Belarus (2024)

Belarus Passport Ranking

The Belarus passport ranking relative to other global passports is calculated by adding up the number of countries that allow Belarus passport holders to enter without a visa (i.e. visa-free countries) and those that allow Belarus passport holders to enter by obtaining a visa on arrival (i.e. visa-on-arrival countries) or electronic travel authorization (eTA). There are currently a total of 43 Belarus passport visa-free countries, 37 Belarus visa-on-arrival countries, and 2 eTA destinations.

Altogether, Belarus passport holders can enter a total of 82 destinations—either without a visa, through a visa on arrival, or via an eTA. As a result, the Belarus passport ranks 62 in the world.

Separate from these Belarus visa-free countries and visa-on-arrival countries, there are 147 additional destinations in which Belarus passport holders either need a physical visa to enter or an eVisa (i.e. visa required countries).

About Belarus

The landlocked Republic of Belarus is a former Soviet country. It consists of 6 administrative regions. The country is situated in Eastern Europe. Neighboring countries include Ukraine, Poland, Lithuania, Latvia and Russia. The most important administrative regions are Minsk, Gomel, and Mogilev. Belarus has a surface area of 207,595 square kilometers. That is why is one of the smaller countries of the former Soviet Union. Belarus is mostly flat with a lot of marshlands. Its climate is between continental and maritime.

The overall population is 9.4 million people. The capital of the country is Minsk, which is also the most populous city with 2 million inhabitants. Other major cities are Gomel and Mogilev. The largest airport is Minsk National Airport (MSQ) with 4.5 million yearly passengers. Minsk Airport has excellent flight connections to the entire former Soviet Union and beyond.

Belarus’s culture is strongly influenced by its soviet history. The main religion is Orthodox, although there are more than 40% atheists. The official languages are Russian and Belarusian. The legal system is the civil law. The government type is a presidential republic. The head of government is the elected President Aleksandr Lukashenko and the Prime Minister is Roman Golovchenko. The elections take place every 5 years and the president is elected directly through absolute majority.

The official currency of the country is the Belarusian Ruble (BYN) with the current exchange rate being BYN 3.29 to the USD. The country has an open economy, generating a GDP of approximately $79.7 billion. Its citizens have a per capita income of $8,570. The GDP is mostly made up of 2 key sectors, which are industry and services. Belarus most significant export partners are Russia and the European Union. Its main GDP-contributing products are oil, lumber, peat, grain, and machinery. The GDP has been on a slight growth trend in the past years with yearly growth rates of 1%.

Belarus is filled with a variety of urban and natural tourism destinations and attractions. It is known for its vast nature and different cultural sites. It has 4 UNESCO world heritage sites. Some of the major destinations include the capital Minsk, the Braslav Lake Area, the Pushcha National Park, the famous Mir Castle, the Brest Fortress, and the city of Grodno. The nation has a total of approximately 365,000 tourists visiting every year. Most tourists originate from Russia and Europe. It is therefore a very popular destination for regional visitors due to no visa requirement.

Belarus (2024)

FAQs

Can US citizens go to Belarus? ›

Visa requirements.

American passport holders are required to have a visa, issued by a Belarusian Embassy or Consulate overseas, to enter Belarus. Please note that even with a visa, you are unlikely to be allowed entry to Belarus over a land border. You are also unlikely to be allowed to exit Belarus over a land border.

How much of Belarus is Russian? ›

Ethnic Belarusians make up about four-fifths of the country's population. Russians, many of whom migrated to the Belorussian S.S.R. in the 1960s, '70s, and '80s, form the second largest ethnic group, accounting for roughly one-tenth of the population.

What is Belarus famous for? ›

Belarus is famous for its forests and lakes – no wonder it is called the «lungs of Europe». There are many wide bright avenues and narrow cobbled streets, Catholic churches and Orthodox cathedrals, majestic castles and wooden huts in the villages, hearty and delicious national cuisine in Belarus.

How different is Belarusian from Russian? ›

However, Russian and Belarusian developed separately. Belarusian is closer to Polish and Ukrainian than Russian. Its vocabulary and grammar has enough similarities for Poles, Ukrainians and Belarusians to understand each other well, whereas Russians understand only will recognise separate words.

Why Belarus is worth visiting? ›

Belarus is considered to be one of the world centers of religious tourism for Jews. The unique architecture of Belarusian ancient churches attracts many Christian pilgrims. Foreigners come here to see with their own eyes the places where famous battles, in which their ancestors participated, took place.

How long can an American stay in Belarus? ›

U.S. passport holders traveling to Belarus via Minsk International Airport may enter visa-free for up to 30 days (the 30-day limit includes the day of arrival and the day of departure) for tourism or business.

Do Belarusians want to join Russia? ›

Despite all promises by authorities, most Belarusians are afraid that in case of unification with Russia either they or their children would have to take part in military conflicts in Russia and an even greater proportion believe that war could come to Belarus in the form of terrorist attacks.

What was Belarus previously called? ›

Until it became independent in 1991, Belarus, formerly known as Belorussia or White Russia, was the smallest of the three Slavic republics included in the Soviet Union (the larger two being Russia and Ukraine).

What race are Belarusians? ›

Belarusians (Belarusian: беларусы, romanized: bielarusy) are an East Slavic ethnic group native to Belarus. More than 9 million people proclaim Belarusian ethnicity worldwide. Nearly 7.99 million Belarusians reside in Belarus, with the United States and Russia being home to more than half a million Belarusians each.

Is Belarus friendly to tourists? ›

Do not travel to Belarus due to the volatile security environment caused by the Russian military presence along Belarus' border with Ukraine and military conflict. Russian forces are conducting military operations from Belarus, and this has heightened tensions in the region.

Who is the most famous person in Belarus? ›

Perhaps the most famous of all people from Belarus, Marc Chagall is known around the world as a master of classic avant-garde art.

What is the most popular food in Belarus? ›

Today's diet of Belarusians includes many traditional dishes. The most popular are pork stew (machanka) and vereshchaka, homemade sausages, draniki (thick potato pancakes), kolduny, kletski (dumplings), babka (baked grated potato pie), cold sorrel soup, mushroom soup...

Why is Belarusian banned? ›

Russia launched a large-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 and used Belarus as a staging ground for troops and weapons, leading several sports bodies to ban their teams and officials from official competitions.

Do they speak English in Belarus? ›

Russian language is spoken in the Belarusian capital, in region centers and large Belarusian cities. In small towns people speak a mixture of Russian and Belarusian languages which is called Trasyanka. English language is freely spoken by 450 000 of Belarusians and German - by 138 000 people.

Why is the Belarus flag banned? ›

Russian and Belarusian players aren't allowed to play under their flag, meaning they aren't officially representing any nation at the tournament. This has been common in tennis tournaments across the world following the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February last year.

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