Moving to Belarus: visas, cost of living & immigrant guide

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Population

9,477,918

Population Growth Rate

-0.18%

Urban Population

75.000000

Population in Major Urban Areas

MINSK (capital) 1.861 million

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Age Structure

15.650000

Median Age

39.200000

Birth Rate - births/1,000 population

11

Death Rate - deaths/1,000 population

13.68

Total Fertility Rate - children born/woman

1.46

Contraceptive Prevalance Rate - female 12-49

72.6%

Contraceptive Prevalence Rate - female 12-49

72.6%

Mean Age for Mother's First Birth (age 25-49)

24.9

Mother's mean age at first birth

24.9

Sex Ratio at Birth - male/female

1.060000

Net Migration Rate - migrant(s)/1,000 population

.85

Ethnic Groups

Belarusian 81.2%, Russian 11.4%, Polish, Ukrainian, and other 7.4%

Nationality Noun

Belarusian(s)

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Literacy - total population

99.6%

Literacy - male

99.8%

Literacy - female

99.5%

Literacy Definition

Age 15 and over can read and write

Education Expenditures - percent of GDP

5.1%

Total School Life Expectancy - (primary to tertiary)

16.000000

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Life Expectancy at Birth

71.810000

Infant Mortality Rate

3.670000

Infant Mortality Rate - total deaths/1,000 live births

3.670000

Maternal Mortality Rate - deaths/100,000 live births

4

Physicians Density - physicians/1,000 population

3.76

Hospital Bed Density - beds/1,000 population

11.1

Health Expenditures - percent of GDP

5.3%

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

24.3%

Drinking Water Source - percent of urban population improved

99.800000

Sanitation Facility Access - percent of urban population improved

94.000000

Underweight - percent of children under five years

1.3%

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Economic Overview

As part of the former Soviet Union, Belarus had a relatively well-developed industrial base, but it is now outdated, inefficient, and dependent on subsidized Russian energy and preferential access to Russian markets.

The country’s agricultural base is largely dependent on government subsidies.

Following the collapse of the Soviet Union, an initial burst of economic reforms included privatization of state enterprises, creation of private property rights, and the acceptance of private entrepreneurship, but by 1994 the reform effort dissipated.

About 80% of industry remains in state hands, and foreign investment has virtually disappeared.

Several businesses have been renationalized.

State-owned entities account for 70-75% of GDP, and state banks make up 75% of the banking sector.

Economic output declined for several years following the break-up of the Soviet Union, but revived in the mid-2000s.

Belarus has only small reserves of crude oil and imports crude oil and natural gas from Russia at subsidized, below market, prices.

Belarus derives export revenue by refining Russian crude and selling it at market prices.

Russia and Belarus have had serious disagreements over prices and quantities for Russian energy.

Beginning in early 2016, Russia claimed Belarus began accumulating debt – reaching $740 million by April 2017 – for paying below the agreed price for Russian natural gas and Russia cut back its export of crude oil as a result of the debt.

In April 2017, Belarus agreed to pay its gas debt and Russia restored the flow of crude.

New non-Russian foreign investment has been limited in recent years, largely because of an unfavorable financial climate.

In 2011, a financial crisis lead to a nearly three-fold devaluation of the Belarusian ruble.

The Belarusian economy has continued to struggle under the weight of high external debt servicing payments and a trade deficit.

In mid-December 2014, the devaluation of the Russian ruble triggered a near 40% devaluation of the Belarusian ruble.

Belarus’s economy stagnated between 2012 and 2016, widening productivity and income gaps between Belarus and neighboring countries.

Budget revenues dropped because of falling global prices on key Belarusian export commodities.

Since 2015, the Belarusian government has tightened its macro-economic policies, allowed more flexibility to its exchange rate, taken some steps towards price liberalization, and reduced subsidized government lending to state-owned enterprises.

Belarus returned to modest growth in 2017, largely driven by improvement of external conditions and Belarus issued sovereign debt for the first time since 2011, which provided the country with badly-needed liquidity, and issued $600 million worth of Eurobonds in February 2018, predominantly to US and British investors.

Industries

Metal-cutting machine tools, tractors, trucks, earthmovers, motorcycles, televisions, synthetic fibers, fertilizer, textiles, radios, refrigerators

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$17,500.00 (USD)

GDP - real growth rate

-3%

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GDP - Gross Domestic Product (PPP)

$179,970,000,000 (USD)

GDP Per Capita

$17,500.00 (USD)

GDP - real growth rate

-3%

GDP - official exchange rate

$48,130,000,000 (USD)

GDP - composition, by end use

• Consumption: 54.6% Government
• Consumption: 15.8% Investment in Fixed
• Capital: 30.1% Investment in
• Inventories: 2.6% Exports of Goods and
• Services: 57.2% Imports of Goods and
• Services: -60.3%

GDP by Sector- agriculture

9.2%

GDP by Sector- Industry

40.9%

GDP by Sector- services

49.8%

Industrial Growth Rate

-3%

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Inflation Rate

14%

Exchange Rate per US Dollar

1.9

Currency Name and Code

Belarusian Rubles (BYB/BYR)

Fiscal Year

Calendar Year

Commercial Bank Prime Lending Rate

18%

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Labor Force

4,546,000

Unemployment Rate

0.7%

Unemployment - note

Official registered unemployed; a large number of underemployed workers

Major Industries

Metal-cutting machine tools, tractors, trucks, earthmovers, motorcycles, televisions, synthetic fibers, fertilizer, textiles, radios, refrigerators

Agriculture Products

Grain, potatoes, vegetables, sugar beets, flax; beef, milk

Population Below Poverty Line

6.3%

Child Labor - # of children ages 5-14

54,218

Child Labor - % of children ages 5-14

5%

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Labor Force By Occupation- agriculture

9.3%

Labor Force By Occupation- industry

32.7%

Labor Force By Occupation- services

58%

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Annual Budget

$21,210,000,000 (USD)

Public Debt (% of GDP)

60.7%

Budget Surplus or Deficit - percent of GDP

0.6%

Taxes and other revenues - percent of GDP

44.1%

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Full Country Name

Republic of Belarus

Country Name

Belarus

Local - Long

Respublika Byelarus' (Belarusian)/ Respublika Belarus' (Russian)

Local - Short

Byelarus' (Belarusian)/ Belarus' (Russian)

Former Name

Belorussian (Byelorussian) Soviet Socialist Republic

Etymology- history of name

the name is a compound of the Belarusian words "bel" (white) and "Rus" (the Old East Slavic ethnic designation) to form the meaning White Rusian or White Ruthenian

Independence

25 August 1991 (from the Soviet Union)

National Holiday

Independence Day, 3 July (1944); note - 3 July 1944 was the date Minsk was liberated from German troops, 25 August 1991 was the date of independence from the Soviet Union

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Government Type

presidential republic in name, although in fact a dictatorship

Constitution

• history: several previous; latest drafted between late 1991 and early 1994, signed 15 March 1994
• amendments: proposed by the president of the republic through petition to the National Assembly or by petition of least 150,000 eligible voters; approval required by at least two-thirds majority vote in both chambers or by simple majority of votes cast in a referendum; amended 1996, 2004

Legal System:

civil law system; note - nearly all major codes (civil, civil procedure, criminal, criminal procedure, family, and labor) were revised and came into force in 1999 and 2000

Executive Branch:

• chief of state: President Alyaksandr LUKASHENKA (since 20 July 1994)
• head of government: Prime Minister Alyaksandr TURCHYN (since 10 March 2025)
• cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president election/appointment
• process: president directly elected by absolute-majority popular vote in 2 rounds, if needed, for a 5-year term (no term limits); prime minister and deputy prime ministers appointed by the president and approved by the National Assembly most recent election
• date: first election held on 23 June and 10 July 1994; the 1994 constitution set the next election for 1999, but Alyaksandr LUKASHENKA extended his term to 2001 via a referendum; subsequent election held in 2001; a 2004 referendum ended presidential term limits and allowed LUKASHENKA to run and win a third term (19 March 2006), fourth term (19 December 2010), fifth term (11 October 2015), sixth term (9 August 2020), and seventh term (26 January 2025)
• election results: 2025: Alyaksandr LUKASHENKA reelected president; percent of vote - Alyaksandr LUKASHENKA (independent) 86.8%, Sergey Syrankov (Communist Party) 3.2%, 3.6% voting against all 2020: Alyaksandr LUKASHENKA reelected president; percent of vote - Alyaksandr LUKASHENKA (independent) 80.1%, Svyatlana TSIKHANOWSKAYA (independent) 10.1%, other 9.8%; note - widespread street protests erupted following announcement of the election results amid allegations of voter fraud 2015: Alyaksandr LUKASHENKA elected president; percent of vote - Alyaksandr LUKASHENKA (independent) 84.1%, Tatsyana KARATKEVIC (BSDPH) 4.4%, Sergey GAYDUKEVICH (LDP) 3.3%, other 8.2%. expected date of next
• election: 2030

Legislative Branch:

• Description: bicameral National Assembly or Natsyyalny Skhod consists of: Council of the Republic or Savet Respubliki (64 seats statutory, currently 58; 56 members indirectly elected by regional and Minsk city councils and 8 members appointed by the president; members serve 4-year terms) House of Representatives or Palata Pradstawnikow (110 seats; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by absolute majority vote in 2 rounds if needed; members serve 4-year terms)
• Elections: Council of the Republic - indirect election last held on 7 November 2019 House of Representatives - last held on 17 November 2019 (next to be held on 25 February 2024); OSCE observers determined that the election was neither free nor impartial and that vote counting was problematic in a number of polling stations; pro-LUKASHENKA candidates won every seat; international observers determined that the previous
• Elections: on 28 September 2008, 23 September 2012, and 11 September 2016 - also fell short of democratic standards, with pro-LUKASHENKA candidates winning every, or virtually every seat
• Election Results: Council of the Republic - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - independent 58, other 2; composition as of January 2024 - men 42, women 16, percent of women 27.6% House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - KPB 11, Republican Party of Labor and Justice 6, BPP 2, LDP 1, BAP 1, independent 89; composition as of August 2023 - men 66, women 44, percent of women 40%;
• Note: total National Assembly percent of women 35.7%
• Note: the US does not recognize the legitimacy of the National Assembly

Judicial Branch:

• office: Supreme Court judges appointed by the president with the consent of the Council of the Republic; judges initially appointed for 5 years and evaluated for life appointment; Constitutional Court judges - 6 appointed by the president and 6 elected by the Council of the Republic; the presiding judge directly elected by the president and approved by the Council of the Republic; judges can serve for 11 years with an age limit of 70
• subordinate courts: oblast courts; Minsk City Court; town courts; Minsk city and oblast economic courts

Regions or States:

6 regions (voblastsi, singular - voblasts') and 1 municipality* (horad) Brest, Homyel' (Gomel'), Horad Minsk* (Minsk City), Hrodna (Grodno), Mahilyow (Mogilev), Minsk, Vitsyebsk (Vitebsk) note: administrative divisions have the same names as their administrative centers; Russian spelling provided for reference when different from Belarusian

Political Parties and Leaders:

• pro-government parties: Belarusian Agrarian Party or BAP [Mikhail RUSY]
• Belarusian Patriotic Party or BPP [Mikalay ULAKHOVICH]
• Belarusian Social Sport Party or BSSP [Uladzimir ALEKSANDROVICH]
• Belaya Rus [Henadz DAVYDKA]
• Communist Party of Belarus or KPB [Alyaksey SOKOL]
• Liberal Democratic Party or LDP [Aleh GAYDUKEVICH]
• Republican Party [Uladzimir BELAZOR]
• Republican Party of Labor and Justice [Alyaksandr STSYAPANAW]
• Social Democratic Party of Popular Accord [Syarhey YERMAK] opposition parties: Belarusian Christian Democracy Party [Paval SEVYARYNETS, Volha KAVALKOVA, Vital RYMASHEWSKI] (unregistered)
• Belarusian Party of the Green [Dzimtry KUCHUK]
• Belarusian Party of the Left "Just World" [Syarhey KALYAKIN]
• Belarusian Social-Democratic Assembly or BSDH [Syarhey CHERACHEN]
• Belarusian Social Democratic Party ("Assembly") or BSDPH [Ihar BARYSAW]
• Belarusian Social Democratic Party (People's Assembly) or BSDP [Mikalay STATKEVICH] (unregistered)
• BPF Party [Ryhor KASTUSYOW]
• Christian Conservative Party-BPF [Zyanon PAZNYAK]
• United Civic Party or UCP [Mikalay KAZLOW]

Suffrage:

18 years of age; universal

Citizenship Criteria:

• birth: no citizenship by descent
• only: at least one parent must be a citizen of Belarus dual citizenship
• recognized: no residency requirement for
• naturalization: 7 years

Capital Name

Minsk

Capital - geographic coordinate

53 54 N, 27 34 E

Capital Time Difference

UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

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International Organization Participation:

• BSEC (observer)
• CBSS (observer)
• CEI
• CIS
• CSTO
• EAEC
• EAEU
• EAPC
• EBRD
• FAO
• GCTU
• IAEA
• IBRD
• ICAO
• ICC (NGOs)
• ICRM
• IDA
• IFC
• IFRCS
• ILO
• IMF
• IMSO
• Interpol
• IOC
• IOM
• IPU
• ISO
• ITU
• ITUC (NGOs)
• MIGA
• NAM
• NSG
• OPCW
• OSCE
• PCA
• PFP
• SCO (dialogue member)
• UN
• UNCTAD
• UNESCO
• UNIDO
• UNIFIL
• UNWTO
• UPU
• WCO
• WFTU (NGOs)
• WHO
• WIPO
• WMO
• WTO (observer)
• ZC

International Law Organization Participation:

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt

Diplomatic Representation from US:

• Chief of Mission: Ambassador (vacant); Chargé d’Affaires Peter KAUFMAN (since June 2023)
• Embassy: 46 Starovilenskaya Street, Minsk 220002
• Mailing Address: 7010 Minsk Place, Washington DC 20521-7010
• Telephone: [375] (17) 210-12-83/217-73-47/217-73-48
• FAX: [375] (17) 334-78-53
• Email: ConsularMinsk@state.gov
• Website: https://by.usembassy.gov/

Diplomatic Representation in the US:

• Chief of Mission: Ambassador (vacant; recalled by Belarus in 2008); Chargé d'Affaires Pavel SHIDLOWSKI (since 9 August 2022)
• Chancery: 1619 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009
• Telephone: [1] (202) 986-1606
• FAX: [1] (202) 986-1805
• Email: usa@mfa.gov.by
• Website: https://usa.mfa.gov.by/en/

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Geographic Location

Europe

Geographic Coordinates

53 00 N, 28 00 E

Total Area

80,154 Square Miles 207,600 Square Kilometers

Land Area

78,340 Square Miles 202,900 Square Kilometers

Water Area

1,815 Square Miles 4,700 Square Kilometers

Land Boundaries

2,054 Miles 3,306 Kilometers

Border Countries

Latvia 141 km, Lithuania 502 km, Poland 407 km, Russia 959 km, Ukraine 891 km

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Terrain

Generally flat and contains much marshland

Highest Point

346 Meters

Highest Point Location

Dzyarzhynskaya Hara 346 m

Lowest Point

90 Meters

Lowest Point Location

Nyoman River 90 m

Natural Resources

Forests, peat deposits, small quantities of oil and natural gas, granite, dolomitic limestone, marl, chalk, sand, gravel, clay

Irrigated Land

444 Square Miles 1,150 Square Kilometers

Time Zone

UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

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Climate

Belarus is located on the 53rd latitude--roughly the same as Hamburg, Germany; Dublin, Ireland; and Edmonton, Canada.

It has a temperate continental climate.

Average summer temperatures are in the mid-60s to mid-70s.

(July is the warmest month.) It can be cold from October to April.

Average winter temperatures are in the low teens and 20s F.

Frost can occur 6 to 7 months of the year.

Snow/ice can be expected from December to March, and occasionally into April.

Winter days are short.

Spring, summer, and fall bring long hours of welcome light.

Average annual precipitation is 22-28 inches; June, July, and August are the wettest months.

Terrain

Generally flat and contains much marshland

Location

Eastern Europe, east of Poland

Total Area

80,154 Square Miles 207,600 Square Kilometers

Border Countries

Latvia 141 km, Lithuania 502 km, Poland 407 km, Russia 959 km, Ukraine 891 km

Environment - Current Issues

Soil pollution from pesticide use

southern part of the country contaminated with fallout from 1986 nuclear reactor accident at Chornobyl in northern Ukraine

Environment - International Agreements

Party To: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulfur 85, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea

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Exports

$22,650,000,000 (USD)

Imports

$25,440,000,000 (USD)

Major Exports

Machinery and equipment, mineral products, chemicals, metals, textiles, foodstuffs

Major Imports

Mineral products, machinery and equipment, chemicals, foodstuffs, metals

Top Export Partners

Russia 39%, UK 11.2%, Ukraine 9.5%, Netherlands 4.3%, Germany 4.1%

Top Import Partners

Russia 56.6%, China 7.9%, Germany 4.6%

Export Partners

Russia 39%, UK 11.2%, Ukraine 9.5%, Netherlands 4.3%, Germany 4.1%

Import Partners

Russia 56.6%, China 7.9%, Germany 4.6%

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Airports - total

65

Airports with Paved Runways

33

Heliports

1

Railways

3,441 Miles 5,537 Kilometers

Roadways- total

53,681 Miles 86,392 Kilometers

Roadways- paved

46,386 Miles 74,651 Kilometers

Waterways

1,553 Miles 2,500 Kilometers

Ports and Terminals

Mazyr

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Pipelines: Gas

3,347 Miles 5,386 Kilometers

Pipelines: Oil

987 Miles 1,589 Kilometers

Pipelines: Refined Products

1,075 Miles 1,730 Kilometers

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Telephones

3,969,000

Cell Phones

6,960,000

Internet Users

6,000,000

Internet Country Code

.by

Internet Hosts

147,311

Broadcast Media

• 4 state-controlled national TV channels
• Polish and Russian TV broadcasts are available in some areas
• state-run Belarusian Radio operates 3 national networks and an external service
• Russian and Polish radio broadcasts are available

Telephone System

• Assessment: Belarus lags behind its neighbors in upgrading telecommunications infrastructure; modernization of the network progressing with roughly two-thirds of switching equipment now digital
• Domestic: state-owned Beltelcom is the sole provider of fixed-line local and long-distance service; fixed-line teledensity is improving although rural areas continue to be underserved; multiple GSM mobile-cellular networks are experiencing rapid growth; mobile-cellular teledensity now exceeds 100 telephones per 100 persons
• International: country code - 375; Belarus is a member of the Trans-European Line (TEL), Trans-Asia-Europe (TAE) fiber-optic line, and has access to the Trans-Siberia Line (TSL); 3 fiber-optic segments provide connectivity to Latvia, Poland, Russia, and Ukraine; worldwide service is available to Belarus through this infrastructure; additional analog lines to Russia; Intelsat, Eutelsat, and Intersputnik earth stations

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Electricity Consumption- Kilowatt Hours (kWh)

30,540,000,000

Electricity Exports- Kilowatt Hours (kWh)

5,062,000,000

Electricity Imports- Kilowatt Hours (kWh)

9,406,000,000

Electricity Production- Kilowatt Hours (kWh)

29,920,000,000

Natural Gas Consumption - Kilowatt Hours (kWh)

21,820,000,000

Natural Gas Imports- Cubic Meters (cu m)

21,020,000,000

Natural Gas Production- Cubic Meters (cu m)

220,000,000

Natural Gas Reserves- Cubic Meters (cu m)

2,832,000,000

Oil Consumption- Barrels Per Day (bbl/day)

118,800

Oil Imports- Barrels Per Day (bbl/day)

294,800

Oil Production- Barrels Per Day (bbl/day)

36,000

Oil Reserves- Barrels Per Day (bbl/day)

198,000,000

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Anthem Lyrics English

The free wind has sung free songs to thy name, Green woods caught them with friendly voices, The sun called with its flame to a seed-time far-famed, The stars poured faith into broken forces.

And in time of storms, troubles and mighty desires, Thou hast budded and bloomed, long-awaited, In a life-freshet, over the land of thy sires, Thou hast flooded and poured, unabated.

Thou has flooded and poured, in a bright tale of life, Through field, woodland, hill and vale streaming...

From thy native flower-copses thy crown is made bright, Like a swan' plumage, brilliant gleaming.

Thou dost quiver and echo with songs of the bards, Long-past years thou dost raise up and nurture, Today's forward leap thou wouldst never retard, Boldly facing mysterious futures.

In the sun thou goest bold, lovely flower of fire, Gently sowing forth dreams, gold-adornéd; Thou fearest no neighbor, though great be his ire, Thou fearest no path briared and thorny.

From end unto end, frontier mound unto mound, On the breezes renewal is borne now, And, embracing the soul, without limit or bound, Mother-joy for the better day born now.

Now there are no axes among forests green, Felling young pine-trees in frosty winter, Now there are no reapers from dawn to dark seen In summer with scythes ringing, glinting.

Strength is known in the hands, without tears songs are blithe, Desirous of glory, breasts quiver, In their books a new law, with pens of sun-scythes, New people are writing forever.

Blossom them, and raise, soaring upon eagle's wing, Souls, hearts and thoughts slumbering dully, Awaken and forth into great spaces, bring, Strength by the witch-noose unsullied.

Send messengers forth, send unto the world's bound, As falcon from falcon-nest winging.

Let them fly, fly away unto warriors sound, Set the thunder of good news far-ringing.

Enough, dearest country, in field, wood and brake, Hapless orphan, thou spendst night's long glowering, Enough of thy heart's-blood wrong drank as a snake, And cold winds blew, through thy bare bones scouring.

Arise from the depths, thou of falcon-born race, O'er sires crosses, their woes, degradation, O young Belarus, come thou forth, take thy place Of honour and fame among nations. 1913