Do you need insurance for a trip to Belarus

Belarus requires medical insurance from most foreigners, but Russian citizens are exempt thanks to the Union State agreements. No visa is needed, there is no passport control on the Russia–Belarus border and you can enter with an internal passport. For an ordinary tourist or family visit a policy is not mandatory.

Emergency medical care — for a sudden illness, injury or threat to life — is generally provided to Russian citizens in Belarus free of charge. But further treatment, examinations, specialist consultations, medicines and medical transportation home are paid. The OMS policy (Russian compulsory health insurance) is not valid in Belarus.

When insurance for Belarus is still worth having

  • Travelling with children. A policy covers paid paediatric consultations, tests and medicines if a child falls ill on the trip.
  • Older age and chronic conditions. If an illness requires hospitalisation and transportation home, the costs can be significant. Add the exacerbation of chronic diseases option.
  • Travelling by car. Many people drive to Minsk, Brest and Grodno in their own cars. Consider the accident option and the travel by private car option. Motor third-party liability abroad is insured separately — see the Green Card page.
  • Active holidays. The Silichi and Logoisk ski resorts, rafting on the Braslav Lakes rivers and cycling trips are a reason to add the active sports option.
  • Transit. If Belarus is part of a route to other countries, buy one policy for all countries of the trip.

Which sum to choose

For Belarus the minimum sum offered by insurers — USD 30,000 — is enough. Healthcare in Minsk and regional centres is of a good standard, and prices for paid services are lower than in Europe. The main thing is that the plan includes outpatient treatment, hospitalisation and medical transportation.

Buy a policy to Belarus online

You can buy insurance right on this page: the calculator above shows prices from several insurers at once (16 insurers are available in the service). Online sales are provided by Polis Re’s partner, the Cherehapa service; the contract is concluded with the insurance company you select.

  1. Check that “Belarus” is selected and set the dates and travellers’ ages.
  2. Tick the options you need: accident cover, travel by private car, active sports, exacerbation of chronic diseases.
  3. Sort offers by price or by cover and open the terms of the plan you like.
  4. Enter your first and last name in Latin letters as in your international passport (if you do not have one, use standard transliteration), enter your e-mail and pay.
  5. The electronic policy arrives by e-mail within a few minutes and is as valid as a paper one.

Insured event in Belarus: what to do

Keep the assistance phone number at hand: it is printed in the policy. An assistance company is a service company that organises help abroad on behalf of the insurer.

  1. Report the case before seeing a doctor: policy number, your details, address and symptoms.
  2. Get a referral to a clinic — treatment there is paid without your involvement, within the sum insured and taking the deductible into account.
  3. If the assistance company allows you to pay yourself, keep the medical report, invoices and receipts and file a claim for reimbursement after you return.

More in the “Insured event” section.

Nearby destinations

If your route covers several countries, see the other pages too: insurance to Kazakhstan, insurance to Armenia, insurance to Uzbekistan, insurance to the Schengen Area. The full list of destinations, annual policies and tips on choosing cover are on the travel insurance page.