Language: Russian and Belarussian are both official languages, with the majority speaking Russian.
Currency: The currency is the Belarussian ruble (BYR), which is equal to 100 kopeks. There are no coins in circulation (plastic cards and tokens are used for the metro and public telephones). Currency and travelers cheques can be exchanged at banks and official bureaux de changes in
Minsk and the larger towns. US Dollars and Euros are preferred and some currencies may not be accepted. Exchange offices may reject old/damaged notes and it is advisable to keep all receipts for
exchange transactions as these may be required on departure, or when re-converting your leftover rubles. Mastercard and Visa are accepted at the larger hotels and tourist restaurants, but
American Express and Discovery cards are not accepted at all. ATMs are widely accessible in major towns and banking hours are weekdays from 9am to 5pm.
Time: Local time is GMT +2. (GMT +3 from last Sunday in March to last Sunday in October).
Electricity: Electrical current is 220 volts, 50Hz. European two-prong plugs with circular pins are in use. Schuko plugs are also in use.
Communications: The international dialing code for
Belarus is +375. To dial out on an international call dial 8, wait for the tone, then dial 10 followed by the country code, area code and number you are calling (e.g. 8-10 44 for the
UK). Payphones are widely available but most cannot be used to call internationally. Payphones operate only on special cards, sold at post offices and newspaper kiosks. There are four mobile network operators in Belarus, two of which operate GSM networks. Coverage is good in the major towns and along the highways, but not available in rural areas. Mobile phones may be rented from local service providers. The Internet can be accessed from a network of state run (Beltelecom) cybercafés, and some private cafes, in the major towns.
Duty Free: The duty free allowance for visitors entering Belarus is 1.5 liters of spirits, 2l of wine, 1000 cigarettes or 1000g of tobacco products, a reasonable quantity of perfume for personal use and goods up to the value of US$1,000.
Tourist OfficeTourist Information Center, Minsk: +375 17 226 9900 or www.belarustourism.by
EmergencyEmergencies: 03 (medical), 02 (police).
Embassies
Embassy of Belarus,
Washington DC,
United States: +1 202 986 1604.
Embassy of Belarus,
London, United Kingdom (also responsible for
Ireland): +44 (0)20 7938 3677.
Embassy of Belarus,
Ottawa,
Canada: +1 613 233 9994.
Embassy of Belarus,
Pretoria,
South Africa: +27 (0)12 430 7664.
United States Embassy, Minsk: +375 17 210 1283.
British Embassy, Minsk: +375 17 210 5920/1.
Canadian Embassy,
Warsaw,
Poland (also responsible for Belarus): +48 (0)22 584 3100.
Australian Embassy,
Moscow,
Russia (also responsible for Belarus): +7 495 956 6070.
South
African Embassy, Moscow, Russia (also responsible for Belarus): +7 495 540 1177.
Irish Embassy, Moscow, Russia (also responsible for Belarus): +7 495 937 5911.
New
Zealand Embassy, Moscow, Russia (also responsible for Belarus): +7 495 956 3579.
