Customs regulations of the Republic of Belarus

Arriving at and leaving Belarusian airport we recommend you to get acquainted with the rules of carrying luggage.

Upon arrival:

Check if you need a visa for Belarus. For more detailed information regarding visa requirments see: http://mfa.gov.by/en/visa/.  Visa requirements change frequently, so please check them beforehand with an ambassador. Any foreigner upon arrival in Belarus has to fulfill a Migration Card, which is given at the plain. This card has to be shown to a customs officer together with a travel document (passport) at the entry point of the Belarusian Government border.  Within 5 business days after arrival to Belarus visitors are required to visit the local police office and register at the apartment you are staying. A little stamp will be put on your Migration Card. If the visitor is staying at a hotel the registration will be carried out directly upon check-in.

A sample of a Migration Card.

Leaving the Republic of Belarus a foreigner have to give away his Migration Card to a customs officer at the entry point through the Belarusian Government border.

The customs officer makes an entrance and (or) an exit mark at the Migration Card of a foreigner.  

Upon arrival at the National airport Minsk be sure to get your own luggage.  In case of non-arrival or damage of your luggage you have to address to a special service. 

At the airport a system of green and red channels for declaration of goods of personal use acts. It lets a person that crosses the customs border to make his personal choice between the red channel (goods of personal use have to be declared in a special form) and green channel (no need to declare the goods). 

Transportation money through custom.

The sum of money transported into and from Belarus is not limited.  But if you transport into and from Belarus a sum of money that exceeds 10.000 $ (or equivalent) you have to fulfill a customs declaration. This limit extends over the cash money and travel cheques.

If the currency is transported by bank cards (Visa, Mastercard, American Express and others) and the sum on the account exceeds 10.000 $ the declaration procedure is not needed in any case.

If you have less than 10.000 $ the declaration is not needed but you can make it if you want.

If you declare a sum of money that exceeds 10.000 $ you have to fulfill a declaration blank in two copies.  At the same time there is no need to show other documents that allow you to transport the money (for example, bank permission, documents of selling assets and others).

Regarding the goods of personal use, which are transported by air transport:

 -alcohol drinks and beer not more than 3 liters per 1 adult person (18 year-old)

- tobacco and tobacco goods -200 pcs of cigarettes or 50 pcs of cigars, or 250 g of tobacco per adult person (18 year-old)

A more detailed information find here: http://airport.by/sites/default/files/PDF/customs.control.pdf

If you are transporting animals or plants you are to pass through phyto or veterinary control beforehand and to get acquainted with the rules of transporting such a baggage at the airlines office you chose. All the information about importing a definite type of an animal please check at the consulate of a destination.

Upon departure:   

Check in for passengers and luggage at the National Airport Minsk starts 3 hours before departure time and ends in 40 minutes before departure time.  

First class and business class passengers make check in at the separate registration desks.

Check-in of passengers is made at a desk the number of which you can learn at the monitor.

For check-in you have to show:

• Passport
• Ticket  (electronic ticket is not obligatory)
• Luggage
• Hand luggage  
• Card of an frequently flying passenger (if you take part at a passenger loyalty program)   
• If you are transporting an animal or a plant you have to pass through phyto and veterinary control. 

If your baggage exceeds the standard set by the airline you need to pay extra payment at the airline booking-office according the fixed tariff of the airline performing the flight. The payment has to be proofed by the bill of payment.

It is forbidden to take into the plain liquids, that’s why it is better to pack them into main baggage. You are allowed to carry only a small amount of liquid in your hand luggage. It should be individually packed and a pack volume has not to exceed 100 ml each. All the packs should be put into one transparent plastic bag with a total volume of 1 liter per person.

Liquids in pack the volume of which exceeds 100 ml are not accepted aboard even if they are half full. The exception are medicine, baby food and special dietary products.  

The liquids which were bought at a free shop at the airport or on board of a plain have to be packed properly into a plastic bag. The bag is to have a reliable confirmation of the fact that the goods were bought at the airport free shop or on board of the plain exactly at the day of a journey.  

It is forbidden to transport cutlery, a corkscrew, knifes with mobile blades of any length, knifes for paper, razors for shaving, scissors of any sizes, steel files, other things which can be used by other passengers for making harm to others. To find more detailed information follow the link http://www.go.msq.by/blog/securety_control/2014-12-03-36

Then, following the signs a passenger has to pass to the zone of a special control, where the survey of hand luggage is made. Here an exit to landing is situated.

Accompanied by an employee of airway company a passenger is delivered to the ladder of a plain.

The passengers, which have not passed the check-in and customs control are not allowed into the plain.

Following these simple rules you will experience no problems crossing the government border of the Republic of Belarus.