Country driving guide · 2026
Everything UK and EU drivers need before crossing the border into Belarus: 10 legal requirements + 6 other things worth knowing.
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Tick before you go
10 legal must-haves. Print it, tick them off, throw it in the glovebox.
1968 IDP required alongside UK/EU licence
Belarus recognises the 1968 Vienna Convention International Driving Permit, which must be carried with your national licence; UK drivers need the IDP 1968 from the Post Office (GBP 5.50).
Green Card insurance mandatory at border
A physical Green Card extension covering Belarus (zone 'BY') must be shown at the frontier; most UK/EU policies exclude Belarus, so border 'Belgosstrakh' insurance must be bought on entry (around EUR 35 for 15 days for a car).
V5C and notarised permission for borrowed cars
Carry the original V5C logbook; if the car is not registered in your name you need a notarised owner's authorisation letter translated into Russian, or you will be turned back at the border.
Visa required for UK and most EU nationals
UK citizens need a visa in advance; the 30-day visa-free regime via Minsk airport does NOT apply to land border crossings, so driving in from Lithuania/Poland/Latvia requires a full visa.
BelToll electronic free-flow system on M-roads
All M-class motorways use BelToll on-board units (OBU) read by gantries: register at a border point of sale, pay a refundable BYN 20 (about EUR 6) deposit and top up; rate is roughly EUR 0.04 per km for a car under 3.5t, so about EUR 4 per 100 km.
Source: beltoll.by →Hi-vis, triangle, first aid kit and extinguisher
You must carry a warning triangle, first aid kit, fire extinguisher and reflective jacket (worn when exiting the car on a road at night or in poor visibility); spot checks by GAI traffic police are common.
Winter tyres 1 December to 1 March
Winter tyres marked M+S or with the snowflake symbol are legally required from 1 December to 1 March on all four wheels; minimum tread depth 4 mm.
Drive right, dipped headlights and zero alcohol
Traffic drives on the right; dipped headlights mandatory at all times outside built-up areas year-round and everywhere from November to March; BAC limit is effectively zero (0.3 g/L blood, treated as 0.0 in practice).
Speed limits 110 / 90 / 60 km/h
Motorway 110 km/h (some toll sections signed 120), rural 90 km/h, urban 60 km/h; drivers with less than two years' experience are capped at 70 km/h everywhere outside towns.
Declare cash over EUR 10,000 at border
Amounts equivalent to EUR 10,000 or more in any currency must be declared on the customs red channel on entry and exit; failure to declare can mean confiscation.
UK Foreign Office advises against all travel to Belarus due to the security situation and risk of arbitrary detention; UK consular support is severely limited and most insurers will not cover travel here.
FCDO Belarus adviceBelarus recognises the 1968 Vienna Convention International Driving Permit, which must be carried with your national licence; UK drivers need the IDP 1968 from the Post Office (GBP 5.50).
A physical Green Card extension covering Belarus (zone 'BY') must be shown at the frontier; most UK/EU policies exclude Belarus, so border 'Belgosstrakh' insurance must be bought on entry (around EUR 35 for 15 days for a car).
Carry the original V5C logbook; if the car is not registered in your name you need a notarised owner's authorisation letter translated into Russian, or you will be turned back at the border.
UK citizens need a visa in advance; the 30-day visa-free regime via Minsk airport does NOT apply to land border crossings, so driving in from Lithuania/Poland/Latvia requires a full visa.
All M-class motorways use BelToll on-board units (OBU) read by gantries: register at a border point of sale, pay a refundable BYN 20 (about EUR 6) deposit and top up; rate is roughly EUR 0.04 per km for a car under 3.5t, so about EUR 4 per 100 km.
beltoll.byYou must carry a warning triangle, first aid kit, fire extinguisher and reflective jacket (worn when exiting the car on a road at night or in poor visibility); spot checks by GAI traffic police are common.
Winter tyres marked M+S or with the snowflake symbol are legally required from 1 December to 1 March on all four wheels; minimum tread depth 4 mm.
Traffic drives on the right; dipped headlights mandatory at all times outside built-up areas year-round and everywhere from November to March; BAC limit is effectively zero (0.3 g/L blood, treated as 0.0 in practice).
Motorway 110 km/h (some toll sections signed 120), rural 90 km/h, urban 60 km/h; drivers with less than two years' experience are capped at 70 km/h everywhere outside towns.
Right turn on red is prohibited unless a green arrow is shown; children under 12 or shorter than 150 cm must use an appropriate child restraint.
Single emergency number 112 reaches police, ambulance and fire; English is rarely spoken so have your location written in Cyrillic if possible.
Belarus operates no LEZs or environmental sticker scheme in Minsk or other cities; any roadworthy vehicle may enter urban areas without registration.
The Polesie State Radioecological Reserve south of Gomel is closed to unauthorised vehicles; stick to main routes and do not detour onto unmarked forest tracks near the Ukrainian border.
Currency is the Belarusian rouble (BYN); fuel is cheap at roughly BYN 2.50/L (about EUR 0.75/L) for 95 unleaded, but Western cards (Visa/Mastercard) no longer work due to sanctions: bring euros or US dollars in cash and change at a bank.
Amounts equivalent to EUR 10,000 or more in any currency must be declared on the customs red channel on entry and exit; failure to declare can mean confiscation.
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Traffic drives on the right; dipped headlights mandatory at all times outside built-up areas year-round and everywhere from November to March; BAC limit is effectively zero (0.3 g/L blood, treated as 0.0 in practice).
Motorway 110 km/h (some toll sections signed 120), rural 90 km/h, urban 60 km/h; drivers with less than two years' experience are capped at 70 km/h everywhere outside towns.