Crossing the Russia-Belarus border by car in 2021

Such close partnership relations have developed between the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus, mainly thanks to active negotiations between V. Putin and A. Lukashenko, that citizens of both powers often believe that the existence of a border between the countries is of a formal nature. In fact, this is not the case, although there are certain concessions on the part of both sides. We suggest you figure out how to cross the Russia-Belarus border by car in 2021, what you need to consider before stopping at the border checkpoint.

Rules for entry into Belarus for Russian citizens in 2021

Important!

At the Russia-Belarus border you can pay in Russian rubles, but it is better to exchange Russian rubles for Belarusian rubles in advance - Russian currency will not be accepted inside the country, and currency exchange at the border is unprofitable due to the exchange rate.

Russian citizens on the territory of the Republic of Belarus have the right to the following actions:

• transit travel (i.e. to travel to another country through the territory of Belarus);
• free movement throughout the territory of the Republic of Belarus, including by transport;
• stay in the country with relatives or for the purpose of tourism without registration for 30 days;
• stay and residence in the Republic of Belarus for an unlimited time if you have registration on the territory of Belarus (registration is handled by the migration service);
• registration of a residence permit without a period of residence, i.e. only by application.

Before traveling to the Republic of Belarus from Russia, it is recommended to pay attention to the following points:

1. If you have only an internal passport of the Russian Federation, the Belarusian authorities allow you to enter the country only for the purpose of tourism and visiting family members. However, you cannot stay in the country for more than 90 calendar days.
2. If you need to come to Belarus for a period of more than 90 days, you will have to obtain permission from the Embassy of the Republic of Belarus.
3. Without registration, citizens of the Russian Federation are allowed to stay in the country for no more than a month (30 days).

What does Grodno customs say?

According to the State Customs Committee of Belarus, the situation on the Belarusian-Lithuanian border is deteriorating. Belarusian customs officers cannot clear the actual possible number of trucks due to incorrect operation of the software products of the Lithuanian control services.

Currently, about 2,000 trucks are waiting to enter the Republic of Lithuania. In two days, the Lithuanian side accepted half the required number of vehicles: a little more than 1,400 trucks, with an actual capacity of more than 3,000 cars. After registration by the Belarusian side, trucks wait more than 8 hours to enter the neighboring side.

Another factor negatively affecting the rhythm of receiving vehicles is the reconstruction of one of the popular Lithuanian checkpoints “Medininkai” (“Kamenny Log” on the Belarusian side). In this regard, the Belarusian side sent a note to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania about the possibility of clearing empty trucks at the Vidzy checkpoint on the Belarusian-Lithuanian border, which, in accordance with the Decree of the President of the Republic of Belarus, has been transferred from simplified to international status since July 2, 2021. Redirecting empty vehicles to this checkpoint will reduce the load on the busiest checkpoints and increase their capacity. A response from the Lithuanian side is expected.

“The tense situation with the formation of queues, which has already become traditional on the Belarusian-Lithuanian border, has a negative impact on all participants in the process - not only carriers lose time and money, but also recipients and senders whose goods travel through the Belarusian-Lithuanian corridor. Delivery deadlines are violated, contracts are broken, which harms the economies of many countries,” the State Customs Committee notes.

List of border crossing points between Russia and Belarus

6 railways and 13 highways pass through the joint borders of the Russian Federation and Belarus. There are only three ways to leave the Russian Federation and enter Belarus:

1. Walk through the pedestrian border crossing.
2. By car through the border checkpoint (from the Russian side - through checkpoints in the Pskov, Smolensk, Bryansk regions).
3. By train by rail.

Passport and customs control on the Russia-Belarus border can be passed at border crossing points. Information about where they are located is presented in tabular form:

Crossing the Russia-Belarus border (the procedure regardless of the side of the border line)

When crossing a border checkpoint by car, you must adhere to the procedure established by the authorities:

1. Take a turn (if the place was reserved on the border committee portal, this stage will be completed faster).
2. Park the car at the stop line (at this stage the border guard’s dog will sniff the car).
3. Submit documents for verification (after removing any banknotes lying there from the papers): national passport, vehicle registration certificate, driver’s license, medical insurance worth 300-500 rubles, etc. (the full list will be given below).
4. Drive the car to the place of customs control.
5. Stop near the border guard booth (in front of the special line).
6. Enter into a neighboring state.

Checkpoints on the border with Russia:

• Kharkov region – “Goptovka – Nekhoteevka”;
• Sumy region - "Yunakovka - Sudzha", "Bachevsk - Troebortnoye";
• Chernihiv region – “Senkovka – New Yurkovichi”;
• Luhansk region – “Melovoe – Chertkovo”.

Logist.Today reminds that on April 3, in connection with strengthening quarantine measures, the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine decided to reduce the number of existing border checkpoints.

You can find out more from the material “The Cabinet of Ministers reduces the number of border checkpoints.”

Documents for trouble-free crossing of the Russia-Belarus border by car in 2021

Border service officers ask citizens of the Russian Federation to present a set of documents when entering the Republic of Belarus, which includes:

Customs control at the Russia-Belarus border

Important!

If the number of things imported into Belarus from Russia turns out to be too much (above the established norm), you will have to pay a state duty in the amount of 60% of the cost of the “extra” items.

Let's study the list of things that can and cannot be transported across the Russia-Belarus border, and also pay attention to the restrictions on the quantity and weight of imported luggage:

Important!

Without filling out a customs declaration, a Russian can bring no more than $3,000 into Russia. If the amount exceeds 3 thousand dollars, it will have to be declared.

“The queue is usually only for trucks; passenger vehicles pass in the two left lanes. A Russian transport inspector is on duty, near whom you should slow down. No need to stop. No one will check or mark your passport, since passport and customs control at the border with Belarus has been abolished.”

Report on the TV channel “Moscow 24”

Read also:  Do ​​you need a foreign passport and other features of entry into Crimea in 2021

Fast crossing of the Russia-Belarus border by car (electronic queue)

Important!

Reserving a seat using an electronic queue is only possible when passing through the Grigorovshchina, Kotlovka, and Brest checkpoints.

If a Russian is traveling to the Republic of Belarus through the Brest, Grigorovshchina or Kotlovka checkpoints, he can book a place in the queue through the electronic queue service

. In order to speed up the border crossing process, you should visit the portal of the State Border Committee of the Republic of Belarus:

1. Open the Internet resource of the Border Committee.
2. Register on the site.
3. Go to the “Service for reserving a place in the queue at the border” section.
4. Choose a free or paid reservation.
5. Make a reservation - without payment or by paying the amount indicated on the website ( from 560 to 700 rubles
   , depending on the day of the week). When booking, only the hour of expected arrival at the border is indicated.

Important!

You can reserve your place in the queue no later than 3 hours before crossing the border. Reservations can be made 90 calendar days before the date of passage through the checkpoint.

Crossing the Belarus-Poland border by car

We had to cross the Belarusian-Polish border several times while traveling by car across Europe. Depending on the chosen route, we used checkpoints: Warsaw Bridge and Domachevo. In Domachevo, by the way, it was always faster and there were fewer cars. But these are not all checkpoints on the border of the Republic of Belarus with the Republic of Poland, there are also the following:

Checkpoints Belarus - Poland

• Berestovitsa (Bobrovniki) Grodno region, Berestovitsky district, r.p. Borderline;
• Brest (Terespol) Brest, Warsaw highway, 1;
• Bruzgi (Forge Belostotskaya) Grodno region, Grodno district, village. Bruzgi;
• Domachevo (Slovatichi) Brest region, Brest district, town. Domachevo;
• Kozlovichi (Kukuryki) (trucks only!) Brest;
• Peschatka (Polovtsy) Brest region, Kamenets district, village. Peschatka;
• Pererov (Belovezha) Brest region, Pruzhansky district, village of Pererov.

There, by the way, you can familiarize yourself with the current rules regarding the import and export of goods.

Documents for crossing the border by car

Based on experience, when crossing the border, customs officers ask for the following documents:

1. Foreign passport with a valid Schengen visa;
2. Vehicle registration certificate;
3. GREEN CARD “Green Card” (international car insurance);
4. Driver's license.

But don’t forget to also take with you (documents that may be useful abroad):

Please note that when traveling abroad, representatives of regulatory authorities of a foreign state have the right to control confirmation of the availability of sufficient funds for the trip.

Border crossing rules

When crossing the border you will need to go through passport and customs control.

Rules for those who cross the Russia-Belarus border by car

To avoid problems at the border between Russia and the Republic of Belarus, be sure to pay attention to the rules below, failure to comply with which will result in trouble and denial of entry into the country

. When passing border and customs control it is strictly prohibited:

• load anything into a vehicle or, conversely, unload something from the body/trunk (following deportation and/or a fine in accordance with Law of April 21, 2003 No. 194-Z);
• generally park your personal car on the territory of the checkpoint if the driver does not intend to cross the Russia-Belarus border;
• leave the vehicle or allow passengers to exit;
• film what is happening at the checkpoint with a video camera (phone, tablet, laptop and other digital devices);
• offer checkpoint employees cash and material assets in payment for services (or for assistance in anything);
• submit documents, including banknotes, for verification.

To Europe by car. Council for crossing the Belarus-Poland border

The holiday season is about to begin and many tourists prefer traveling to Europe by private car. Briefly about the pros and cons of Belarus-Poland border crossings.

In the Brest region there are three international checkpoints through which you can enter Poland by car.

The first is Warsaw Bridge (Brest-Terespol). Status - International.

(+) is located on the western outskirts of Brest, any navigator will lead to this border crossing

(+) there is an electronic queue system. Registration is carried out no later than 3 hours before the expected entry into the territory of the border crossing. More detailed terms and conditions can be found on the website https://belarusborder.by/

(+) after crossing the border you find yourself on a direct road towards Warsaw.

(-) very often there are long queues and you can get to the Polish side, at best, after 4–5 hours of tedious waiting.

(-) entry by electronic registration only allows you to bypass the queue located outside the border crossing; movement along the canals from the Belarusian and Polish sides occurs on a general basis.

(-) when returning from abroad there are no electronic queues and if there is a long queue on the Polish side, you will have to stand in it on a general basis.

The second is Domachevo-Slovatyche. Status - International.

(+) convenient for travelers who travel to Polish Lublin, Krakow, as well as to the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary

(-) is located 50 km south of Brest

(-) Movement to the border crossing on a first-come, first-served basis. Queues at the border are also a constant phenomenon, although less than in Brest.

The third is Peschatka-Polovtsy. Status - International.

(+) convenient for travelers traveling to Polish Bialystok, as well as to the Kaliningrad region

(+) ideal option for travelers who do not want to waste time and nerves in queues. There are no queues on Peschatka.

(+) border crossing time usually takes no more than 1 hour.

(-) is located 55 km north of Brest

(-) the road to Warsaw runs through a large number of settlements.

Additional information can be found on the website of the State Border Committee of the Republic of Belarus https://gpk.gov.by/maps/punkty-propuska/

Don’t forget about customs regulations at the border with Poland. Allowed to import into Poland:

• Strong alcoholic drinks containing more than 22% alcohol – 1 liter
• Alcoholic drinks no more than 22% of turnover, for example, liqueurs - 2 liters
• Still wines – 4 liters
• Beer – 16 liters

Tobacco products you can carry:

• Cigarettes – 40 pieces (2 packs)
• Cigarillos – 20 pieces
• Cigars – 10 pieces
• Smoking tobacco – 50 grams

Alcohol and tobacco products can only be imported by persons over 18 years of age.

Dairy and meat products are prohibited from being imported into Poland. Therefore, avoid sandwiches with meat and cheese “on the road” to avoid problems at the border.

Have a good trip!

Common mistakes on the topic “Crossing the Russia-Belarus border by car in 2021”

Error:

The Russian believes that nothing bad will happen if the procedure for entering Belarus and leaving the Republic of Belarus is not followed - he will be able to cross the border another time, knowing the intricacies of customs control.

In fact, if a citizen of the Russian Federation is denied entry into the Republic of Belarus by the border service, the Russian will automatically be blacklisted as travelers, and the next attempt to cross the border is unlikely to be successful.

Error:

A Russian man is trying to cross the border of Belarus with his dog, a mongrel without documents.

It is possible to transport a pet across the border with Belarus, but only if there is a veterinary certificate stating that it has no diseases.

ON THE BORDER

At the appointed time, arrive at the checkpoint. At the entrance to the storage area in front of the Brest checkpoint, you must present your registration certificate. You are registered and sent behind the barrier to one of the channels. After registering your car in the system, you stand in line and wait until your number is displayed on the big screen. Usually the wait takes no more than 15-20 minutes. Then the customs officer, in accordance with the number on the board, gives a signal to open the barrier.

It should be taken into account that if the car entered the waiting area in advance, the driver will have to wait for his time in the parking lot located here. Therefore, you should not arrive too early. However, if you are late, your reservation will be cancelled. In this case, the driver should obtain a new registration number and wait to enter the checkpoint in the general queue.

The booking service determines only the time of entry into the checkpoint. Everyone crossing the border undergoes border, customs and other types of control in accordance with the established procedure.

It is still possible to cross the border for free. Vehicles that do not have reservations move on a first-come, first-served basis.