Changes

|pop = 9,500,000 504 700 (2017)

|currency = Belarusian Ruble (BYRBYN)|hitch = {{good}}<rating country='by' />

72% of the population live in towns and cities, and virtually all the population speaks Russian as their first language. In rural areas a mix of Russian and Belarusian may be spoken, but it is '''not''' a good idea to try to speak Belarusian (in the capital of the country you will especially be frowned upon by the police, as Belarusian is the language of governmental opposition). It is therefore better to make destination [[signs]] in Russian when hitchhiking.

Freedom of speech is very restricted in Belarus, try not to ask too many questions about mr. Lukashenko, people might get in trouble when saying something bad about their politics.

Hitchhiking in Belarus is very easy and rarely your waiting time will exceed 15 Minutesminutes, at least on the main road M1 from [[Brest ]] via [[Minsk ]] to [[Moscow]]. As it is very common in Belarus, often the driver will drivers may pick you up without being curious about you or what you are doing, sometimes no communication at all. Belarusian people can seem gloomy at first sight, but in the end they are mostly very nice and helpful and drop you on a good spot. In rare cases a small number of older drivers might ask for some money when giving you a ride – to avoid that, tell the driver about your intention to travel for free before you sit into the car (''"Ja puteshestvuju avtostopom, bez deneg"'' [''"u"'' is pronounced as ''"oo"'' in English] – ''"I travel by hitch-hiking, not paying any money"''). Usually, just saying 'no money' works just fine too. It might be more difficult if you are more than 2 persons travelling together – in such case it would be smart to split up for some time.

When hitchhiking in Belarus, it is very likely you will to find some other people standing next to the road, waiting for a car to pick them up. Although most people do not speak English well, it is nice to try and to make some contact. Most of them might look angry, but it's just on the outside and once you start talking to them they're just very friendly and warm people. Some Belarusians will even wait for an hour with you in a snowstorm, waiting for another car to stop :)

Russian and Baltic truck drivers are reluctant to stop for hitchhikers in Belarus while Belarusian and Polish trucks are happy to have a company of some traveller(s). Hitchhiking at night is difficult but if you make yourself very visible you can get a ride even at two o'clock in the at night (some cars might stop just because the a driver thinks you are a police – light reflectors might give such an impression).

[[File:IMG 20170717 154059.jpg|thumb|250px|right|Light-returning reflectinve band. This little thing can save you about 10€ when you meet the policy at the road]] '''Note''': In Belarus you must obligatory have to wear a flicker (light-returning elementor reflective band) when you are on the road after sunset. The [[police]] have a plan to get some amount of violators each month, so the possibility of penalty (about EUR € 10) is quite high. It's better to buy a flicker (it costs from EUR € 1), and it's not a problem – now they are sold in any shop in Belarus. And it's [[hitchhiker's safety|a good idea]] to use them anyway when [[hitchhiking at night]]. 

Belarusian number plates end with a number of the region the car is registered in. For example, cars from * 1 - Brest* 2 - Viciebsk* 3 - Homiel* 4 - Hrodna* 5 - Minsk end with number (region)* 6 - Mahiliov* 7. - Minsk (city)See Wikipedia article on [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vehicle_registration_plates_of_Belarus Belarussian vehicle registration plates]for more info. == Visa ==Foreign citizens of 74 countries, who come to Belarus and leave the country by plane (through the State border checkpoint of the Republic of Belarus "Minsk National Airport"), can enter Belarus for up to 30 days '''without visa''' (since July 27, 2018). The given order of visa-free movement through the airport does not extend to persons coming to Belarus by plane from the Russian Federation, as well as to those who intend to fly to the airports of the Russian Federation (such flights are considered as internal ones and do not have border control). Nevertheless you have to fulfil several requirements to be able to enter the country without visa. For more information check web-pages of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and State Border Committee of the Republic of Belarus. [http://mfa.gov.by/en/visa/visafreetravel/e0ced19bb1f9bf2c.html ''Information on visa-free travel via the checkpoint "Minsk National Airport"''][http://gpk.gov.by/en/informatsiya-dlya-peresekayushhih-granitsu/pravila-peresecheniya-granitsy-dlya-inostrantsev.php ''Rules of border crossing for foreign citizens''] [[File:Belarus_regional_visa-free.png|220px|thumb|right|Parts of Belarus covered by Brest and Hrodna regional visa-free provisions]]In addition there is a possibility to enter some parts of the country by car or by train without visa for 10 days. In order to visit Brest or Hrodna regions for ten days without visas you need: - buy a holiday package from a travel agency (as per rules, travel agencies are the ones to take care of routes and sightseeing in the visa-free travel areas);- fill in forms, send in your data (passport information, contact information) and sign a contract with the travel agency for a tour as an individual or as a group.The travel agency will have to take care of the rest – registration, the necessary documents, other things. For more details check the following links: [https://bezviz.by/en/brest/ ''Brest visa free region''], [https://bezviz.by/en/grodno/ ''Hrodna visa free region'']. If you are coming from a country which is not in the list of visa-free countries or for some other reason can't enter Belarus as a visa-free tourist then you need to apply for visa prior to visiting Belarus. In this case, try to find someone on Couchsurfing/BeWelcome/TrustRoots who'd be willing to "invite" you to Belarus (thus you could apply for a "private visit" visa), as this would save you money in the visa application process - the only way to get a regular tourist visa is through an overpriced agency, which would be eager to book hotels on your behalf. Some embassies may be satisfied with a confirmed hotel booking, without an agency letter, but that would be up to their discretion. However, most Belarusian embassies will issue a "private visit" visa without a letter of invitation or other supporting documents where only the personal info of the inviting person would suffice if the visa duration is less than 30 days. In some cases, they may however ask for a copy of the inviting person's passport but again that would be up to the discretion of the embassy personnel. ''[[user:uncle_sam01|uncle_sam01]] applied for a private visit visa at the embassy in Warsaw in July 2016 and was asked to provide a copy of the inviting person's passport. Other than that the process was a mere formality.''

When travelling on a 'private' visa to Belarus, you have to register in a migration department when staying longer than 5 working days (weekends not included) in be registered with the country. You get a private visa when someone invites you to stay with them in Belarus, e.g. friends, couchsurfers or other acquantainces. When entering Belarus, you will get a so-called 'Migration-card'. It is authorities as a little piece of paper which is very important "temporary resident" if you want to stay out of trouble. Visit a migration department in the first country for longer than 5 business days of your stay in Belarus with this card, and be sure to take your ('''and your hostincluding Saturday!'s passport''' with you (your host does not have to be there in person but it could be a lot easier as people in the office hardly speak English). They will require you to fill out Registration consists of a form and to make a payment twiceSoviet-style blue stamp on the back of your "Migration Card" (!), but it is not much. The total amount you'll have to pay will (most probably) be about 5 Euro. After you've done all get this, someone working in the office will stamp your migration card. You need a migration card to be stamped to show it at the border while leaving the country). So '''be sure to have How this card ''and have it stamped'', too'''. If is done will vary depending on where you did not do it, you and your host can get in trouble.stay:

== Customs and Borders =='''1. Hotels only'''Belarus is neither in the [[European Union]] nor in the [[Schengen Agreement|Schengen]] Common Travel Area, and most nonEasiest option -[[Commonwealth of Independent States|CIS]] nationals would require a visa to enter the country.Please note that while there is no border control between Belarus they'll do it for you automatically and Russia Belarusian transit visa is still required for foreigners when transiting through the country from Russia to Poland, or vice versa. You canyou won't get a visa at the border.If you go from Belarus have to Russia make sure that you always keep your Belarusian migration cardworry about it. The border is openIn some rare instances, they may charge extra for registration, there so do ask if registration is most likely no control and this means, that you will not recieve a Immigration card or an Entry stamp from Russia. Due to the Customs union between the countries, your card from Belarus also counts in Russia and in case you lose it you will find yourself in unfriendly situationincluded.

=== Border Crossings ==='''2. Couchsurfing/squatting/camping'''You'll have to visit the local "Migration Department" within 5 business days('''including Saturday!''') '''with your as well as your host's passport'With [[Poland]]:''(they don't have to be there in person, but if you don't speak Russian, it's best that they are). They'll ask you to fill out a form and pay a fee at a local bank branch(the fee is around EUR 10). It might sound scary, but it's relatively straightforward. It is advisable that you register with your first host upon arrival to Belarus for the entire duration of your stay(until your visa expires) - you won't have to worry about/pay for registration again. Legally, you should re-register if you stay somewhere else for more than 5 days, but no one will bother you about this and you can always say "I got here yesterday" :)

* "[http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=d&hl=en&geocode=13034915224636727578,52.069786,23'''3.642091&saddr=2%2FE30Couchsurfing+%4052.069786,+23.642091&daddr=52.073732,23.673027&mra=mi&mrsp=1,0&sz=16&sll=52.074073,23.666546&sspn=0.008573,0.022745&ie=UTF8&ll=52.070116,23.646183&spn=0.068588,0.181961&z=13 Warsaw Bridge]" (bel. Варшаўскі мост, rus. Варшавский мост) – hotels'''This is the biggest crossing point located on [[E30]] near [[Brest (Belarus)|Brest]]most complicated option. Crossing is possible Hotels will only in a vehicleregister you for the duration of your booking. Opposite to what Once you could guesscheck out, the crossing is hassle free you're no longer considered registered and the police 5 day period does not apply any more unfriendly than elsewhere. Prepare yourself for long waiting timeTherefore, if there is a lot of traffic, even very long waiting time. Even when there are just two or three cars in front of youthen stayed with someone through couchsurfing, you can find yourself waiting for several hours.* "[http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f='d&hl=en&geocode=18391996812509845743need to register immediately,52.106891in person,23as is described in option 2.558036%3B5287091177967822326If you register with a host first (regardless for how long) and '''then''' stay at a hotel,52.110654,23.561225&saddr=68+%4052.106891,+23.558036&daddr=52.116665,23.564816&mra=dme&mrcr=0&mrsp=1&sz=16&sll=52.114886,23.566296&sspn=0.008565,0.022745&ie=UTF8&ll=52.516221,24.483032&spn=2.172906your previous registration becomes void and the hotel registration applies,so the moment you check out you need to re-register somewhere else (either stay in another hotel or register with a host - again the 5day period won't apply).822754&z=8 Kazlovičy]" (bel. КазловічыYou could ask the hotel to not stamp your card, rus. Козловичи) – for trucks only. Located at so that your previous registration is still valid during and after your hotel stay but this is technically illegal and up to the north-western edge of Brestreceptionist's discretion.* "([[httpuser://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=d&hl=en&geocode=13433892993726185330,51.771666,23.569832%3B8225709824099370420,51.760479,23.611216&saddr=63+%4051.771666,+23.569832&daddr=Unknown+road+%4051.760479,+23.611216&sll=51.766075,23.590525&sspn=0.017263,0.04549&ie=UTF8&ll=52.722986,25.378418&spn=4.325896,11.645508&z=7 Damačavauncle_sam01|uncle_sam01]]got his hotel stamp on a sticky note with a " (belyou-naughty-boy" gesture from the receptionist.. Дамачава, rus. Домачево) – vehicular crossing located some 40 kilometres south of Brest.

'''With [[Latvia]]:Lack of and/or incorrect registration will lead to fines for you and your host, sometimes even deportation!!! (if your host had a previous guest who also screwed up their registration, they'd be considered a repeat offender and would face a higher fine)'''

Basically, plan your first night in Belarus with a CS host and register with them until your visa expires. If you stay at a hotel afterwards, make sure they don't stamp your migration card any more. Registration sounds way scarier than it is and shouldn''t deter you from visiting Belarus. == Border crossing == Belarus is neither in the [[European Union]] nor in the [[Schengen Agreement|Schengen]] Common Travel Area, and most non-[[Commonwealth of Independent States|CIS]] nationals would require a visa to enter the country. However, since July 2018 there is a possibility to enter the country without visa for citizens of about 80 foreign countries. See "Visa" section.  You can check [http://gpk.gov.by/en/maps/ochered.php border crossing queues] and find more [http://gpk.gov.by/en/maps/ detailed info about border crossings] at the web-site of State Border Committee of the Republic of Belarus. === With [[LithuaniaLatvia]](from east to west)===* [https://www.google.com/maps/place/55%C2%B043'06.5%22N+26%C2%B052'27.4%22E/@55.718463,26.8721013,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m6!3m5!1s0x0:0x0!7e2!8m2!3d55.7184603!4d26.8742901?hl=en Urbany (BLR) / Silene (LV)] (bel. Урбаны, rus. Урбаны) – located on [[P3]] some 20 km to the north-west from [[Braslaŭ|Braslaŭ]] on the way to [[Daugavpils|Daugavpils]].* [https://www.google.com/maps/place/55%C2%B049'14.4%22N+27%C2%B037'32.0%22E/@55.820655,27.6233543,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m6!3m5!1s0x0:0x0!7e2!8m2!3d55.8206521!4d27.6255431?hl=en Ryhoraŭščyna (BLR) / Paternieki (LV)] (bel. Рыгораўшчына, rus. Григоровщина) – located on [[P20]] some 25 km to the west from [[Vierchniadzvinsk|Vierchniadzvinsk]] or 95 km to the north-west from [[Polack|Polack]] on the way to [[Krāslava|Krāslava]] - [[Daugavpils|Daugavpils]]. === With [[Lithuania]] ===

'''UPDATE (2015)'''It is not allowded to cross the border on foot anymore!!! === With [[RussiaPoland]] (from south to north)===* [http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=d&hl=en&geocode=13433892993726185330,51.771666,23.569832%3B8225709824099370420,51.760479,23.611216&saddr=63+%4051.771666,+23.569832&daddr=Unknown+road+%4051.760479,+23.611216&sll=51.766075,23.590525&sspn=0.017263,0.04549&ie=UTF8&ll=52.722986,25.378418&spn=4.325896,11.645508&z=7 Damačava (BLR) / Sławatycze (PL)] (bel. Дамачава, rus. Домачево) – vehicular crossing located some 40 kilometres south of Brest.* [http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=d&hl=en&geocode=13034915224636727578,52.069786,23.642091&saddr=2%2FE30+%4052.069786,+23.642091&daddr=52.073732,23.673027&mra=mi&mrsp=1,0&sz=16&sll=52.074073,23.666546&sspn=0.008573,0.022745&ie=UTF8&ll=52.070116,23.646183&spn=0.068588,0.181961&z=13 Brest (Varšaŭski most (Warsaw Bridge)) (BLR) / Terespol (PL)] (bel. Брэст (Варшаўскі мост), rus. Брест (Варшавский мост)) – the biggest crossing point located on [[E30]] near [[Brest (Belarus)|Brest]]. Crossing is possible only in a vehicle. Be prepared for a long waiting time. If there is a lot of traffic, even very long waiting time. Even when there are just two or three cars in front of you, you can find yourself waiting for several hours.* [http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=d&hl=en&geocode=18391996812509845743,52.106891,23.558036%3B5287091177967822326,52.110654,23.561225&saddr=68+%4052.106891,+23.558036&daddr=52.116665,23.564816&mra=dme&mrcr=0&mrsp=1&sz=16&sll=52.114886,23.566296&sspn=0.008565,0.022745&ie=UTF8&ll=52.516221,24.483032&spn=2.172906,5.822754&z=8 Kazlovičy (BLR) / Kukuryki (PL)] (bel. Казловічы, rus. Козловичи) – for trucks only. Located at the north-western edge of Brest.*[https://www.google.co.uk/maps/place/52%C2%B028'11.0%22N+23%C2%B021'30.1%22E/@52.4697112,23.3561643,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m6!3m5!1s0x0:0x0!7e2!8m2!3d52.4697082!4d23.3583531?hl=en Piasčatka (BLR) / Połowce (PL)] (bel. Пясчатка, rus. Песчатка) – located on [[P16]] 60 km to the north-west from [[Brest (Belarus)|Brest]] on the way to [[Bielsk Podlaski|Bielsk Podlaski]] - [[Białystok|Białystok]].* [https://www.google.co.uk/maps/place/Przejście+graniczne+Białowieża+-+Piererow/@52.6693897,23.8421252,13.25z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x47205d08a089cf39:0x7d8b7f4d91f4e07!8m2!3d52.6686046!4d23.8582331?hl=en Pieraroŭ (BLR) / Białowieża (PL)](bel. Перароў, rus. Переров) – small, pedestrian-only crossing in the middle of the beautiful Bialowieza Forest. EU citizens can visit (for 72 hours) the Belorussian part of the forest, as well as the village of Kamianiuki '''without a visa''' (check [http://www.belarus.by/en/travel/belarus-life/belovezhskaya-pushcha requirements for visa-free entrance]). Since the crossing is for pedestrians/cyclists only, you are likely to be the only person there. There aren't many parked cars, but just enough to get you picked up to the nearest village on the Polish side (it's not very far, so you can walk, as well). On the Belarusian side, you can either try hitch-hiking towards the nearest village of Biely Liasok (bel. Белы Лясок) (there'll be plenty of tourists and only a single road for cars) or you can walk through the forest to Kamianiuki (about 16 km, it's the official "entry" village to the forest on the Belarusian side). From Kamianiuki, you can either hitch-hike, or if you don't have time, take maršrutka (mini-bus) to the bus terminal in Brest. If you're lucky, you can also hitch a ride with one of the park's employees.*[https://www.google.co.uk/maps/place/53%C2%B007'22.0%22N+23%C2%B053'54.6%22E/@53.1227709,23.8964963,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m6!3m5!1s0x0:0x0!7e2!8m2!3d53.1227684!4d23.8985041?hl=en Bierastavica (BLR) / Bobrowniki (PL)] (bel. Бераставіца, rus. Берестовица) – located on [[P99]] 80 km to the south from [[Hrodna|Hrodna]] or 40 km to the west from [[Vaŭkavysk|Vaŭkavysk]] on the way to [[Białystok|Białystok]].*[https://www.google.co.uk/maps/place/53%C2%B031'29.9%22N+23%C2%B040'06.3%22E/@53.5249652,23.6662313,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m15!1m8!3m7!1s0x0:0x0!2zNTPCsDA3JzIyLjAiTiAyM8KwNTMnNTQuNiJF!3b1!7e2!8m2!3d53.1227684!4d23.8985041!3m5!1s0x0:0x0!7e2!8m2!3d53.5249617!4d23.66842?hl=en Bruzhi (BLR) / Kuźnica (PL)] (bel. Брузгі, rus. Брузги) – 20 km to the south-west from [[Hrodna|Hrodna]] on the way to [[Białystok|Białystok]]. There are If you want to avoid long waiting times at the Brest (Varšaŭski most (Warsaw Bridge)) / Terespol border crossing you can take a train from Terespol to Brest. It goes 3 times a day and costs 17 złoty. You can pay in złotys only but there is an exchange office at the [https://www.openstreetmap.org/node/3456263616 train station]. (August 2018) === With [[Russia]] === Please note that while there is no official bordercrossings border control between Belarus and RussiaBelarusian transit visa is still required for foreigners when transiting through the country from Russia to Poland, or vice versa. You can't get a visa at the border. If you go from Belarus to Russia make sure that you always keep your Belarusian migration card. It The border is open, there is most likely no control and this means, that you will not recieve a good idea though Immigration card or an Entry stamp from Russia. Due to the Customs union between the countries, your card from Belarus also counts in Russia and in case you lose it you will find yourself in unfriendly situation. '''UPDATE''' (2017): Third country nationals (ie. not [[CIS]]) are no longer allowed to cross the Belarus/Russia border without even with a valid visa for both countries, due to reciprocity measures undertaken by the right visa! Russian Government because of EU sanctions. Non-CIS travelers are redirected to cross from Lithuania or Ukraine. There are checks at all major transit points. "Sneaking in" at a random village is not advised. === With [[Ukraine]]: ===

'''With [[Ukraine]]:'''When coming from [[Kyiv]] you'll probably cross the border *[[Skytok-Novaja Huta border crossing]]. It is possible to walk across this border but it will take a while as they search all your stuff on the Ukrainian side. After the Ukrainian border police there is approx. 1 km of No Man's land after which you'll reach the Belarusian side. Make sure you have a visa if you need one! Very little English is spoken. The road after the border goes straight to , near [[HomielGomel]]