Customs formalities

HOW MUCH MONEY IS ALLOWED TO BRING WITH YOU

The amount of cash and/or traveler's checks you can take with you is not limited. If you import more than $10 thousand in equivalent into Belarus at a time, just indicate the full amount in the passenger customs declaration.
If available, you should also specify monetary instruments (except for the abovementioned traveler's checks) in the declaration:

• bills of exchange
• bank cheques
  
• securities in documentary form that certify the obligation of the issuer (debtor) to pay monetary funds, which do not specify the person to whom such payment is made
  

HOW MANY PERSONAL BELONGINGS WILL BE SKIPPED WITHOUT CUSTOMS FEES

You will not have to pay the duty if the total weight of the goods for personal use in your luggage does not exceed 50 kg and their total value is not more than €1500.

This rule applies, among others, to alcoholic beverages, beer and tobacco products. Besides, there must be no more than 3 liters of alcohol and 200 cigarettes (either 50 cigars (cigarillos) or 250 grams of tobacco). And, surely, import of alcohol and tobacco is prohibited for persons under 18 years old.

Have you exceeded the total norm of 50 kg? For each extra kilogram you will have to pay 30% (at least 4 euros per 1 kg) of the customs value of imported goods exceeding the norm.

There is a special rate for extra alcohol — €10 per 1 liter, but more than 5 liters of customs will not miss.
There are also personal consumption goods, which are not subject to the norm of 50 kg and € 1500. In addition to the luggage described above, you can bring without paying the duty (in the amount necessary for the use during the temporary stay): jewelry, personal care items, portable musical instruments, strollers and car seats, wheelchairs for the disabled, sports, tourism and hunting equipment and supplies, portable dialyzers and similar medical devices, as well as consumables to them.

Electronics can be imported duty-free by 1 unit of photo, video, movie cameras, portable movie projectors, projectors for viewing slides, portable sound recording and playback equipment (including voice recorders), DVD players, portable radios, flash players, TVs (with a screen diagonal of 42 cm), portable personal computers.
Exception — cell phones: without paying the duty, you can bring two.

Accessories for the equipment should be in the quantity necessary for use during the trip. The customs officers will determine how much luggage meets these requirements based on detailed guidelines.

WHAT SHOULD BE TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION IF YOU DRIVE A CAR

Foreign citizens can bring a car or a motorcycle into Belarus without paying duties and taxes for up to 1 year. The initial term is 3 months, after which you must apply to the customs for an extension.

Temporarily imported vehicles may be used in the Customs Union ( besides Belarus, it includes the Russian Federation and Kazakhstan) only by those individuals who imported them.

Before the annual term expires, the vehicle must be either taken out of the Customs Union or, after all applicable duties have been paid, sold or presented to the Customs, etc.
When entering Belarus, you do not need to pay additional customs fees for fuel in the tank of the car / motorcycle, and an additional 10 liters in a separate container.

WHAT IS NOT ALLOWED TO BRING IN

Narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances and their precursors may be brought to Belarus only as medicines for personal use for medical reasons in limited quantities. The need for their use must be justified by appropriate documents.

The list of prohibited items also includes printed and audiovisual materials containing:

• calls for extremist and terrorist activities or public justification of terrorism.
• porn
• campaigning, if they are produced or distributed in violation of the legislation of the Customs Union countries on elections and referendums
  
• promoting Nazi paraphernalia or symbols (or objects similar to them to the point of confusion)
  

More detailed information can be found on the website of the State Customs Authorities of the Republic of Belarus.