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.
TOLL ROADS
Electronic toll collection system “BelToll” has been put into commercial operation in Belarus since 1 August 2013.
As of August 1, the total length of the toll roads in Belarus amounts to 1189 km.
The use of “BelToll” system is mandatory for:
- motor vehicles with maximum laden weight less than 3.5 tons registered outside the Customs Union (cars and minibuses);
- other motor vehicles with maximum laden weight more than 3.5 tons (heavy vehicles, buses, motor caravans).
The following categories of vehicles are also exempt from the electronic toll payment:
- motorbikes and motorcycles;
- wheeled tractors and self-propelled vehicles registered on the territory of the Republic of Belarus;
- special operation vehicles;
- law enforcement vehicles and the vehicles used to ensure defence capacity;
- fixed-route taxis used for urban transportation of passengers;
- emergency response vehicles and the vehicles used for transportation of humanitarian aid.
The Ministry of Transport and Communications of the Republic of Belarus set the following rates of electronic tolls depending on vehicle’s maximum laden weight and number of axles:
- motor vehicles with maximum laden weight not exceeding 3.5 tons - 0,04 euro/km;
- 2-axle motor vehicles with maximum laden weight more than 3.5 tons - 0,09 euro/km;
- 3-axle motor vehicles with maximum laden weight more than 3.5 tons - 0,115 euro/km;
- 4-axle (and more) motor vehicles with maximum laden weight more than 3.5 tons - 0,145 euro/km.
Electronic Toll Collection System: How to Use and Pay Toll
Toll Roads Map and Customer Service Points
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.
