The Republic of Belarus, adjacent to the Russian Federation, is a rather popular tourist destination, especially for residents of areas bordering it. Someone has relatives and friends living there, someone goes to Belarusian sanatoriums, and someone just goes to enjoy the local nature and visit the sights. Do Russians need a passport to Minsk? A similar question invariably arises before traveling to a foreign country. And what does the visa-free regime mean in this case?
Do I need a passport to Minsk?
The Republic of Belarus after the collapse of the Soviet Union entered the Commonwealth of Independent States. The governments of the Russian Federation and Belarus concluded an official agreement. According to which their citizens can freely travel to the territory of the neighboring country and back.
Whether Minsk needs a passport for Russians is determined by the framework of a visa-free regime. You can cross the border with your favorite means of transport, you don’t even have to fill out a migration card. During the trip you must have with you:
- Russian civil passport;
- for a child under the age of 14 - birth certificate;
- persons who have temporarily handed over an internal passport (for example, when replacing a document or changing a surname) - a relevant certificate issued at the request of a citizen in an authorized unit of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Also, a certificate will be needed for citizens who have lost or damaged an identity document.
Do I need a visa to travel to Belarus?
Do you need a passport from Russia to Minsk? No, but what about the visa? The authorities of the Republic of Belarus loyally approached the issue of their own visa regime. Most foreigners, depending on their origin, can stay in the country for 5, 30 or 90 days without having to apply for a visa. For example, Chinese citizens can stay in Belarus without a visa for up to 3 days, if they are on a tourist trip and arrived by direct flight or have a Schengen visa or a visa of an EU member state. Up to 30 days without a visa, the country can be Greeks, Serbs, Cubans; up to 90 - Israelis and residents of Venezuela, residents of the CIS (excluding Turkmenistan).
Residents of Russia can stay in Belarus without a visa for up to 90 days. However, if the trip is designed for more than a month, then after 30 days in a foreign country, Russians need to register. This rule works in the opposite direction: Belarusians located in the Russian Federation also register after 30 days of stay.
If the trip lasts from 90 days to a year, residents of Russia must apply for a temporary residence permit. Why do you need to contact the department on citizenship and migration of the Republic of Belarus.
Crossing the border
Since the question: “Do I need a passport to Minsk” has been resolved, we will consider the nuances regarding the crossing of the Russian-Belarusian border. After the signing of the Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation between Russia and Belarus in 1995, border control was canceled. However, personal belongings and luggage may be searched for security reasons.
There are also rules for the import of things, if they are exceeded, a fee is charged. It is forbidden to import and export weapons and drugs, products of cultural and historical value.
It is worth noting that, to enter Belarus, Russians, unlike other foreigners, are not required to have medical insurance for 10 thousand euros. But Russian compulsory medical insurance policies are not valid there, so only emergency care can be received free of charge in hospitals of the Republic of Belarus.
Airplane or train
Do I need a passport to fly to Minsk? No, since flights from the Russian Federation are listed as domestic at the national airport of the Belarusian capital, border control of passengers is not carried out. It is noteworthy that when buying a ticket for the national air carrier Belavia, children under 2 years old get a 10% discount, from 2 to 12 - 25% of the ticket price for an adult.
A railway trip is optimal in cost and comfortable, border guards do not disturb passengers. Sometimes you may not even notice that the train is already moving through the territory of a neighboring state. When buying tickets at Belarusian railway stations, children under 5 are provided with free travel, but only one child can travel with one adult for free. Children 5-10 years old get a 35% discount when buying a ticket for them. When visiting the country by train, you do not need to apply for a transit visa.
Travel by car. What documents are needed?
For travel, for example, from Moscow to Minsk do I need a passport? No, because cars are stopped for document control and customs inspection only if the appearance of the car or the driver’s behavior causes suspicion among customs officers. The border crosses easily, without delay. But the car will definitely be stopped to check documents when leaving Belarus.
When traveling by car, you must have documents confirming the right to drive a vehicle. This list includes:
- driver's license;
- vehicle registration certificate;
- power of attorney to drive the car, if the transport does not belong to the person sitting at the wheel;
- international auto insurance policy.
The driver must be ready to present the rights and passport, passengers - only a civil passport or any other identification document. You can drive a car in a neighboring country from the age of 18, a scooter or a moped from 16. Also, so that there are no problems with the purchase of gas, experienced car travelers are advised to exchange Russian rubles for Belarusian “bunnies” in advance.
Green map
You need to issue a Green card when the entry to the Republic of Belarus is made on your own vehicle. This document is an analogue of the Russian insurance policy. International insurance will allow you to compensate for damage if the car suffers as a result of an accident.
A green card can be issued in advance of a trip or purchased at the entrance to a neighboring state, but it will cost more. For a car, insurance for 14 days costs about 1,000 rubles., Annual - 5,000 rubles.
The absence of a Green Card will result in a fine of about $ 200.
Travel with baby
Do you need a foreign passport for a child to travel to Minsk? Children under 14 years old can cross the border with a birth certificate, over 14 with their own civil passport. If the trip takes place with only one of the adults, you need permission from the second parent to export the child from the Russian Federation. A similar document is needed for a trip with a third party, such as grandparents.
Entry Features
Despite the fact that Russians do not need a passport to Minsk and tourists are usually not checked at the border, no one has canceled customs rules and norms. So in the luggage it is allowed to carry up to 50 kg of personal items, the total value of which does not exceed 1.5 thousand euros. In cases of air travel, the “cost” of baggage may increase to 10 thousand euros. Animals can be imported if there are veterinary certificates and vaccinations.
Examination is at the discretion of customs officers. Without payment of duties on the territory of the Republic of Belarus you can import:
- up to 200 cigarettes or 250 g of tobacco, or 50 cigars;
- up to 2 liters of strong alcohol and 1 liter of beer with a strength of up to 7%;
- one watch;
- no more than 5 jewelry;
- no more than 3 products from natural fur or leather;
- tires for a car - maximum 4 per person;
- commemorative coins made of base metal;
- photo and video equipment, small household appliances.
If the number of imported items exceeds the above norms, the duty will be 60% of the value of the item. However, it cannot be higher than 4 euros per 1 kg. Without customs declaration, it is possible to transport no more than 3 thousand dollars in cash.
It is forbidden to import and export to the Republic of Belarus:
- firearms, with the exception of personal, sports or military guns that have the appropriate permission;
- narcotic drugs, explosive and radioactive substances, poisons;
- objects of cultural and historical value;
- wild medicinal plants, as well as samples of flora and fauna from the Red Book of Belarus;
- Scrap and waste of ferrous, non-ferrous and precious metals should not be exported;
- printed, electronic and audio media with data that can threaten the security of the country, as well as harm the interests, health and moral character of citizens.
Transit through Belarus
Do I need a passport to Minsk if transit to a third country is carried out? Directly for the Republic of Belarus, a document authorizing Russians to travel outside the state is not required, but it will be necessary to enter a country that is the final destination. Documents must be executed according to all the rules provided for in the country selected for travel. If to stay in this country you need not only a passport, but also a visa, you should take care of its registration. Russians do not need to apply for a transit visa to visit Belarus if they enter another country through it.
Passport loss while traveling
If during the trip force majeure circumstances occurred and a citizen of the Russian Federation lost his passport, you must first contact the local police, where they will issue a certificate about the loss of the document. After such a visit, you need to visit the Consulate of the Russian Federation, where you will need to confirm your citizenship by providing evidence - a photocopy of your civil passport, driver’s license and more.
Any identity document will do. Do I need a passport to Minsk? If a tourist has noticed the ability to forget or lose documents in a foreign country, it is better to take it with you, because he will not take up much space, and it will help to identify the person.
If the person applying to the Consulate does not have any identification documents, the employees will have to send a request to the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs at the place of residence of the applicant, waiting for an answer that can extend the period of stay in Belarus until all documents are completed.