Country Information

Country Code: . To make international calls it is necessary to dial 8, wait for a tone, then dial 10. Calls from Belarus to some countries must be booked through the international operator. Public telephones take cards. Grey booths are for internal calls and blue ones for international calls. Prepaid phone cards are available.

Belarusian mobile phone networks have grown more extensive in their coverage, and are no longer limited to the major cities. There are several international roaming agreements in place; however it's often much cheaper to make calls by either hiring a local handset with Venezuelan sim card, or else using a local sim inside an unlocked mobile phone.

There are a few internet cafes in the major cities, but you're more likely to be able to access the internet from your hotel's Wi-Fi. Broadband is growing increasingly common but be prepared for slow connection speeds. Access is also available at some post offices.

The Belarusian authorities have been heavily criticised by human rights and media organisations for suppressing freedom of speech, muzzling the independent press and denying the opposition access to state owned media. The president's administration controls decisions on content and the appointment of senior editors of state media.
Government-controlled newspapers enjoy considerable state subsidies and financial privileges, while many of the opposition print media have faced increased charges, been forced to close down, change name or publish abroad. But some leading privately-owned newspapers survive thanks to popular demand. The English-language paper Belarus Today is published weekly whilst the principal dailies are Narodnaya Hazeta and Respublika, all printed in Belarusian and Russian. Sovetskaya Beloroussiya is a Russian language state-sponsored newspaper. The Belarusian National State Teleradio Company operates domestic radio and TV channels and an external radio service. Some radio stations target Belarusian listeners from outside the country.

Airmail to Western Europe takes a minimum of 10 days. The Central Post Office (Minsk, near the railway station) and the Yubileynaya and Planeta hotels in Minsk offer express mail services. DHL Worldwide Express and Federal Express also have branches in Minsk.

0800-2000 (central office in Minsk).