries can obtain a 30-day tourist visa on arrival. There are however a few requirements:
- The visa-on-arrival program works ONLY if you enter the country through Minsk National Airport. Other ports of entry are not authorized to grant said visas.
- You must have health insurance.
- You must have a passport (from any country)
- You must show proof of spending enough money to cover your expenses for the time you plan to stay.
- Citizens of Vietnam, Haiti, Gambia, India, Lebanon, Namibia, Samoa need to have a visa to the United States or the Schengen area (and have visited those territories at least once). They will also have to show their departure ticket from Minsk National Airport.
- If you are staying for more than 10 days you will have to register with the Police Department.
What is the COVID-19 situation in Belarus?
Belarus has been the only country in the region that did not impose any national lockdowns or closed its borders. Data show that that strategy has not worked as well as expected since the country has not been able to flatten the contagion curve.
As of today, the country has reported 90,380 positive cases and 945 deaths.
