Belarus operates two international airports serving commercial traffic. Minsk National Airport handles most international arrivals and sits 42 kilometers east of the capital. Brest Airport near the Polish border processes limited scheduled flights. Minsk National Airport opened its current terminal in 2017 with annual capacity of four million passengers. The airport operates a single runway measuring 3550 meters. Belavia is the state carrier flying to 52 destinations across Europe, Asia, and the Middle East as of 2024. Turkish Airlines, LOT Polish Airlines, and Air China maintain regular service to Minsk. Direct flights connect Minsk to Istanbul, Warsaw, Dubai, Frankfurt, Vienna, Moscow, and Beijing.
The airport arrival hall contains currency exchange desks operating 24 hours, ATMs dispensing Belarusian rubles, and SIM card vendors. Exit customs through the green channel if carrying nothing to declare. The red channel processes goods exceeding duty-free limits of one liter spirits, two liters wine, 200 cigarettes, and items valued above 10000 euros. Immigration officers at passport control typically ask purpose of visit and accommodation address. Visa-free entry requires registration at accommodation within five business days.
Ground transport from Minsk National Airport includes bus route 300E running every 30 minutes from 0600 to 2330 to the Central Railway Station for 4 rubles as of 2024. The journey takes 50 to 70 minutes depending on traffic. Minsk Metro does not connect to the airport. Official taxi service operates from designated stands outside arrivals. Metered fare to central Minsk ranges from 50 to 70 rubles depending on exact destination and time of day. Yandex Taxi mobile application functions throughout Belarus and typically quotes 30 to 50 rubles for the airport run. Some hotels operate shuttle services for advance bookings.
Belarus maintains six road border crossings with Poland, nine with Lithuania, 33 with Russia, 12 with Latvia, and four with Ukraine. The Brest crossing on the E30 highway connecting Berlin to Moscow processes the highest volume of Western European vehicle traffic. Cars entering from EU countries face border processing times ranging from 30 minutes during off-peak hours to four hours during holidays and summer weekends. Russian citizens cross land borders without passport control under Union State agreement. Third-country nationals require the same visa or entry permission regardless of entry point.
Rail connections enter Belarus from all five neighboring countries. The Berlin-Warsaw-Moscow train stops at Brest and Minsk with journey time from Polish border to Minsk of approximately five hours. Trains from Vilnius reach Minsk in under four hours. The gauge changes at the Polish border from standard European 1435mm to Russian broad gauge 1520mm, requiring either bogie exchange or passenger transfer depending on service. Minsk Central Railway Station serves as the hub for domestic and international rail with departures to Moscow, Saint Petersburg, Kyiv, Warsaw, Vilnius, and Kaliningrad.
No scheduled passenger ferry or boat services operate to Belarus. The country is landlocked with nearest seaport at Klaipėda in Lithuania 450 kilometers from Minsk.
The Belarusian ruble, currency code BYN, is the sole legal tender. The National Bank of the Republic of Belarus issues banknotes in denominations of 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200, and 500 rubles. Coins circulate in values of 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, and 50 kopecks, with 100 kopecks equaling one ruble. The current ruble series entered circulation in July 2016 following a redenomination that removed four zeros from the previous currency. Pre-2016 banknotes no longer hold value.
Currency exchange operates through banks, exchange bureaus, and some hotels. Belarusbank, Belgazprombank, and Priorbank maintain exchange services in major cities. Exchange bureaus cluster near railway stations, central squares, and shopping centers in Minsk, Brest, Grodno, and other cities. Rates vary by institution with exchange bureaus generally offering slightly better rates than hotels. US dollars and euros receive the most favorable exchange rates. Exchange services accept Russian rubles, Polish zloty, and Ukrainian hryvnia at most locations. Exchange bureaus require passport presentation for transactions exceeding equivalent of 1000 US dollars under anti-money laundering regulations.
ATMs accepting Visa, Mastercard, and Maestro cards operate throughout urban areas. Belarusbank alone maintains over 3000 ATMs nationwide. Daily withdrawal limits typically range from 1000 to 3000 rubles depending on card type and issuing bank. ATMs dispense only Belarusian rubles. International card transactions incur foreign transaction fees set by the issuing bank, typically 1 to 3 percent of withdrawal amount. Notify your bank before traveling to Belarus as card activity from Belarus sometimes triggers fraud alerts blocking transactions.