Travelling by Car
DRIVING IN BELARUS:STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTION
1. Explore the basic road checkpoints and choose the best route.
2. Make provision of all the necessary documents for the car.
Foreign citizens and stateless citizens who are temporarily staying or residing in the Republic of Belarus, when driving a motor vehicle must have:
driver's license of international standard;
vehicle registration certificate;
permission of communication agency to use radio and satellite communication devices, if any on the vehicle;
insurance policy (if the vehicle is registered outside the Republic of Belarus, its owner must sign a Green Card insurance contract for this vehicle with one of the insurance companies of the country, authorized to effect such contracts. If the driver doesn’t have a Green Card, he has to sign a contract of border insurance with one of the insurance companies of the Republic of Belarus upon entry to its territory. The time for processing the policy usually doesn’t exceed 10 minutes).
Registration plates on the car must be issued by the competent authority of the state where the car is registered.
3. Do not forget that the process of passing the state border by vehicles includes the implementation of border, customs, and if necessary, quarantine, veterinary, phytosanitary and other controls. Upon crossing the border, the driver must include the vehicle information in the customs declaration.
4. Participation in the road traffic of the Republic of Belarus of a vehicle without a contract of compulsory civil liability insurance of the owners of motor vehicles is fined in the amount of 20 basic rates. You can find more information at www.btib.org.
TOLL ROADS
Since August 1st 2013 the electronic toll collection system BelToll has been put into commercial operations in Belarus.
As of December 1st, 2019, the total length of the toll roads in Belarus is 1787 km.
The use of the “BelToll” system is compulsory for drivers, steering the following types of vehicles:
vehicles (passenger cars and minibuses) with Maximum Laden Weight not exceeding 3.5 tons, registered outside of the Eurasian Economic Union;
other vehicles (trucks, buses and motor homes) with Maximum Laden Weight of over 3.5 tons.
Vehicles with Maximum Laden Weight not exceeding 3.5 tons registered inside the Eurasian Economic Union are not liable to pay the toll fee.
The following categories of vehicles are also exempted from the electronic toll payment:
- vehicles with with Maximum Laden Weight not exceeding 3.5 tons not registered in the territory of the Eurasian Economic Union member states, imported by individuals to the customs territory of the Eurasian Economic Union or purchased by individuals in the territory of the Eurasian Economic Union member states and imported to the territory of the Republic of Belarus, and trailers towed by them – within 10 days from the day of their release by customs authorities for circulation in the customs territory of the Eurasian Economic Union without any restrictions with respect to the use and disposal, or from the day of their purchase, respectively;
- motorbikes and motorcycles;
- wheeled tractors and self-propelled vehicles, registered on the territory of the Republic of Belarus;
- special operation vehicles;
- vehicles used for the purposes of ensuring the defensive capacity and enforcement of the law;
- fixed-route taxis used for urban transportation of passengers;
- vehicles used for delivery of medical care, emergency response or transportation of humanitarian aid.
The amount of toll depends on vehicle’s maximum laden weight and number of axles.
The Ministry of Transport and Communications of the Republic of Belarus imposed the following rates for the calculation of toll fees collected on the toll roads depending on vehicle’s Maximum Laden Weight and number of axles:
- vehicles with a maximum laden weight not exceeding 3.5 tons – 0.04 euro/km;
- 2-axle motor vehicles with a maximum laden weight of over 3.5 tons – 0.09 euro/km;
- 3-axle motor vehicles with a maximum laden weight of over 3.5 tons – 0.115 euro/km;
- 4-axle (and more) motor vehicles with a maximum laden weight of over 3.5 tons – 0.145 euro/km.
For the usage of the electronic toll collection system “BelToll” drivers need to register in the system, sign a contract and rent of an Onboard Unit (OBU). It could be done in one of the Distrubution Points (addresses of Distribution Points and their working hours published on www.beltoll.by).
All necessary information on the electronic toll collection system “BelToll”, vehicles obliged to pay toll, tariffs and regulations as well as on the mounting of the OBU could be obtained on BelToll Call Center Infoline +375 (172) 798 798 working 24/7.
PECULARITIES OF DRIVING ON BELARUSIAN ROADS
While in Belarus, drive on the right side.
Traffic signs are of international standard. The majority is in Cyrillic alphabet (Russian alphabet). However, the signs on the main transport nodes are also repeated in the Latin alphabet (English alphabet).
Speed limits: 60 km/h (37 miles / h) — in towns, 90 km/h (55 miles/h) — outside towns. Exception — certain areas where there’s a speed limit of 120 km/h (75 miles/h).
Radar speed control is popular in Belarus. In addition, automatic overspeed control cameras are installed on some motorways (especially on M-1/E30).
Traffic police of Belarus — the State Automobile Inspection (abbreviated in Russian — ГАИ, in Belarusian — ДАI). Traffic police inspectors have uniforms with yellow reflective stripes.
The driver is obliged to stop upon demand of a traffic police inspector in uniform. This requirement must be made by a signal pole, hand gesture, using a loudspeaker device or by turning on the red light on the vehicle of operational designation. During night-time outside populated areas there should be a vehicle of operational designation next to the traffic police officer with a switched on flashing light.
The use of any amount of alcohol (including beer) when driving is prohibited on the territory of Belarus. Upon demand of a traffic police inspector, drivers should be examined in order to determine the level alcohol or drug intoxication.
The driver is not allowed to use radio and telephone communications, not equipped with a hands-free device when driving. The driver shall be buckled up, and carry buckled up passengers when driving a car equipped in prescribed manner.
There are 45 points of emergency communication with the dispatcher of road service on the road M-1/E30, using which you can call the state automobile inspection, emergency call or technical service.
MOTORWAY SERVICE
The distance between the roadside meal stations is 30-60 km.
Service stations (СТО) along busy roads are usually located at a distance of not more than 80 km from each other, resting areas — at a distance of 100-150 km. A typical Belarusian motorway service usually includes a gas station (АЗС) with a small shop.
FUEL
Petrol stations are located on busy roads at the average distance of 30-40 km from each other, on less busy roads — at a distance of 50-60 km.
At petrol stations and gas stations the fuel of the following brands is sold
automobile gasoline Normal-80;
automobile gasoline AI-92-10 (environmentally advanced, with low sulfur and benzol content);
automobile gasoline AI-95-Euro;
diesel fuel EN 590;
diesel fuel “Arctic” EN 590;
biodiesel fuel EN 590;
autogas.
Since the middle of 2012 diesel fuel of European quality standard Euro-5 can be purchased at Belarusian petrol stations.
