• Travel

  • 🇧🇾 Belarus: bunq Community Travel Tips

✈️ Heading to Belarus? We've gathered some tips from the bunq community to make sure your trip is the smoothest it can be. 😎

Check them out below! 🌈 👇


Using your card

💳 Do I need cash in Belarus, or can I use my card everywhere?

You can use cards pretty much everywhere, but it´s a good idea to bring some cash with you just in case. You can also pay for the metro just by tapping your contactless card on the scanner - no need for buying the token!

💰 What currency do they use here?

The currency here is Belarusian ruble. The symbol is Br or BYN.

🏧 Which ATM’s can I use for free?

The bunq community has reported free withdrawals at these ATMs.

  • Belinvestbank

💵 If I want cash, how much should I take out of an ATM?

50 BYN should be enough for a few days, since you can use your card for nearly everything.

💳 Should I choose local currency or Euros when paying?

If you're asked to choose between local currency and Euros, always choose local currency.

That way bunq does the conversion for you, and you get to take advantage of the best rates with bunq ZeroFX.


Staying connected

📱 Can I roam, or should I get a local SIM?

Most EU mobile plans will charge you for roaming.

Wifi is readily available, especially in coffee shops.

If you want to get a local SIM card, you can learn about your options here.


Useful things to know

💁‍♀️ How does tipping work?

If you believe the service was worth a tip, leaving 5% of the bill would be normal.

🍺 How much does a 0.5L beer cost?

€1,50

🍽 How much does an average meal cost?

€6,50

🚨 What’s the emergency number?

There are different numbers for the different services here.

  • 🚓 Police: 102
  • 🚑 Ambulance: 103
  • 🚒 Fire: 101

🔌 What type of plug do they use?

This one! It’s the standard European plug.

🚗 What side of the road do they drive on?

They drive on the right side of the road here.

🗺 How do I navigate my way around?

Google and Apple Maps both work well here but Yandex Maps seems to be the best option to find the best shortest routes to reach your destination.

Otherwise, we recommend Rome2Rio as the best way to find out how to get anywhere. It even tells you the cost of each option. 🙌

👀 Any other good tips?

You should not miss the Swan Lake performance at the National Opera and Ballet Theatre.


If you've been to Belarus 🇧🇾 share your experience! The following would be really useful for other bunqers to know:

  • Which ATMs are free to use?
  • What card should I use and where?
  • Any other info you think may be useful.

Share your experience with us in the comments below! 🌈 👇

    a year later

    You will never be charged by an ATM in Belarus for cash withdrawals at the ATM, even if you want to take as little as 5 BYN (the smallest paper banknote, ca. €2) from the machine.

      a month later

      @bunq#119045 Hi bunq! The name of the currency is ruble or rouble, but not rubble :)

        @bunq#119045 A number of places would accept cash in euros and dollars as payment instead of the local currency, including tips. Such places would include many restaurants, bars and taxi’s.

        Additionally, maps.me is a good resource for navigating, it’s actually a local company! You can download the maps on your phone and use if offline anywhere.

        When it comes to driving, you have to pay additional attention to the tolls on foreign cars, a device might be given to you at the border that gathers the information about tolls to be paid when leaving the country.

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