Belarus

Is Belarus safe to visit?

Not by the standards of the US and UK governments. Street crime is low and Minsk feels orderly, but the US rates Belarus Level 4 (do not travel for any reason) and the UK advises against all travel. Both put the same risk first: being arrested, held without contact and denied consular help, sometimes for things done years earlier or outside the country.

The numbers that usually decide a country score look good. UNODC's latest figures, supplied by the Belarusian authorities, put homicide at 1.5 per 100,000 people in 2024, down from 2.4 in 2019. The WHO estimatedWHO road-death estimateThe World Health Organization's estimate of road traffic deaths per 100,000 people in a country, adjusted for deaths that police statistics miss.More in the glossary 7.6 road deaths per 100,000 in 2019, and there is no newer independent road figure. That 2019 road estimate is below the WHO's figure for Poland the same year (9.4). Across all factors it averages 69, but our conflict cap holds it at 65, well above Russia (43) and well below Lithuania (81). Confidence is low because the crime data come only from the government and the road data stop in 2019.

Arrest and political cases

The State Department says Belarusian authorities have detained tens of thousands of people, many for political activity that would not be a crime elsewhere, and that this includes US citizens linked to opposition parties or protests, even outside Belarus. Detention conditions are extremely poor, and there are credible reports of abuse. The FCDOFCDO travel adviceThe UK government's travel advice for each country, which can advise against all travel or all but essential travel to specific areas.More in the glossary says laws can be applied retroactively, and that having donated to a group now banned, or posted about Belarus on social media, can lead to questioning, detention or prosecution.

Releases have come in batches through US-brokered deals. Human Rights Watch reports that the Nobel laureate Ales Bialiatski was freed on 13 December 2025 and that 250 political prisoners were pardoned on 19 March 2026, after the US agreed to ease some sanctions. Viasna, the Belarusian rights group, still counted at least 842 political prisoners after that, and new arrests continue.

Phones are the easiest way to get into trouble. The US says to assume all electronic communications are monitored and that people have been arrested over data created abroad. The FCDO says phones can be seized and searched at the border, and that Belarus has declared the BBC's Russian-language content "extremist", so storing or reposting it is an offence. Travel with a clean phone if you can.

Who has no help at all

The US Embassy in Minsk suspended operations on 28 February 2022 and offers no consular services, routine or emergency. The UK keeps an embassy, but the FCDOFCDO travel adviceThe UK government's travel advice for each country, which can advise against all travel or all but essential travel to specific areas.More in the glossary says it is unlikely to get consular access to dual nationals.

Belarus does not recognise dual nationality. If you hold or can claim Belarusian citizenship, you will be treated as a Belarusian. The US says the authorities have stopped dual nationals from leaving and forced some into military service, which is compulsory for men aged 18 to 27.

Russian forces and the borders

Belarus lets Russia use its territory for the war against Ukraine. The FCDOFCDO travel adviceThe UK government's travel advice for each country, which can advise against all travel or all but essential travel to specific areas.More in the glossary sees a low risk that fighting spreads into Belarus and names places with Russian and Belarusian military sites, including Mazyr and Zyabrovka in Gomel region and Lida in Grodno region. Avoid military areas; photographing police, soldiers or infrastructure is illegal and the signs are not always there.

The land border with Ukraine is closed to British nationals. Crossings to Poland reopened on 25 September 2025 and two to Lithuania on 20 November 2025, but the FCDO warns they could close again at short notice. Smuggling balloons from Belarus closed Vilnius airport more than 10 times between October 2025 and January 2026. There are no direct flights to the UK, EU airlines avoid Belarusian airspace, and US carriers are banned from it.

Money, roads and health care

Plan the money before you go. The FCDOFCDO travel adviceThe UK government's travel advice for each country, which can advise against all travel or all but essential travel to specific areas.More in the glossary says almost no major banks accept foreign cards, ATMs limit withdrawals and roubles cannot be changed back outside Belarus. Bring US dollars or euros, and change them only at licensed offices; unofficial exchange can mean a fine, arrest and confiscation.

Main M-class highways are in good condition, but potholes and roadworks are badly marked, some R-class roads close in winter and there is zero tolerance for drink-driving. Police can also fine pedestrians for jaywalking.

Health care is below UK standards and English is rarely spoken. Bring your own medicines, boil and filter city tap water, avoid village wells and check for ticks after walks in the forest. Entry requires medical insurance worth at least 10,000 euros.

If you still go

• Do not go if you have taken part in Belarusian opposition activity, donated to banned groups or posted critically about the government.
• Carry your passport, keep your hotel registration and get an exit stamp when you leave.
• Do not photograph officials, soldiers, government buildings or protests.
• Call 102 for police and 103 for an ambulance.

How we scored it

Violent crime (87), natural hazards (85) and petty crime (80) are strong, and road safety (76) is reasonable on 2019 data. Conflict (30) is the weakest factor because of country-wide do-not-travel advice, arbitrary detention and Russian forces, and health (62) is held back by poor access to care and payment. The weighted average is 69. The overall score is capped at 65 (conflict + 35): when conflict is this severe, good roads, health care or low crime cannot lift a country above that.