Travel Insurance For Belarus: What You Need To Know

If you're planning a trip to Belarus, it's important to know that foreign visitors are required to have travel insurance that covers the length of their stay. This is also a visa requirement. The minimum value of medical insurance should be €10,000, and it can be obtained from Belarusian insurance companies or accredited foreign insurers. An insurance policy issued by a foreign company should be valid in Belarus for the duration of your stay. However, there are some exemptions for certain foreign citizens, such as diplomats and those with reciprocal healthcare agreements with Belarus. It is recommended to review different international travel insurance options and choose one that suits your specific needs, as travel insurance provides essential coverage and protection in case of unforeseen events or emergencies during your trip.

Foreign citizens must have health insurance to enter Belarus

Foreign citizens who do not have valid insurance and refuse to take out a policy at the border will be refused entry to Belarus. The insurance policy must be valid in Belarus for the duration of the citizen's stay and can be confirmed with an insurance policy, insurance card, or other documents containing information about the health insurance. The existence of health insurance can also be confirmed at border checkpoints.

The health insurance policy must include the following:

• Name of the insurance company and its location
• Phone numbers or international assistance services
• Surname, first name, and patronym (if applicable) of the foreign citizen
• Validity for the territory of the Republic of Belarus
• Validity for the period of the foreign citizen's temporary stay or temporary residence
• Insured amount of no less than €10,000

The Belgosstrakh insurance policy can be purchased online after registering at http://my.bgs.by or https://beg.by.

It is important to note that certain individuals are exempt from the mandatory health insurance requirement. These include diplomats, flight crew, foreign citizens entitled to free emergency healthcare through reciprocal agreements, and others listed on the official Belarus government website.

Insurance must be purchased from Belarusian companies or accredited foreign insurers

Insurance for a Trip to Belarus

Foreign citizens must have a valid insurance policy to enter Belarus. This can be purchased from Belarusian insurance companies or accredited foreign insurers. The policy must cover the entire period of their stay in Belarus and be for a minimum of €10,000.

Belarusian Insurance Companies

The two main Belarusian insurance companies that offer health insurance for foreign citizens are:

• Belgosstrakh
• Beleximgarant/Eximgarant

Accredited Foreign Insurers

Foreign insurance policies are accepted if they meet the following requirements:

• The policy must be valid in Belarus for the entire period of the citizen's stay.
• The policy must cover emergency medical treatment in medical institutions.
• The policy must provide an insured amount of not less than €10,000.
• The policy must contain the name of the foreign insurance company and its location, phone numbers or international assistance services, as well as the full name of the foreign citizen.
• The policy must be valid for the period of the citizen's temporary stay or temporary residence in Belarus.

Who is Exempt?

The following are exempt from purchasing health insurance for a trip to Belarus:

• Tourists passing through Belarus on a transit visa (on international transport).
• Diplomats and official delegations.
• Flight and rail crew staff.
• Foreigners entitled to free emergency healthcare due to reciprocal healthcare agreements signed with Belarus (Russia, Turkmenistan, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Ukraine, and CIS member states).

The minimum insurance value is €10,000

Foreign visitors to Belarus must have travel insurance for the duration of their stay. This includes medical insurance to a minimum value of €10,000. This insurance can be purchased from Belarusian insurance companies such as Belgosstrakh and Beleximgarant, or from accredited foreign insurers. The insurance policy must be valid in Belarus for the entire period of your stay.

When applying for a visa, you must submit proof of your insurance policy. This can be done by presenting an insurance policy, an insurance card, or another document containing information about your health insurance. The insurance policy must include your surname, first name, and patronym (if applicable). It must also be valid for the period of your temporary stay or temporary residence in Belarus.

If you are a foreign citizen and do not have a valid insurance policy, you may be refused entry to Belarus. This is because travel insurance is one of the visa requirements for the country. However, there are some exemptions to this rule. Tourists passing through Belarus on a transit visa, diplomats and official delegations, flight and rail staff, and foreigners entitled to free emergency healthcare through reciprocal agreements with their countries are all exempt from the insurance requirement.

The cost of medical treatment in Belarus can be high, and many hospitals require upfront payments before admission. Therefore, it is essential to have adequate travel health insurance to cover these costs. Additionally, the quality and standard of hospitals and medical care in Belarus may differ from that of your home country, and medical evacuation to Western Europe may be necessary in the event of serious injuries or illnesses.

Insurance can be purchased online or at border checkpoints

To enter Belarus, foreign citizens are required to have a medical insurance policy that covers emergency medical treatment. This insurance must be valid for the duration of their stay and provide a minimum of €10,000 worth of coverage.

You can purchase insurance from Belarusian companies such as Belgosstrakh and Beleximgarant or a foreign insurance company, provided it is valid in Belarus.

To purchase insurance online, you can visit the websites of Belarusian insurance companies such as Belgosstrakh (http://my.bgs.by or https://beg.by) or Eximgarant. You will need to register on the website and provide personal information such as your full name. After purchasing the insurance, you will receive a confirmation, usually within 24 hours.

If you do not have insurance before arriving in Belarus, you can purchase it at border checkpoints, such as international airports. This is a compulsory requirement, and failure to obtain insurance will result in a refusal of entry to Belarus.

It is important to note that some nationalities, such as citizens of Armenia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Ukraine, Russia, and Turkmenistan, are exempt from the compulsory health insurance requirement, as they have bilateral agreements with Belarus for medical emergency services.

Citizens of certain countries do not need health insurance

Citizens Exempt from Health Insurance Requirements for Travel to Belarus

Citizens of certain countries do not need to purchase health insurance when travelling to Belarus. This is due to reciprocal healthcare agreements that their countries have signed with Belarus. These citizens are still required to have some form of health insurance, but it is provided to them for free under the terms of these agreements.

The countries that have signed such agreements with Belarus are:

• Russia
• Turkmenistan
• Armenia
• Kazakhstan
• Kyrgyzstan
• Moldova
• Tajikistan
• Uzbekistan
• Ukraine

Additionally, citizens who fall under the following categories are also exempt from purchasing health insurance:

• Heads of foreign states and governments, members of parliamentary, governmental, and official delegations invited by the governing bodies of Belarus, and technical personnel of these delegations.
• Heads and members of diplomatic and consular missions, representations of international organizations in Belarus, and their family members.
• United Nations employees who hold a Laissez-Passer issued by the United Nations.
• Crew members of international flights and trains.
• Foreign air force crew members and other military personnel arriving in Belarus to take part in military exercises.
• Persons residing in Belarus as representatives of foreign border guard authorities.
• Foreigners transiting through Belarus via the National Airport in Minsk, provided they have a single ticket and their stay at the airport does not exceed 24 hours.
• Tourists passing through Belarus on a transit visa, such as those travelling on international trains or civil aircraft of international airlines.
• Diplomats and official delegations.
• Flight crew and rail staff.

Frequently asked questions