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---------- How to visit ----------

 

How to arrange visit to Belarus

Visa

       There are several types of entry  visas to the Republic of Belarus - for guests, tourists, businessmen etc. A guest visa is granted against an invitation from a citizen of Belarus, residing permanently on its territory, certified in a local Passport and Visa Department and the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Belarus. A business visa is also issued against an invitation from a legal body. And, finally, a tourist visa is issued against an invitation from a Belarusian travel company and a tourist voucher. The cost of a Belarusian entry visa is different for citizens of different countries. The maximum validity term of a guest visa is 90 days, a business visa - up to 60 days, a tourist visa - up to 30 days. So as to cross the territory of Belarus a transit visa must be obtained (charge-$15)-since May 1, 2000 availability of a Russian visa is not regarded as the permission for stay in Belarus. Tickets with indicated destination must be produced for obtaining a transit visa.

       A Belarusian entry visa can be obtained in the consular offices of the Republic of Belarus (see the list below). For this procedure you have to fill in a questionnaire, produce the above documents, a valid passport and, 1 photo. A usual visa is issued within 5 days, an express-visa - within 24 hours, and its cost is doubled.

       Beside the overseas Belarusian consular offices, a foreign, citizen can obtain a visa on the arrival in the country, in one point only - at the international airport "Minsk-2". The consular office there is open 24 hours, the same documents must be produced to get a visa: an invitation, passport and 1 photo.

      All the foreign citizens arriving in Belarus are liable to certain registration. Foreign tourists checking in at a hotel are registered automatically, and those arriving by a guest or business visas and residing in private apartments, have to get registered in a Passport and Visa Department.

Custom regulations

       The rules of transferring property across the state frontier of Belarus coincide mostly with the international regulations. Personal belongings (things and goods not liable for commercial activities) valued below 1000 USD, are not taxed. It is strictly forbidden to transfer across the Belarussian border the following items: firearms and ammunition, military equipment and outfit, narcotic, psychotropic, poisonous, radioactive and explosive matters; printed and audio-visual matters that may cause detriment to the interests of the Republic of Belarus. A permit from the phyto-sanitary and veterinary control department is required for transferring animals and plants across the border. The following items can be transferred with certain limitations: alcohol beverage - max. 3 liters, cigarettes - max. 200 pieces, video-recording and video-playing apparatus - 1 item of each per person.

       Importation of foreign currency to Belarus is not limited, however, in case you import an amount exceeding 1500 USD, you have to fill in a declaration (the forms in English are available). At your departure this declaration will be the document for unimpeded exportation of the remaining amount (currency exportation from Belarus is limited to 1500 USD per person).

       It is prohibited to export scrap-iron and waste of ferrous and non-ferrous metals from the country, including semi-finished products and intermediate products, as well as cultural values. In case you have purchased a piece of arts in Belarus.Jt might be necessary to get a permit for its exportation (See unit "Shopping").

      Transport means that are imported for the period of less than 3 months are free from customs charges, though they should be indicated in the declaration.

Insurance

       According to the legislation of the Republic of Belarus all the foreign citizens, arriving in this country or passing its territory by transit, must be insured for a case of required medical treatment. All the control entry points at the borders of Belarus, as well as airports and railway stations, have branches of Belarusian state insurance agencies, where foreign traveler can get a medical insurance document. Such procedure is rather fast, the charge is not high and depends on the period of stay -starting from 1USD for the period of up to 10 days and raising to 85 USD for an annual document. It police can be received at any insurance agency during a traveler's sojourn in Belarus, however, while leaving the Republic a foreign citizen should produce his insurance. Provided a tourist was served in his tour by a Belarusian tourist agency, the latter shall arrange an insurance police at its facilities.

 

he ways to arrive to Belarus

By airplane

       All the international flights and most of those from the CIS countries go to the "National airport Minsk", usually called "Minsk-2". It is situated approximately 40 km from the city. Its building is divided into two wings: the left one - for flights around CIS countries, and the right one - for international flights. Arriving passengers are met at the ground floor, departure halls are at the 2nd Soor. Left-luggage offices are in the underground floor of the airport. Currency exchange offices are on the ground floor, 1st and 2nd floors. A bank branch is at the ground floor right at the entrance for the passengers of international flights, it is open 24 hours and, beside converting currencies, it services most of the world-known credit cards and treats on Tax-free basis. Right here you can find an inquiry desk ("Information") and the car-rental office. The offices of air companies, operating in Belarus, are on the 2nd floor of the airport, a restaurant, bars and souvenir stores are also there in the left wing there is a post office - round-o-clock services of post, telegraph, telephone, fax, copying-machine, Internet.

       Besides, in the airport hotel you can stay for 1-2 days, a single room for a foreigner costs $22, for CIS citizens - 19.164 BRB.

       You can reach the airport by a taxi ("$20) or by bus, which starts from the Central bus terminal approximately every hour and goes from 6 a.m. till 11 p.m. (the charge is 578 RUB, tickets can be bought at the bus terminal station or at the airport: left wing, ground floor).

       Airport "Minsk-1" located within the city and mostly is for local, and CIS flights. Transportation from the airport to the city is rather easy with trolley-buses ¹¹2,18. Main cities of the Republic have their own airports.

Aircompanies

The national company "BELAVIA" - 27 regular flights around the world and an extensive charter program for summer period.

14NemigaSt.,Tel. 210-41-00

cash-desks: 38 Chkalov St., Tel. 222-54-29

airport "Minsk-2": Tel. 279-10-32 14

NemigaSt.,Tel. 210-41-00

Booking air-tickets: on CIS Tel. 206-67-95,

International flights Tel.  206-67-97

Offices of-companies

AEROFLOT -Russian airlines  25 Kupala St. Tel. 206-69-79

AUSTRIAN AIRLINES 19 MashrovAve. Tel. 289-19-70, 289-19-71 E-mail: auasalesminsk@aua.com

LITHUANIAN AIRLINES 3 Berson St. Tel. 210-48-88

LOT - Polish airlines  (see p. 12)  7 MasherovAve. Tel. 226-66-28

LUFTHANSA 56 Skorina Ave. Tel. 284-71-29 cash-desks - at the airport "Minsk-2" Tel. 279-17-45

EL-AL - Israeli airlines 8-18 Komsomolskaya St. Tel. 211-26-06 cash-desks-at 6a Partizansky Ave. Tel. 219-78-44

General information on air-flights — Tel. 006.

Enquiry at the airport "Minsk-2": flights to CIS - Tel. 279-13-00 international flights — Tel. 279-17-30

SCHEDULE of airplanes flights for the airports of Belarus

Destination

Flight number

Airplane type

Days of flight

Departure time

Arrival time

Return flight No

Departure time

Arrival time

Baku

BRU1739

TU134

6/7

16.00

21.30

BRU1740

10.00*

11.30*

Bishkek

KGA606

TU154-

7

 

02.50*

KGA605

06.00

09.55

Warsaw

BRU895

TU134

1,3

14.50

15.00

BRU896

16.00

18.10

Warsaw

BRU895

TU134

6

12.00

12.10

BRU896

 12.50

15.00

Warsaw

LOT706

E145

2,4,7

14.40

14.46

LOT705

11.15

13.16

Warsaw

LOT706

B735

5

14.40

14.38

LOT705

11.15

13.16

Vienna

AUA5688

CR12

1,2,6

17.40

18.08

AUA5687

13.40

16.09

Vienna

AUA688

F70

3

17.40

18.18

AUA687

13.40

16.15

Vienna

AUA5688

F70

5

17.40

18.08

AUA687

13.40

16.09

Gomel M1

GOM216

AN24

1,5

17.20

18.10

GOM215

08.15

09.05

Yerevan

BRU1833

TU134

7

21.40

02.30

BRU1834

04.00*

05.05*

Kaunas

LYT6923

L410

1,2,3,4,5

17.45

17.55

LYT6924

09.00

11.10

Kiev M1

BRU45

AN24

1

15.10

16.30

BRU46

17.30

18.50

Kiev M1

BRU45

AN24

3,5

09.00

10.20

BRU46

12.00

13.20

Kostanai from 28.04

BRU1873

TU134

7/3

20.30

03.50

BBU1874

11.10*

10.50*

Larnaka

BRU883

TU134

6

08.45

12.15

BRU884

13.10

16.45

Larnaka

BRU833

TU134

2

09.30

13.00

BRU884

19.00

22.45

Khourgada

14.00

15.30

 

16.30

18.00

London

BRU851

TU134

3,7

12.15

13.00

BRU852

14.10

19.00

Moscow (Sh-1)

BRU1984

TU134

daily

07.30

09.50

BRU1983

10.45

11.05

Moscow (Sh-1)

BRU1994

TU134

daily

19.00

21.20

BRU1993

22.20

22.40

Moscow (Sb-1) M1

BRU1952

AN24

1,2,3,4,5

12.05

15.05

BRU1951

16.05

17.10

Moscow {Dom) M1

BRU1956

AN24

6

10.00

13.00

BRU1955

16.50

18.00

Paris

BRU897

TU154

1

10.45

12.35

BRU898

15.40

21.10

Prague

BBU861

TU134

1,5

08.30

09.20

BRU862

10.20

13.10

Rome

BRU885

TU154

1,5

10.30

12.30

BRU886

13.30

17.30

St.-Petersburg from 30.04 M1

BRU1959

AN24

2

09.30

12.30

BRU1960

18.25

20.00

Istanbul

BRU873

TU134

2,5

13.10

15.40

BRU874

16.35

19.05

Stockholm

BRU855

YAK40

1

08.00

09.35

BRU856-

10.20

13.55

Stockholm

BRU855

YAK40

3,5

14.20

15.55

BRU856

16.45

20.20

Tel-Aviv

BRU847

TU134

4

08.35

12.30

BRU848

14.00

17.40

Tel-Aviv

BRU847

TU154

7

08.45

12.30

BRU848

14.00

17.40

Tel-Aviv

YELY642

B738

2

00.10

03.45

YELY641

18.40

22.30

Frankfurt

BRU893

TU154

3,7

12.30

14.00

BRU894-

14.55

18.20

Frankfurt

DLH3329

B735

1,2,3,4,5

13.55

15.15

DLH3298

09.35

12.55

Frankfurt

DLH3329

B735

6,7

14.00

15.20

DLH3298

09.35

12.55

Shannon

BRU897

TU154

1

10.45

14.40

BRU898

15.40

21.10

 Local indicated time. Description on the airline companies' codes: BRU -"Belavia", LOT - Polish airlines, AUA - Austrian airlines, GOM - Gomelavia, LYT- Lithuanian airlines, MLD - Air Moldova, KHN - Kazakhstan Airlines, YELY - EI-AI (Israeli Airlines), DLH -Lufthansa.

 By train

       The new, recently completed railway station building is situated in the very center of Minsk. Exits to the platforms, cloakrooms, shops, WC are on the ground floor. 24-hour booking-offices, information are on the 1st floor of the railway station. On the 2nd floor there are shopping rows, waiting hall, a post-office with a round-o'clock international telephone, a drug-store and bars.

       Foreign currency can be exchanged on the 1st floor in the neighboring old building of the railway station or in the exchange offices across the road. You can spend the night in the hotel "Express" (a high building next to the station). It is quite easy to get to any place in the city by subway or by taxi from the Railway station square.

Information -  Tel. 005    Tickets booking - Tel. 051      Tickets with delivery -Tel. 225-62-46

SCHEDULE of international trains and carriages

No

Route

Departure

Departure Minsk

Arrival to destination

Travel times (hours)

Periods of departures

2

Minsk-Moscow

 -

21.42

9.03

10

daily

4

Minsk-Moscow.

-

23.06

10.33

10

daily

5

Moscow-Vilnius-Kaunas

17.15

2.35

9.03

18

daily

8

Minsk-Moscow

 -

19.34

6.22

10

2, 4, 6

9

Moscow-Warsaw

15.52

0.43

9.50

20

daily

11

Minsk—Cologne

-

8.42

9.31

25

daily

13

Minsk—Berlin

-

19.40

11.43

17

daily

18

Minsk—Irkutsk

-

16.08

18.42

103

2

21

Moscow— Pragufi

22.13

7.28

7.31

34

daily

21

Minsk—Budapest

-

7.28

7.20

25

2...5

21

Minsk—Vienna

-

7.28

6.55

24

daily in summer 2,3.5,7 after 30.09

26

Minsk-Moscow

-

18.11

5.53

11

daily

38

Minsk-Adler

-

13.38

13.48

47

2,4, 6

46

Brest-Sverdlovsk

8.09

12.53

9.28

48

1

52

Minsk-S.-Petersburg

-

16.45

9.52

16

daily

72

Minsk-Kishinev

-

12.49

13.24

25

4,7

78

Grodno-Moscow

16.47

23.47

11.00

17

daily

84

Gomel-S.-Petersburg

16.39

-

11.09

18

l,3,5,7

86

Minsk-Kiev

-

21.07

8.51

12

daily

94

Minsk-Odessa

-

11.22

10.47

24

daily in summer

100

Minsk-Simpheropol

 -

23.59

4.30

29

daily in smnmer

102 

Minsk-Varna/Burgas

-

14.39

13.36

48

3 in summer

103

Minsk-Warsaw

-

21.00

6.35

11

daily

146

Minsk-Kislovodsk

-

19.19

10.54

39

1,3,5,7

182

Minsk-Simpheropol

-

22.16

5.48

32

1,3,5,7

184

Minsk-Mariupol

-

22.00

5.58

32

1,3,5,7

201

Minsk-Vilnius

-

17.58

21.10

4

daily

203

Minsk-Vilnius

-

6.35

9.45

4

2,3,4,5,6, 7

226

Minsk-Murmansk

-

8.00

9.04

48

1,4

234 

Minsk-Kharkov.

-

13.14

7.55

15

2, 4, 6

271

Minsk-Lvov-lvanQ-FJantai

-

16.00

11.02

19

2, 4, 6

285

Gomel-Kaliningrad

16.48

22.26

9.31

17

2, 4, 6

Attention! The schedule is liable to changes

By coach

There are three bus terminals in Minsk, international route coaches arrive to the Central and Eastern terminals. The two-floor building of the Central one is not far from the railway station. On the ground floor there are cloakrooms, on the first floor - booking-offices and an information bureau. On the 2nd floor of the Central bus terminal you can book tickets for international routes, procure vouchers to Poland and open Czech visas in the international booking-offices (open from 8 a.m. till 9 p.m. on weekdays, from 8 a.m. till 5 p.m. on Sunday, contact telephone: 227-04-73). Here there is also the office of "Euroautoservice" arranging motor tickets to European countries. Awaiting hall, a bar and a public phone are on the 2nd floor of the terminal.

Information - Tel.  004     Booking tickets on the departure day -Tel. 227-41-89    Advance booking — Tel.  227-40-83   Booking tickets for international routes — Tel. 227-04-73

Bus terminals

"Central"   Bobruyskaya St., Tel. 227-37-25

"Eastern"    4 Vaneyeva St., Tel. 248-08-82, 248-58-21

"Moskovsky" 59 Filimonov St., Tel. 219-36-22

By car

The.main check points  for vehicles on the Belarusian border are as follows:

With Poland 

1 "Berestovitsa - Bobrovniky"(for all types of vehicles)

2 "Peschatka - Polovtsy" (for cars of Belarussian and Polish citizens)

3 "Kozlovichy - Kukuryky"(for trucks)

4 "Warsaw/bridge - Terespol (for cars and coaches)

5 "Domachevo - Slovatyche" (for cars);

With the Ukraine - 6 Tomashevka, 7 Mokrany, 8 Verchny Terebezhov, 9 Novaya Rudnya, 10 Novaya Guta;

With Latvia - 11 Urbany;

With Lithuania - 12 Kamenny Log, 13 Benyakony.

On the border with Russia customs check points are removed,however sporadic control can be practiced.

SCHEDULE of international coach routes

Route to destination

from Minsk destination

Arrival from for Minsk

Departure

Arrival

Central bus terminal

Belostok

21.00-22 00

3.20, 4.20

14.30, 15.20

22.50, 22.20

Belostok

19.30  (mon. wedn.)

3.20

16.30

1.00 (werin, fri)

Vilnius

11.00, 12.30, 14.50 (tue), 1.30 (except mon, sun)

14.12, 15.40, 18.05 (fri), 5.30 (except mon, tue)

15.50, 12.50, 7.00 (tue), 17.00 (except sat,

21.05,17.00, 13.05 (tue), 21.00

Ventspils via Daugavpils

21.00(thu,sat)

13.05(mon,sun), 5.05(tue), 18.05(wedn from Riga)

 14.30 (mon, sun) 16.40 (thu from Riga)

6.40 (sat, mon),

vanovo (Ruisia)

18.00(sun)

11.00 (mon)

12.50 (sun from Grodno)

17.40 (sun)

Kaunas via Vilnius

 7.20, 17.00

13.10,21.55

7.00, 16.00

13.50, 23.25

Cologne via Hanover

14.00 (thu) 3.00 (sat)

21.00 (mon) 16.15 (sun)

12.00 (sat) 10.30(tue)

19.00 (sun) 21.30(wedn)

Moscow

18.30

8.00

18.40

6.00

Munich via Berlin

14.00(wedn)

23.00 (thu)

15.00 (mon)

21.00 (sat)

Palanga via Klaipeda

18.10

4.45

23.00

10.00

Prague via Brest

10.00(tue)

8.30 (wedn)

8.00 (thu)

9.00 (mon)

Prague via Grodno

12.00(mon,wedn,sat)

11.00(tue,fri,sun)

12.00 (tue, fri, sun)

10.30 (wedn, sat, mon)

Riga via Vilnius

8.20

18.00

8.20

18.00

St.-Peterstberg via Polotsk

17.00

9.40

18.00

8.40

St.-Petersberg via Vitebsk

15.35 (tue, thu, sat, sun)

9.10 (wedn, fri, sun, mon)

11.06 (tue,thu,sat,sun)

15.25 (tue,thu,sat,sun)

Tallinn via Polotsk

19.00

12.00

11.40

6.40

Tallinn Trakai from Kiev

3.10 (sun) 

17.00 (sun)

16.00 (sat)

3.00 (sun)

Eastern bus terminal

Warsaw via Brest

18.40 (except sat)

6.10(except sun)

15.00 (except sun)

5.10 (except mon)

Kiev transit Tallinn

22.40 (wedn)

10.30 (thu)

8.00 (wedn)

22.30 (wedn)

Kishinev via Kiev

23.00 (mon)

20.30 (wedn)

11.00 (thu)

8.30 (mon)

Nikolaev via Kiev

8.40

10.00

17.15

18.45

Rovno

19.10 (except mon)

9.45(except tue)

19.30 (except sun)

9.28 (except mon)

Bremen

12.00 (sun), 20.20 (wfidn)

15.00 (mon), 0.30 (fri)

5.00 (tue), 9.00(fri) 

7.00 (wedn), 12.40 (sat)

Moscow bus terminal

Pskov 

7.10 (every 2nd day)

20.28

7.30

18.16 

Riga

9.10 

21.05

7.30

19.20

 Attention! The schedule is liable to changes - please use inquiry telephones.

While crossing the border an owner has to include onformation about his car to the customs declaration, and to obtain an insurance document of civil responsibility. This condition is obligatory since the territory of Belarus is not included in the validity zone of foreign vehicle insurance policies so far. Every check-point has its own insurance policy bureau, and it takes less than 10 minutes to obtain a document. The charge depends on the period of stay in Belarus -from 4.8 Euro for 15 days to 53.1 Euro for a year. Attention: the charge is received only in USD, Euro or Russian roubles!

While traveling a driver should have driving license, documents for the car and a letter of attorney in case he is not the owner of the car. Special attention should be paid to traffic signs - in comparison with European roads they are not always perfectly noticeable - and also following the traffic rules, which are strictly controlled by the road police. Its postsare indicated "ÄAI" in Belarusian or ÃAÈ" in Russian. Remember that in Belarus consumption of any quantity of alcohol (including beer) by a driver is the violation of the laws!

Distance (km) from Minsk to European capitals

Amsterdam 1739

Helsinki 1148

Moscow 695

 Rome 2268

Vienna 1164

Berlin 1120

Kiev 550

Paris 2129

 Sofia 1753

Vilnius 182

Budapest 1110

London 2180

 Prague 1141

 Warsaw 536

 

Motorservice

Emergency motoraid Tel. 001, 007 and the enquiry service "SPAS" (24 hours)® 236-30-01,236-50-01

Emergency car service Tel. 265-27-27