Belarus

BLR

Belarus is a landlocked Eastern European state bordering Russia, Ukraine, Poland, Lithuania, and Latvia, with Minsk as its capital and economic centre. The country operates under an authoritarian government that has faced sweeping Western sanctions since the disputed 2020 presidential election and the subsequent crackdown on protesters. Additional EU, US, and UK sanctions were imposed after Belarus facilitated Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

These measures have significantly restricted international banking, air travel, and investment flows. The economy remains heavily state-controlled, with key industries in machine-building, potash, and petrochemicals. Dual citizenship is not recognised. Naturalisation requires seven years of lawful residence and renunciation of prior nationality. Foreign nationals considering relocation should account for the political environment and the practical barriers imposed by international sanctions.

Naturalisation: 7 years
Tax system: Residence Based
Currency: Belarusian Ruble (BYN)
Dual citizenship: Not allowed
Capital: Minsk
Region: europe
Population: 9,408,400
Cost-of-living: 32 /100

→ If you hold a Belarus passport, see the Belarus nationality guide

Passport Rank

#72

Visa-Free

destinations

Visa-free travel

A Belarus passport has visa-free access to 79 destinations. See the full Belarus passport breakdown →

Passports that enter Belarus without a prior visa (92)

Visa-free, visa on arrival, or on an eTA.

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Colombia+74 more

Community-sourced (passport-index, synced 2026-08-18) — verify with the embassy before travel.

Immigrating to Canada from Belarus

Current IRCC processing times for Belarus nationals, by application type.

Visitor visa (outside Canada)	17 days
Super visa	No processing time available
Study permit	No processing time available
Work permit	No processing time available
Sponsor a dependent child	No processing time available
Adopted child (citizenship)	Not enough data
Government-assisted refugees	Not enough data
Privately sponsored refugees	sponsor: Not enough data / refugee: Not enough data

Your application may take longer than the times shown here. They’re not a maximum or a guarantee.

As of 2026-09-22 (IRCC). See all Canada processing times →

Source: Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada — “Check processing times”. This is a copy of the version available at https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/application/check-processing-times.html. Reproduced under the Government of Canada’s non-commercial reproduction terms; not endorsed by or affiliated with IRCC.

Sources & last verified

Government of Canada — non-commercial reproduction (canada.ca Terms and conditions)

Official source

Country Details

Capital: Minsk
Currency: Belarusian Ruble (BYN)
Languages: Belarusian, Russian
Population: 9,408,400
Tax System: Residence Based
Dual Citizenship: Not allowed
Naturalisation: 7 years
Schengen / EU: No
Climate: Humid continental; cold winters, mild summers, year-round rainfall
English Proficiency Rank: #52
GDP per capita: $10,279
Life expectancy: 74.37 yrs
Population growth: -0.51%/yr

GDP per capita, life expectancy, and population growth: World Bank (2025).

Indices

Cost of Living

Safety

Healthcare

Quality of Life

Tax Summary

Tax System: Residence Based
Territorial Taxation: No — worldwide income taxed for residents
Naturalisation: 7 years of legal residency
Dual Citizenship: Not allowed

Cost of Living by City

← scroll the table →

Monthly cost of living per major city in USD: rent, groceries, utilities, transit pass
City	Rent 1BR centre	Rent outside	Groceries	Utilities	Transit pass
Minsk	—	—	—	—	$15
Brest	—	—	—	—	$12
Gomel	—	—	—	—	$11

Monthly USD figures. Typical central 1-bedroom rent, grocery basket for one, household utilities, monthly transit pass.

Climate

Minsk

-5°J

-4°F

1°M

8°A

14°M

17°J

19°J

18°A

12°S

6°O

1°N

-3°D

Rainfall range: 30–85 mm/month · Daylight 7.7h (winter) to 16.7h (summer)

Visa Categories & Immigration Authority

Major Visa Categories

Tourist eVisa
Long-stay D
Work Permit
Family
Student
Investor
Hi-Tech Park

Authority: Department of Citizenship and Migration MIA
Official Portal: mvd.gov.by
Phone: +375 17 218 37 07
Email: dcm@mvd.gov.by

Naturalisation Details

Residence Years
Language Test: Yes (level n/a)
Civic Test: Yes
Oath Required: No
Dual Allowed: No
Fee: $250
Processing: ~24 months

Safety

GPI Rank

#98

Global Peace Index ranking (lower is safer)

Common Risks

⚠Overcharging foreigners at unmetered taxis, especially at Minsk National Airport
⚠Currency exchange fraud using outdated or unofficial rates at street kiosks
⚠Fake police officers demanding document checks and fines from tourists

Regulators & official sources

Bodies that regulate immigration advice in Belarus, and the official sources indexed for it by Visa Atlas. Descriptions are verbatim; each links to its source.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Belarus

MFA

Official entry-visa, e-visa, visa-free travel, transit, arrival-visa and consular filing guidance.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Belarus

Citizenship and Migration Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs

DGiM

Competent migration authority referenced in MFA guidance for registration, residence permits, employment-permit evidence and permanent-residence decisions.

Citizenship and Migration Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs

Unified Portal for Electronic Services

E-Pasluga

Official electronic-services portal used by MFA guidance for Belarus e-visa filing and electronic registration services.

Unified Portal for Electronic Services

Sources & last verified

Index from Visa Atlas (CC BY 4.0), as of 2026-09-20.

Official source

Related Guides

Exit tax: countries that charge you to leave

Country-by-country reference of departure taxes, deemed-disposition rules, and wealth-locking regimes that trigger when tax residency ends.

Related on The Citizenship Desk

Life logistics

Reference tables

Visa routes

Official visa and residence routes for Belarus, indexed from Visa Atlas. Each links to its government source. This is a licensed external index, distinct from our own curated visa guides.

Residence

Permanent Residence Entry Visa

Residence

Belarus entry-visa route for people who already have the regional Citizenship and Migration Department decision for permanent residence.

Sponsor requiredLeads to settlementEntry-visa validity is set by the visa issued; the permanent-residence basis depends on the separate Citizenship and Migration Department decision.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Belarus · reviewed 2026-08-01

Short-term / business

Business Entry Visa

Short-term / business

Belarus business-travel entry visa route supported by a Belarusian legal entity, with short-term and long-term visa possibilities.

Sponsor requiredC short-term visas are valid up to 90 days. D long-term multiple-entry visas may be issued for more than 90 days but not more than 5 years, with stay limits controlled by the visa rules and treaties.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Belarus · reviewed 2026-07-26

E-visa

Short-term / business

Single-entry Belarus e-visa for eligible ordinary-passport holders visiting for tourism, private, business, event or internship purposes.

Single entry, not exceeding 30 days.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Belarus · reviewed 2026-07-26

Short-Term Tourist Visa

Short-term / business

Traditional Belarus tourist entry visa for travellers who need a visa or do not fit the e-visa or visa-free frameworks.

Sponsor requiredTourist-purpose visas can be single or double entry and are issued for not longer than 30 days.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Belarus · reviewed 2026-07-26

Transit Through Belarus

Short-term / business

Transit framework for travellers passing through Belarus, including visa-free airport transfer cases and the short transit-visa framework.

Transit through Belarus is generally no longer than 2 days including the day of entry, excluding unintended delays; airport transfer without a visa is limited to no more than 24 hours in the designated airport zone.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Belarus · reviewed 2026-08-18

Visa-Free Entry

Short-term / business

Belarus visa-free entry regimes, including nationality agreements, selected airport entry, European road and rail entry, and the Brest-Grodno tourist zone.

Varies by regime: airport entry is up to 30 days, Brest-Grodno tourist-zone entry is up to 15 days, listed European road/rail entry is generally up to 30 days or 90 days for Poland, Lithuania, Latvia and Latvian non-citizens, and nationality agreements vary.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Belarus · reviewed 2026-08-01

Work (sponsored)

Employment Entry Visa

Work (sponsored)

Belarus employment entry visa route tied to a special employment permit, employer support or representative-office basis.

Sponsor requiredEmployment entry-visa validity depends on whether the visa is issued as a short-term C visa or long-term D visa; local residence or exit-entry steps may be needed after arrival.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Belarus · reviewed 2026-07-26

Family

Private-Purpose Entry Visa

Family

Belarus private-purpose visa route for family, invitation, medical, accompanying-family and related private-affairs cases.

Sponsor requiredShort-term private visas are within the C visa framework of up to 90 days. Long-term private visas may be available where the MFA long-term visa conditions are met.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Belarus · reviewed 2026-07-26

Study

Study Entry Visa

Study

Belarus study entry visa supported by an approved educational-institution invitation or Citizenship and Migration Department confirmation.

Sponsor requiredEntry-visa validity depends on the visa issued; longer study normally requires local residence-permit steps after arrival.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Belarus · reviewed 2026-07-26

Sources & last verified

Route index from Visa Atlas (CC BY 4.0), as of 2026-09-12. Each route links to its official government source.

Official source

Sources & last verified

Last verified 2026-06-15