Belarus

The territory of modern-day Belarus was once inhabited by Baltic tribes most of whom succumbed to Slavic invasions overtime. By the 9th century, the lands of present-day Belarus were inhabited by East Slavic tribes, such as the Krivichs, Dregovichs, and Radimichs as well as Baltic peoples in the northwest such as Yotvingians and Lithuanians. The East Slavic tribes gradually became part of the Kievan Rus’, a powerful medieval state with its center in Kyiv.

In the 13th century, as Kievan Rus’ weakened due to Mongol invasions, Belarusian lands were gradually absorbed into the expanding Grand Duchy of Lithuania. Under Lithuanian rule, however, the conquered Belarusian regions retained a large degree of autonomy. Throughout the 13th and 14th centuries the Lithuanian state grew, encompassing the city of Smolensk (now in Russia) and the lands eastward to the neighbourhood of Moscow and southward to Kyiv and the shores of the Black Sea. During this epoch of Lithuanian domination, the Belarusian language and nationality began to take shape. In 1569 the Union of Lublin formally merged the Grand Duchy of Lithuania with the Kingdom of Poland, creating the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. Belarusian lands were now under joint Polish-Lithuanian rule, with Polish influence increasing over time. Throughout the 17th and 18th centuries, ethnically Belarusian lands suffered greatly from wars and invasions, including conflicts with Muscovy (Russia) and Sweden.

In 1795, the whole territory of contemporary Belarus became part of the Russian Empire. The new country was by far more oppressive than Lithuania and Poland. The state machine promoted the idea of Belarusians, alongside with Ukrainians, being a constituent part of the grand Russian nation. For the first time, Jews were not free to live where they wished; they had to pay twice as much in taxes as Christians. After the 1864 uprising, no Belarusians were allowed to take posts of responsibility in the state administration.

By the end of the 19th century, three-quarters of peasants spoke Belarusian and identified themselves as Belarusian. Fewer than 15% of the urban population spoke Belarusian which reflected the mass Polish and Russian assimilation, as well as the population move from the Russian to Belarusian towns. Interestingly, over half of the population of Belarusian cities and towns of that time were Jews.

With the liberalisation of life in the Russian Empire at the beginning of the 20th century, Belarusians seized the opportunity to establish their first national party, newspapers and publishing houses. These first appeared in multi-ethnic Vilnius, which at that time was the main center of the Belarusian cultural life; also, in Petersburg, the capital of the Russian Empire, and Minsk.

During the First World War and after the 1917 revolution, Russian political parties refused to contemplate an independent state for Belarusians. This changed in 1918 when the Germans occupied part of Belarus. Belarusian parties and organizations proclaimed the independent Belarusian Democratic Republic in Minsk on 25 March 1918. The republic was recognized by only a few governments. This forced the Russian Bolsheviks to allow the formation of another Belarusian republic – the Soviet Socialist one, which was a founding member of the Soviet Union and the United Nations. It became independent as the Republic of Belarus in 1991.

In the Soviet Union, Belarus gained a lot and lost a lot too. On the one hand, it developed economically: there were Belarusian schools, and Belarusian books were published widely. On the other hand, the Belarusian identity was partially suppressed and belittled. For example, no higher education in Belarusian was allowed.

The Stalin terror was another catastrophe for Belarus. Between 600,000 and 1,400,000 Belarusians were killed in Belarus or sent to Siberia. In the political purges of the 1920-30s, Belarus lost 80% of its professional literary writers. Of 139 PhD students in 1934, only six survived. The Stalin terror virtually destroyed Belarusian science and arts.

The Second World War for Belarusians started in 1939 when Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union invaded Poland. Part of the Belarusian ethnic territories had been incorporated into the Polish state since 1920; now, the western and eastern parts of Belarus were brought together as part of the Soviet Union. In 1941 Germany invaded its erstwhile ally, the Soviet Union. Belarus was an area of major battles, a widespread partisan movement and great suffering. Belarus was the hardest-hit Soviet republic in the war. About 30% of the population died, including in over 200 concentration camps; 70% of towns and cities were partly or totally destroyed. The population of Belarus did not regain its pre-war level until 1971. The Jewish population of Belarus never recovered after the Holocaust.

On 27 July 1990, the Belarusian Soviet Socialist Republic parliament declared the country's sovereignty, but without breaking away from the already collapsing Soviet Union. In December 1991, the heads of Belarus, Ukraine and Russia – the founding members of the USSR – formally dissolved the Soviet Union in Bielaviežskaja Pušča.

Since coming to power in 1994, the government of dictator Alexander Lukashenko has been Russia's best buddy, even proposing to merge the two countries and allowing Russian troops into the country to attack Ukraine.

With 9.5 million inhabitants, Belarus is a middle-size European country covering a total area of 207,600 km²: slightly smaller than the United Kingdom, five times larger than the Netherlands and Switzerland. The maximum distance from west to east is 560 km, while 650 km is the maximum distance from north to south. The country has over 11,000 lakes and 91,000 km of rivers, with significant areas of marshland. There are five major rivers in Belarus: Nioman, Dniepr, Sož, Biarezina and Prypiać. The latter flows towards the site of the former nuclear complex of Chernobyl (Ukraine), the scene of the nuclear catastrophe in 1986. About 40% of the country's landscape is covered by forests. Most of the country is flat and has vast areas of rolling countryside, but the highest point is Dziaržynskaja Hara at 334 m.

The following festivals are national holidays:

New Year Day (Новы год) - 1 January is a public holiday and the most important celebration for the majority of Belarusians, with celebrations taking place throughout the night.

Christmas (Ражджаство) - 7 January - Orthodox Christians in Belarus celebrate Christmas according to the Julian calendar.

Woman's Day (Дзень жанчын) - 8 March - a much-loved celebration going back to the early years of the Soviet Union.

Workers' Festival (Свята працы) - 1 May - this used to be one of the most important Soviet celebrations; its importance has significantly diminished in contemporary Belarus.

Victory Day (Дзень Перамогі) - 9 May - the victory of the Soviet Union in the World War II is one of the cornerstones of the contemporary Belarusian state ideology; various festivities take place throughout the country.

Radaǔnica (Радаўніца) - a festival of commemorating the predecessors taking place on the 9th day after Easter according to the Julian calendar. Many people will visit cemeteries.

Independence Day (Дзень Незалежнасці) - 3 July - initially, this day commemorated the liberation of Minsk from the occupation in the World War II in 1944. Eventually, it was given a new meaning underlying the importance of the war in the foundational myth of Belarusian independence. A military parade takes place in central Minsk and other festivities - throughout the country.

October Revolution Day (Дзень Кастрычніцкай рэвалюцыі) - 7 November - Belarus remains the only country in the world celebrating the anniversary of Russian Revolution (1917) as a national holiday.

Christmas (Божае нараджэнне) - 25 December - though Catholics are a religious minority in Belarus, Christmas according to the Gregorian calendar is a national holiday and widely celebrated by non-Catholics too.

Belarus Tourism Agency

Citizens of the following countries and regions do not need a visa: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Brazil, China (including Hong Kong and Macau), Cuba, Ecuador, Georgia, Israel, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Mongolia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Qatar, Russia, Serbia, Tajikistan, Turkey, Ukraine, Uzbekistan and Venezuela. In case of any change, consult the up-to-date list of visa-exempt countries.

Citizens of 74 countries (see list) do not need a visa for stays in Belarus of up to 30 days, subject to a limit of 90 days per calendar year, provided they meet the following requirements:

they have medical insurance valid in Belarus. You will be asked to show its print copy by the border control officer. Unlike for the mandatory registration, this document does not have to be translated into Belarusian or Russian; one in English (and, possibly, other languages) will be sufficient. Alternatively, insurance can be purchased from a kiosk on the left hand side before passport control for €1/day (bring euros or dollars with you to purchase)

they are not travelling directly from or to Russia

they have cash or proof of funds of at least €25 per day of stay (not enforced for those from developed countries).

Until 2022, the requirements also included that travellers from these countries enter and they leave the country via flights to and from Minsk National Airport. This requirement has been cancelled. However, since most of the border crossings with Poland, Lithuania, and Latvia have been closed anyway, flying is still by far the most practical way to get in if you're not a Russian citizen.

Visa-free entry is not granted to holders of diplomatic, service or special passports and to those flying between Minsk and Russia. These flights are considered domestic because of the absence of border controls between Belarus and Russia.

Citizens of Vietnam, Haiti, Gambia, Honduras, India, Lebanon, Namibia and Samoa must also have a valid multi-entry visa to one of the EU countries or to the Schengen Area. They also have to produce a stamp that they used this visa to enter the EU, as well as return flight tickets from Minsk before the visa-free period expires.

Arrival and departure days are each considered as full days, that is if you entered passport control at 23:59, this day will be counted as a full day.

Foreigners can also travel visa-free for 15 days to visa-free zones in the Brest and Grodno regions, provided they obtained a permission from a travel agency. See this page for details.

Foreigners can also travel visa-free for 3 days to Belovezhskaya Pushcha National Park in western Belarus. To do this, you should "book tourism services" in advance and fill in a online form, after which a simplified visa will be sent to you by e-mail. Bring a printout of the visa and a passport and enter the Park from Poland through the Pererov-Belovezha border checkpoint.

If your stay is longer than ten days, you must register with the local Migration and Citizenship Department (Belarusian - Дэпартамент па міграцыі і грамадзянстве; Russian - Департамент по гражданству и миграции) within five business days. If you are staying in a hotel, this will be arranged by the hotel. A card, evidence of your registration, must be held until you leave the country.

The mandatory registration can be done online for free. The exception is those who arrived in Belarus from Russia (due to the lack of immigration control between the two countries). Please see a step-by-step instruction in Russian or in English. Alternatively, the registration can be done on the same portal by the Belarusian resident hosting a foreign visitor. To extend the registration, foreign citizens must visit the local Migration and Citizenship Department in person.

Visitors who arrived from Russia or who did not complete the mandatory registration online should do it the local Migration and Citizenship Department in person. You will be required to fill an application form (see Заявление о регистрации иностранного гражданина (лица без гражданства) (a copy can be obtained from the Department office as well); present your passport or other document used for entering Belarus, a copy of the medical insurance and the payment receipt.

A medical insurance document required for mandatory registration (unless the registration is completed online) must be in Belarusian or Russian, or translated into one of those languages by a licenced translator. This makes purchasing local medical insurance a simpler and cheaper option if your trip is short. The insurance can also be arranged at any office of Belgosstrakh, a state insurance company.

The registration fee is BYN27 (since January 2020). Payment can be arranged via ЕРИП self-service kiosks in shops, Metro stations and many other venues. Any branch of the state-owned Belarusbank will be able to assist with this payment too. It is worth using the bank assistance as the process is not straightforward. Foreign bank cards are not be accepted for these payments.

It is common to visit the Migration and Citizenship Department office to collect the application form and bank details for fee payment first; then arrange the payment and, if necessary, insurance and return to the office to complete registration. Allow several hours for all the procedures.

A Belarusian visa on arrival can be obtained at Minsk National Airport (MSQ IATA) by nationals of countries with no consular offices of the Republic of Belarus for €90 or for €180 for citizens of countries with a Belarusian consulate. Standard documents including a letter of invitation have to be provided in advance. See Particulars of issuance of entry visas at the «National Airport Minsk».

You can apply for a visa at a Belarusian Consulate or Embassy. The list can be found on the Foreign Affairs Ministry website.

Visas can be valid for one, two, three, or unlimited entries. They are to be used within the period indicated therein. A visa will take a full page of your passport so make sure you have at least one page free.

Tourist visa fees are approximately €60 for all categories of visa, for processing in 5 business days, or double the price for a 2 business day turnaround. Fees change so check with your local embassy for the current costs.

Japanese and Serbian passport holders are exempted from visa fees.

In order to get a visa you will also need a passport and an invitation, other papers depending on the type of visa you apply for.

There is a compulsory state medical insurance for visitors to Belarus which you should purchase, if you do not have a policy valid also for Belarus. It is preferable to buy this from a Belarusian company, and its costs US$1 per day of stay.

To get a Belarusian business visa a foreigner has to present an invitation of any Belarusian legal entity officially registered in the Republic of Belarus. The invitation is to be written on letterhead paper and should contain the name, personal and passport details as well as purpose and duration of visit. The invitation is to be signed and bear the official seal of the inviting organization. Embassies or consulates (with the exception of Consular office at the National airport) can often accept invitations received by fax. Multiple business visa is obtainable against payment of US$300 from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Consular department upon presentation of all required documents (contact phone + 375 17 222 26 61).

To get a short-term visa for private purposes (visiting Belarusian relatives, friends, other private matters) with a validity of 30 days, maximum for 1-, 2- or multiple entries for citizens of the EU as well as nationals of several other countries, such as Australia, Andorra, Argentina, Bahrain, Brazil, Canada, Croatia, Chile, Iceland, Israel, Norway, Swiss Confederation, Republic of Korea, New Zealand, Uruguay, Republic of South Africa and Japan, no visa support documents shall be required (letter of invitation etc. documents). Short term visas are available from Minsk airport, consulates and embassies.

To get a visa for private purposes a foreigner who is planning to stay in the country for more than 30 days has to present the invitation issued for a Belarusian resident by his citizenship and migration office. The original invitation should be handed over to the embassy/consulate or Consular office at the National airport in this case, any fax or photocopy is excluded. Multiple private visa is issued upon presentation of the original invitation to foreigners, visiting their close relatives. Very often Belarusian consulates grant private visas to the nationals of migration secure countries without any invitation papers.

Applying for a Visa for Belarus can be a very customer unfriendly experience. If you cannot apply for a visa in person, you should use the help of a Visa Processing Agency even though it will involve additional fees.

It is common that someone follows all application protocols for getting a visa but still gets denied due to a small technical error, such as a problem with the form of money order or a slight error in a filling out a form.

Communication with the embassies/consulates in Kensington (London, United Kingdom), Vilnius (Lithuania), Moscow (Russia) can be poor especially by e-mail, post and via telephone. In addition, there have been reports of e-mail queries going unanswered and express Visa applications not being processed in the 48 hour period. They may call you with an update on an application but the communication can be poor or unclear with the caller not identifying themselves.

In case of emergency such as hospitalization, it is possible to extend a visa or the visa-free stay upon the request to a local Migration office. An exit visa should be issued and a traveler will be allowed to leave the country through any border checkpoint by road, railway, or air.

If needed, private or business visas can be extended up to 90 days by the Minsk city citizenship and migration office (contact phone + 375 17 231-3809) or Regional citizenship and migration office in Hrodna, Brest, Minsk, Mahilyou, Homel upon presentation of all the required documents.

If you have an expired visa, an exit permit will be required to leave the country. They are issued by Minsk city passport and visa office or Regional passport and visa offices in Hrodna, Brest, Minsk, Mogilev, Homel.

Minsk National Airport, approximately 40 km from Minsk, connects the Belarus's capital with a number of destinations. Airlines that fly to Minsk include Aeroflot, Air China, Azerbaijan Airways, Etihad Airways, Flydubai, Ural Airlines, and Uzbekistan Airways.

The only national airline, Belavia offers competitively-priced direct flights.

For timetable and tickets, see the Belarusian Railway website and its BC. My Train app. Timetable is also available at:

Deutsche Bahn (DB),

Polish trains PKP (English), Commonwealth of independent states (CIS) trains, Latvian trains 1, Latvian trains 2, Lithuanian train timetables, Trains and bus timetables in Baltic countries or Estonian train timetable.

Entry/exit points along the Poland/Belarus border include:

Kuźnica Białostocka/Hrodna

Terespol/Brest

Czeremcha/Wysokolitowsk

You can take a local train between the two corresponding border towns.

As of 2025 the train does not run however there are regular buses that are reasonably priced. Be prepared for a long wait at the border (6 to 8 hours waiting at the border is not unusual). There is a small coffee stand (does not take card, and a petrol station nearby for snacks

The Vilnius–Minsk normally takes 2½ hr, but this service has been indefinitely suspended after the war in Ukraine. There is no timeline for reopening; opt for coaches/buses instead.

There is no direct train from Estonia, but you can take the Tallinn-Tartu-Valga/Valka line (Valga/Valka is a city at the Estonian/Latvian border).

There were a few trains that came from Riga, but once again suspended due to the Ukraine war.

Passport controls happen in the train itself. When you travel to Belarus, they will typically happen already before the train leaves the station in Poland.

Customs controls happen in a room in the Belarus train station. You are most likely to have a short chat with a customs officer. You will encounter the usual arrangement of the green (nothing to declare) and red (something to declare) lanes and random checks of suspicious looking people in the green lane, as everyone is presumed to smuggle. In practice, the rules are fairly standard - declare the expensive goods, and you can import or export a small quantity of alcohol, cigarettes, computer equipment for personal use. However, the formal content of the customs form asks whether you are carrying any publications. So if you have, e.g. a foreign passport, are carrying do-it-yourself-colour-revolution materials and you have that subversive look about you, then you will probably be giving the customs people a legal reason to detain you and/or deport you.

Warning: the customs room in the train station where you exit Belarus may be difficult to find (especially if you walk around the station rather casually and your Cyrillic is weak) and it closes a long time before the train leaves; if you arrive only 10 minutes before the train leaves, you will be refused customs control and access to the train. Customs may also be carried out at the border while on the train. It adds over an hour to the trip, but other than that, the officials are efficient and friendly.

In Brest, you can safely board the train to Poland directly without passing the customs (they will be performed at the border).

At the Terespol/Brest crossing, there are about six different controls. The Polish side seems to work quite slowly. Being on the outer border of the European Union, they check for stolen cars and wanted criminals.

After crossing the bridge over river Bug and getting on the Belarusian side, one has to show passports and gets a piece of paper with the car's registration mark on it. Then one goes to either green or red channel depending on whether a customs control is needed. In the green channel one has to complete two checks, the completion of each check is recorded on the paper received on entering the Belarusian side.

First passport, visa, and migration card checks are done by an officer who comes towards your car. They also check medical insurance and it is quite likely you will be forced to purchase the state compulsory medical insurance at the border for €1 per day of stay.

Second is the transport/car check, for which one needs to go to a special window towards the end of the customs area. You will be required to produce a "green card" (proof of insurance) valid for Belarus, or will have to purchase car insurance at the border for €1 per day of stay. You will also get another piece of paper with your car registration mark. You will need to show this one upon leaving Belarus.

With the stamped paper, one can go forward towards the last barrier. The officer there just takes the paper, checks that you have completed the controls, and lets you into Belarus.

It would be nice to believe that there's a Geiger counter to check for stuff which is radioactive from the Chernobyl accident, but it's unclear if this is used in practice - it's not done in any obvious way.

On leaving Belarus, one has to pay a special "environmental" tax before being allowed to enter the border control area. It costs €1, and in Brest is sold in a large building just before the border on the right.

Taking a bus from any border of the country of Belarus is easy.

From Tallinn, Estonia, there are direct buses to Minsk.

From Baltic countries: Olimp, Nordeka, FlixBus, Ecolines.

Taking the bus from Vilnius to Minsk takes 4 hr and is a fairly comfortable ride, as long as you stick to western international carriers such as Eurolines. From Kaunas you may travel to Minsk by Kaunas-based Kautra company. It's advisable and cheaper to book tickets in advance by internet here. Journey takes about 5.5 hr. Buy your ticket in advance. Before beginning travel to Belarus remember to check that all your papers are in order meaning you have valid visa and Belarus state travel insurance for your trip. For example, quick, easy and comfortable way to begin trip is to begin trip from one of the Baltic cities that have Belarussian embassy or consulate.

Belarus shares many rivers with its neighbouring countries, so it's no big surprise that in Belarus each major city has a riverport and possibilities for river cruises. The easiest way to check departure times, routes and availability is to call Belarussian River Steamship Company and/or Belarusian tourist companies. It is recommended to make cruise inquiries by phone. If you cannot reach one number it is good to call other numbers that company has (phone numbers and e-mail addresses can frequently change in Belarus).

Belarusian border crossing cruises are such as from Belarus, Polotsk into Latvia's Daugavpilis and Poland's Augustow channel. Augustow channel cruises departure from Belarusian city called Grodno and the route is via Neman river.

Kayak paddling, rowing and canoeing are popular hobbies in Belarus.

In some cases with special pre-planning and preparations with the authorities and tourist agents one can cross the border also by canoeing.

Pererov-Bialowieza./Belovezhskaya Pushcha National Park is the only border crossing for hikers and cyclists.

If you're at one of the double town crossings, e.g.

Kuźnica-Białostocka/Hrodna

Terespol/Brest

there may be some places where you can cross by foot - e.g. because you're on the last day of your Belarus visa and you want to be sure not to overstay - but more likely you'll have to befriend some people in a car who will adopt you for a few hours and will (implicitly) pretend that you're travelling with them. The border guards have no problem with this. Remember that the people in the car are taking a risk as well as you - as far as they know you might be a National Endowment for Democracy agent who will be discovered by the Belarus border guard and get them into trouble. So if they are Belarusians and they ask for a fee of US$5 consider it fair. See the section By car above for what happens in your adopted car.

Traffic in Belarus is reasonably quiet, but you should exercise caution when driving your own car. Particular attention should be paid to light traffic and pedestrians, most of whom use the roads without reflectors.

The infrastructure in Belarus was well developed after World War II. The condition of roads varies in different parts of the country. Main roads and roads in the metropolitan area are in fairly good condition. In winter, it is advisable to take the necessary precautions. All year round, you should be prepared for heavy fog in places.

Petrol (gasoline) is relatively cheap by European standards; 1 litre costs 2.46 BYN (€0.90) (January 2023), with the price fixed by the government at all fuel stations on a daily basis. You can rent cars in Minsk at the airport or city from the major international rental chains or smaller local companies.

Major motorways are toll roads in Belarus. Before the travel, check the list of toll roads. There are no toll stations. The toll for use of Belarusian roads within the BelToll system can be paid on the basis of a Pre-Paid Contract or a Post-Pay Contract.

In the event of a road accident, you should wait for the police to arrive. In the case of accidents, it can be difficult to get proper treatment. The authorities often only speak Russian and it can take weeks to sort things out.

Travelling by train around the country will get you to a lot of desired destinations relatively cheap and fast. Timetables for all means of transport can be found here and for trains of course on the site of the Belarusian railway. Also, you will get a chance to capture a glimpse of Belarusian nature, as the forests and plains often start right on the edges of the cities. The country is mostly flat.

Train tickets can be bought in advance (usually 60 days in advance) on the Belarusian railway Web site. If your ticket includes an e-registration, you can print your ticket and directly board the train. If your ticket does not include the e-registration, you must first exchange it for another ticket at the station counter.

Inter-city buses are cheap, relatively comfortable and relatively punctual but may be more expensive and less comfortable than trains. Bus schedules can be found online here and here. Note that some buses sell out, so it is better book the tickets in advance. They can be purchased in bus stations.

Little minibuses (known as a маршрутка, marshrutka), typically painted yellow, are generally cheaper than buses. Seats on inter-city ones can be reserved by phone or by walking up and paying cash.

There are many taxi companies. Yandex Taxi, which can be accessed via its mobile app or the Uber mobile app, is the most popular and offers good prices if booked via the app.

Lidbeer

Rock za Bobrov

SPRAVA

Viva Braslav

The national currency is the New Belarusian Ruble, denoted as p (ISO code: BYN), also known as the "third ruble". The first post-Soviet ruble is debased by 1000 and basically worthless. The second (marked with series date 2000) is still exchangeable.

Coins in Belarus come in denominations of 1-, 2-, 5-, 10-, 20 and 50 kopecks, 1 and 2 New Belarusian rubles. Banknotes in Belarus come in denominations of 5-, 10-, 20-, 50-, 100-, 200 and 500 New Belarusian rubles.

Exchange rates fluctuate. Check particularly the "spread", i.e. the difference between "buy" and "sell" for foreign currency.

As punishment for complicity in the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Belarus has been cut off from the international financial system. This means that Western credit/debit cards like Visa, MasterCard and American Express do not work in Belarus, you cannot withdraw money from ATMs using a foreign credit/debit card, and wire transfers to and from Belarusian bank accounts are not possible. Therefore, make sure you bring all the money you need in physical cash. You can also change U.S. dollars and euros into rubles and vice versa at exchange kiosks in Minsk airport, main railway stations and big city centres. Convert leftover cash before you leave, as changing rubles outside of Belarus will be difficult and of poor value.

Update from 2025, ATMs worked with foreign cards with no problem. Nearly all places accepted cards / contactless so while cash is always a good back up it was not essential

Exchange kiosks will not exchange notes that are damaged or marked, or may charge extra commission for doing so.

Most larger supermarkets, stores and hotels have credit card terminals, but smaller shops often do not. Visa and MasterCard are accepted, but American Express is not.

Prices are typically much lower than in Western Europe, especially for supermarket food and the service industry.

The tipping situation is not particularly clear. You are not expected to tip in most situations, but in restaurants (especially higher-end), service charges may not be added to your bill; in that case, add around 10%.

There are several foreign chains in Belarus including McDonald's, KFC, and TGI Friday's. There are also French, Italian and Asian restaurants. Pizza is very popular at many restaurants.

Cyber-crime of all kinds is well-developed in Belarus. If you are doing business with individuals in Belarus, you should proceed with extreme caution. Fraud is common at ATMs and grocery stores.

Security personnel may at times place you, as a foreigner, under surveillance; hotel rooms, telephones, and fax machines may be monitored, and personal possessions in hotel rooms may be searched. Don't be surprised or alarmed; this is just standard protocol.

Taking photographs of sensitive areas may result in problems with authorities. Such sites are not always clearly marked.

Public drunkenness and using foul language in public are regarded as misdemeanours, and you can expect to be fined or even arrested.

The police are severely restricted by an unreformed legal system, corruption, and excessive bureaucracy. In addition, the police frequently acts with impunity, and police brutality is a common phenomenon.

Since they earn so little, it's not uncommon for them to collect bribes at stops. Criminal investigations are often inconclusive and inefficient due to a lack of resources and/or political influences.

As is the case in any other country, if at any point you've been stopped by a police officer, stay calm, but be firm and polite. Don't get angry or upset; that'll only aggravate the situation.

Belarus is a dictatorship. Demonstrations are common and can quickly turn violent; it's not uncommon for the authorities to detain and beat up protesters.

Criticism of the government is illegal, and this carries heavy penalties. You never know who might be listening. There is no such thing as "free speech" in Belarus, and your belongings might be inspected by the authorities if they suspect you have critical views of the government. In other words, do not get involved in anything political and avoid participating in, photographing, and approaching political demonstrations.

The Belarusian justice system is horribly inefficient. How fast you get out depends on your connections, your social status, and so on, but don't expect this to be a piece of cake if you don't speak Belarusian or Russian and if you don't have any solid connections in the government.

Protesters often carry a flag with a white background and a red stripe in the centre, which is the former national flag. If you see this flag, leave the area immediately. This flag is also widely used by the Belarusian diaspora in the West, most of whom reject the official national flag that is in use.

Do not clap your hands in public, particularly if there are any police near enough to see or hear it; this is a gesture used by government critics to mock Lukashenko's administration and you can arouse suspicion from the authorities.

Some ethnic Polish journalists and journalists with Polish citizenship had hassles with the authorities (ranging from being refused entry to a dozen or so days in prison) during 2005. If you have a Polish sounding name, you better have good evidence that you're not a journalist.

Many Belarusians, including most of the younger generation, do not approve of same-sex relationships. LGBT visitors are unlikely to encounter violence, but they may encounter aggression, cold looks and hostility, mostly from men over 25. If you are LGBT, it is recommended that you do not show your feelings in public. Although it is not a crime, dictator Alexander Lukashenko famously said: "it is better to be a dictator than a homosexual".

Driving in Belarus is nerve-wracking (but to a lesser extent than in neighboring Russia or Ukraine): drivers attack their art with an equal mix of aggressiveness and incompetence. Guidelines and rules tend to be lax and are rarely followed.

Visible and hidden dangers exist, including potholes, unlighted or poorly lighted streets, inattentive and dark-clothed pedestrians walking on unlighted roads, drivers and pedestrians under the influence of alcohol, and disregard for traffic rules. Driving in winter is especially dangerous because of ice and snow. Drivers are urged to exercise caution at all times.