Is it easy to drive in Belarus?

Coming to Belarus there’s no need to refuse from traveling by private vehicle. Car hire is a rather new but quickly developing service there; also it’s possible to hire a driver. But if you want to travel by your own car, there’s some information every foreign driver in Belarus has to know.

International driving license and original documents confirming the ownership of the vehicle give you a right to drive to Belarus. At the border crossing be ready to give information about the car into a customs declaration and to buy a vehicle insurance certificate. Also the international motor insurance certificate (Green card) is acceptable in Belarus.

International driving permit is valid for three months; if you’re going to stay longer in this country you must obtain the local driver license. To apply for this it’s necessary to attend a three-month course in a driving school and pass a test, which includes a computer-based test on Belarusian driving rules and a driving test.

Belarusian main traffic laws:

1. 18 is the minimum driving age;
2. There’re police checkpoints on roads throughout the country and when a police officer orders you to stop you must obey and show the documents;
3. Speed limit in cities - 60 km/h, outside cities - 90 km/h, on highways 110 km/h.
4. The alcohol limit is 0.3 ppm;
5. It is a must to give way pedestrians;
6. It's forbidden to use hand-held cell phone while driving;
7. It’s necessary for a driver and passengers to use seat belts;
8. It’s necessary to have the first-aid kit, extinguisher and warning triangle in a car.
9. Most of the road signs are written in Russian or Belarusian;

Violation of traffic rules leads to a warning or a fine, it may vary from 100,000 BYR to 4,500,000 BYR ($12-$500), and the sum depends on the kind of the violation. We must say that the road police in Belarus would not practice blackmail unless you break some rules.

Keep in mind that Belarus is a safe country. Usually it’s not a problem to leave your car in the yard instead or on the street of the guarded parking in Minsk.