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Rest in Belarus

Traveller memo

Rules and features that you should consider when traveling in a recreation center in Belarus:

Main sections:

  1. How to choose a recreation center
  2. The duration of stay
  3. Voucher purchasing
  4. What to take
  5. Currency exchange
  6. Documents for check-in a recreation center
  7. Visa-free entry to the Republic of Belarus
  8. Insurance
  9. How to get to the recreation center
  10. What you need to know about staying in a recreation center
  11. It is prohibited
  12. Mobile communication and Internet
  13. What to do after returning from recreation center
  14. Additional Information

1. How to choose a recreation center:

2. The duration of stay:

  • The recreation centers and tourist complexes of Belarus, as a rule, sell tours with duration of stay from 2 days (rest on week-end) and more.
  • The optimal duration of rest is 10 to 14 days (during one week it is difficult to adapt, and during 20 days a man can get out of the habit to wake up early in the morning, think quickly and do work).
  • In recreation centers and tourist complexes in Belarus, especially in the high season, there is often no opportunity to extend the stay, so think beforehand about the optimal quantity of days for you to rest.
  • While booking a tour remember: when you arrive later than the time specified in the voucher, the missed days are not compensated, the same as if you want to leave earlier. Pay attention please to the estimated check-in and check-out time in every location.

3. Voucher purchasing:

  • You have the choice of where to book a tour - at the recreation center or at tourist enterprises. Please remember that the purchase of vouchers in travel agencies can cost a bit more, but gives you certain guarantees: when you come to rest, you do not have to wait for a few days for free rooms, and for a recreation center the prepayment for your ticket serves as a guarantee that the rooms will not be idle. And most importantly, in the event of any force majeure you will have someone to turn to.
  • The booking process is carried out on the website with the help of a standard application form. The procedure for booking, payment and registration of vouchers to the recreation centers of Belarus is described in detail in the section Rules for booking.
  • You can book in at any time, but the earlier you do it, the more chances you have (especially in a period of high demand) to choose the necessary accommodation.

4. What to take:

  • Clothes and shoes according to the season, shoes to put on in gyms and sport centres.
  • There is an entertainment programme in some of the recreation centers, so you can take clothes for these events.
  • Don't forget swimming accessories if there is a swimming pool: swimsuit, swimming trunks, cap, flip-flops.

5. Currency exchange

  • Due to the fact that currency rates are constantly changing, it is difficult to determine which rate will be more profitable on the date of arrival in Belarus. Follow financial news.
  • It is more profitable to change Russian rubles in the Republic of Belarus at currency exchange points. In Russia, the course is usually lower than in Belarus. You need to present a passport for currency exchange.
  • ATMs located on the territory of the Republic of Belarus issue Belarusian rubles, US dollars and euros.

6. Documents for check-in a recreation center:

  • Upon arrival on holiday with a pre-purchased voucher, you should contact the administrator for registration. Upon registration you must show the following documents: passport, voucher (the document that is loaded on the application page after the payment). For children under 16 years: child's birth certificate (passport).
  • When planning your trip well in advance it is recommended to ensure the availability of passports’ copies of all participants, travel tickets (air, railway, bus) and other documents. They are useful in case of loss of the original, as well as in other situations that may arise in the host country. Keep copies separate from the originals.
  • We recommend you read the information about the Republic of Belarus. You can found more information about the country in the section Information about Belarus (geographical location, nature and the rules of entry into the Republic of Belarus, customs regulations, currency control, population, culture, language, transport, cuisine, etc.).

7. Visa-free entry to the Republic of Belarus:

In 2017 and 2019, Decrees of the President of the Republic of Belarus ¹8 from 09.01.2017 and ¹ 300 from 07.08.2019 «About the establishment of a visa-free entry and exit procedure for foreign citizens» were issued, according to which citizens of about 80 states can visit the Republic of Belarus without a visa if certain conditions are met. Visa-free regime is valid for foreign citizens in the following cases:

  1. Provided to entry into the Republic of Belarus through the National Airport Minsk;
    Visa-free regime with a stay in Belarus up to 30 days extends to citizens of 74 states, including all the countries of the European Union. The main requirement of visa-free regime is entry and exit the Republic of Belarus only through the National Airport Minsk.
    You can see more information about visa-free entry rules in Belarus through the National Airport Minsk here.

  2. When you visit tourist and recreational area «Brest - Grodno»;
    Visa-free entry to the territory of tourist and recriational zone «Brest - Grodno» permits for people to visit Belarus for a period of up to 15 days with tourism goals and applies to citizens of 73 countries. Tourist and recriational zone «Brest - Grodno» includes Brest c., Brest, Zhabinka, Kamenets, Pruzhany districts of the Brest region, Grodno c., Berestovitsa, Volkovysk, Voronovo, Grodno, Lida, Svisloch, Schuchin districts of the Grodno region.
    Read more about visa-free entry rules for visiting tourist and recriational zone «Brest - Grodno» you can here.

In other cases and subject to the stay of foreign citizens in the territory of the Republic of Belarus, it is necessary to obtain a Belarusian visa for a longer period of time. More information about visa regime for entry to Belarus you can see on the Internet portal belarus-online.by/visafree.

8. Insurance:

  • Republic of Belarus has introduced compulsory health insurance for foreign citizens and stateless persons temporarily residing in the Republic of Belarus, in the case of the provision of emergency medical assistance in the state medical institutions in case of sudden illness or accident.
  • You can make a medical insurance policy at any checkpoint on the borders of Belarus, as well as at airports and railway stations, where the points of Belarusian insurance companies work.
  • The cost of insurance depends on the number of days of stay and some conditions.
  • The medical insurance is not required for:
    - citizens of countries with which there are international treaties that govern the provision of free emergency medical services (citizens of Russian Federation);
    - citizens of the states - participants of the CIS for whom the emergency medical care is provided free of charge in accordance with the Agreement on the provision of medical care to citizens of states - participants of Commonwealth of Independent States, signed in Moscow on 27 March 1997 (Armenia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Ukraine).
  • According to international travel practice we recommend for citizens who are not subject to compulsory health insurance to conclude a contract of voluntary health insurance. The policy of the insurance company offers a wider range of services than is prescribed in the agreement of our countries. In addition to paying for medical expenses, the cover includes the medical transportation of the insured to the place of emergency aid or medical evacuation after medical assistance for further treatment in the nearest medical institution on the territory of the country of residence.

9. How to get to the recreation center:

  • Travel to recreation destinations is implemented on one’s own.
  • Choose the official transporter, licensed for road transport of passengers to travel to the recreation center and back.
  • For the convenience of our customers the Belarusian tour operator Automated tourism technologies created an online system of ordering transfer between Belarusian cities and recreation centers available on the Internet portal www.beltransfer.by.

10. What you need to know about staying in a recreation center:

  • In some recreation centers vacationers pay a tourist tax of up to 5% of the voucher’s price. The tourist tax can be included in the price when you pay or can be paid on arrival at the recreation center. This information is specified in the contract.
  • In most recreation centers the checkout time is at 12:00 local time. On the day of arrival the accommodation to rooms is implemented after 14:00.
  • The distribution of rooms is a responsibility of the receptionist of the recreation center.
  • It is recommended to take your room key at the reception, and in case of loss to notify the administration.
  • Upon arrival at the recreation center you should be familiar with the fire evacuation plan, terms of elevator and electrical appliances using.
  • In case of breakdown or malfunction of sanitary devices, electric lighting and appliances you should address to the manager on duty.
  • You should take care of the furniture, equipment and other objects in a recreation center. The holidaymaker is liable for damage caused to a recreation center.
  • Recreation center’s administration is not responsible for the loss of valuables, money and documents left in the room. Search forgotten things being on your own and at your own expense.
  • The holidaymakers arriving in a recreation center with children, bear full responsibility for their actions and safety.
  • Observance of silence in the recreation center and on its territory after the set time is compulsory for all.
  • Smoking in the recreation centers is allowed in specially designated areas.
  • You must leave your room before 12:00 and pay for additional services (telephone, mini-bar, order food and drinks in the room, etc.) on the day of departure.

11. It is prohibited:

  • to violate the rules of fire safety, to violate the rules of using electrical devices;
  • to disrespect the staff and other guests;
  • to appear in public places in a drunken state;
  • to appear in public places (dining room, club, library) in bathing suits, pajamas, dressing gowns.

12. Mobile communication and Internet:

  • For citizens of the Russian Federation who have a Russian sim card, in the territory of Belarus, for calls to Russia, it is necessary to open a roaming service. For non-residents of the Republic of Belarus, mobile operators offer the following tariffs:
    - Operator MTS offers a tariff «Guest»;
    - Operator A1 offers a tariff «Hi»;
    - Operator life:) offers a tariff «Plain».
  • There are high-speed Wi-Fi access points on the territory of some recreation facilities, you can see the list of such recreation facilities here. Recreation facilities are located in the 3G / 2G coverage area of the network of Belarusian mobile operators, and in some, the 4G network is also available, so the opportunity to use the services is provided everywhere mobile Internet using a mobile phone or portable modem.

13. What to do after returning from recreation center:

    Share your impressions about the rest:
  • fill out a form on your application page
  • leave a comment on the forum forum.beltur.by

14. Additional Information:

Consular Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Belarus: 220030, Minsk, ul. K. Marx, 37A, telephone: 8017-222-26-65, Fax: +375 17 222 26 63.

Emergency telephones in the Republic of Belarus:

  • MES – 101
  • Police – 102;
  • Emergency – 103;
  • Emergency gas service – 104.

In the article FAQ You can see the answers to frequently asked questions.

We wish you a wonderful weather, unforgettable rest and excellent mood!