No visa needed

Do citizens of Russia need a visa for Belarus?

Citizens of Russia don’t need a visa for Belarus. You need a valid passport; border officers may ask for a return ticket and accommodation. For a longer stay you need a visa or an extension.

For citizens of Russia: the passport opens 79 countries visa-free; Moscow — Minsk: ≈ 680 km, about 1.5 hours of flying.

Checked by visa analyst Albert Brown, 13 years of experience · September 26, 2026

At a glance

No visa needed

Can I travel to Belarus without a visa on a Russia passport?

Yes, citizens of Russia don’t need a visa for Belarus. A valid passport is enough.

Belarus visa rules at a glance

With a Russia passport you can visit 79 countries visa-free, 27 with a visa on arrival and 31 with an e-visa; 61 more require an embassy visa.
By the number of visa-free destinations, the Russia passport ranks 79th of 199.
Russia passport: visa-free access to 79 countries; Belarus passport: 43.
Citizens of Russia and Belarus can travel together visa-free to 40 countries, for example: Moldova, Georgia, Serbia, Turkey, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Montenegro, Kazakhstan, Palestine, Uzbekistan, Tunisia, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, United Arab Emirates, and Oman.
A language both countries share: Russian.
Russia and Belarus share a border, so you can also travel overland.
Citizens of Belarus, in turn, don’t need a visa for Russia. Russia visa for citizens of Belarus

Travelling to Belarus: good to know

Moscow — Minsk: about 680 km in a straight line; a direct flight takes roughly 1.5 hours.
Time difference with your country’s capital: −9 hours.
Local time: Moscow 12:00 — Minsk 03:00.
Local currency: Belarusian Ruble.
Languages: Belarusian and Russian.
Exchange rate: $1.00 ≈ BYN 3.02.
Belarus is the 1st closest of 197 destinations open to citizens of Russia.