Belarus (BY)
A highly centralised Eastern European country with Soviet-era urban planning, low local costs, strong public transport, good basic infrastructure, sanctions-affected banking, strict migration registration and a complex risk profile for foreign residents.
Leaving Belarus
How to properly exit — protecting your finances, rights and records.
📅 General Timeline
3 months before departure: serve written notice to landlord per your contract terms (3 months for open-ended contracts). If registered as an IE, begin formal closure with egr.gov.by and local tax inspectorate. Notify international school of withdrawal. Contact FSZN to request an insurance history statement. Begin planning currency conversion within NBB limits. 2 months before: notify employer of departure date. Confirm work permit or residence permit cancellation process with MVD. Check nalog.gov.by for any outstanding tax obligations. Cancel private health insurance with 30-day notice. Arrange international health cover. 1 month before: cancel utility contracts (electricity, gas, water, central heating, internet — 30-day notice). Settle ERIP automated payments. Notify bank of departure. Convert BYN to foreign currency within NBB-permitted limits. Cancel mobile postpaid if needed. 2 weeks before: photograph apartment thoroughly. Settle all ЖЭС communal charges. Agree deposit return date, amount, and currency in writing. Final week: conduct joint move-out inspection and sign the акт прыёмкі-перадачы. Return all keys. Deregister address at ЖЭС. Surrender residence permit at MVD Migration Department. Get written deposit return confirmation. Keep one Belarusian SIM and bank account active for at least 2–3 months after departure for any final credits and FSZN correspondence. After departure: file final tax declarations if applicable. Monitor for FSZN correspondence regarding pension account status.
Deregistration
Belarus has no formal mandatory municipal address deregistration for departing foreign residents, but address registration (прапіска) matters for official records: (1) Ministry of Internal Affairs (МУС / Міністэрства ўнутраных спраў, mvd.gov.by) — Department of Citizenship and Migration: if you held a temporary or permanent residence permit (дазвол на часовае / пастаяннае знаходжанне), notify the Migration Department and surrender your permit card. Failure to cancel can create complications for future Belarusian visa applications. (2) Address deregistration: if you were formally registered at a residential address (прапісаны), you should formally deregister at your local ЖЭС (housing and communal services office) before departure. This is particularly important if you held property or a long-term rental in your name. (3) IE (Індывідуальны прадпрымальнік — Individual Entrepreneur): if registered as an IE in Belarus, formally close the registration at the Uniform State Register of Legal Entities and Individual Entrepreneurs (egr.gov.by) before leaving — an open IE generates ongoing tax filing and contribution obligations. (4) Company deregistration: if you operated a Belarusian LLC (ТАА) or other entity, initiate formal liquidation through the egr.gov.by portal before departing — this process takes several months. (5) ФСЗН (Fond of Social Protection of the Population, ssf.gov.by): notify FSZN of your employment end and request a contribution statement (даведка аб узносах) before leaving. (6) Employer documentation: obtain final payslips, 2-PDFL income certificate (аналаг да 2-ПДФЛ), and a departure letter from your employer.
Tax clearance
MNS (Міністэрства па падатках і зборах — Ministry of Taxes and Duties, nalog.gov.by) administers personal income tax in Belarus: (1) Tax residents (183+ days in Belarus in a calendar year) pay income tax (ПДН — padatok na dokhadyi) at a flat rate of 13% on worldwide income. Non-residents pay 13% on Belarus-source income (withholding at source). (2) Employees: income tax is withheld at source by employers via PAYE. Request your final annual income tax certificate (даведка аб даходах і ўтрыманых падатках) from your employer. (3) IE closure: file your final income tax and social contributions declarations and pay all outstanding amounts before closing the IE registration. Obtain written confirmation of no outstanding tax debt from your local tax inspectorate (падатковая інспекцыя). (4) No general exit tax on unrealised capital gains or deemed disposal for individuals. (5) Outstanding tax debt: check your status at nalog.gov.by before leaving — outstanding obligations can trigger travel restrictions under Belarusian law. (6) Belarus has double-taxation treaties with approximately 65 countries — check whether your home country has a DTA with Belarus for planning purposes.
Pension portability
ФСЗН (Fond of Social Protection of the Population — Fonds Satsyalnay Zashchyty Nasyelennya, ssf.gov.by) administers social security in Belarus: (1) Contribution structure: employer contributes 28% of gross salary to FSZN; employee contributes 1% for social insurance. These contributions fund the state pension system. (2) Belarus operates a pay-as-you-go state pension system — individual pension accounts do not accumulate a portable cash balance. Contributions fund the general pension pool rather than an individual account. (3) Pension eligibility: retirement age is 63 (men) / 58 (women) as of 2026, with a minimum qualifying insurance period (25 years for men, 20 for women). If you do not meet the threshold, contributions remain in the system with no cash refund available. (4) Bilateral agreements: Belarus has bilateral social security agreements with CIS countries (Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Armenia, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Tajikistan) and several other countries including Germany, Poland, Czech Republic, and others — these allow combining contribution periods for pension eligibility. Check with FSZN whether your home country has an agreement. (5) Obtain an FSZN insurance history statement (Даведка аб стажы) before leaving — this is your formal record of Belarusian pension contributions. (6) Additional funded pension (additional pension insurance from employer or voluntary): contact your fund manager about options on departure.
Health insurance
Belarus requires all foreign citizens residing or staying temporarily to hold a compulsory medical insurance policy covering emergency medical care (minimum €10,000) in state medical institutions — authorised providers are Belgosstrakh (bgs.by) and Beleximgarant, or a qualifying international insurer. This compulsory policy runs to its stated expiry date, typically aligned with your work or residence permit, and does not automatically terminate on your last day of employment — it lapses on the policy expiry date. Exempt nationalities who receive free emergency care without needing a separate policy: Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Armenia, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan. (1) Compulsory policy: confirm the expiry date with Belgosstrakh or your insurer before departure. (2) Private international health insurance: several major international insurers (Cigna, Allianz and others) exclude Belarus or operate with significant restrictions — verify your current policy terms. Standard international policy cancellation requires typically 30 days written notice. Request a certificate of coverage for continuity documentation with your new insurer. (3) Arrange comprehensive international or home-country health cover before your Belarusian cover lapses. (4) Medical records: request copies from your treating clinic or polyclinic before departure. Allow 5–10 working days. Medical documentation is in Russian or Belarusian — request translations if needed for your destination country. (5) Prescription medications: collect a 90-day supply for essential medications before departure.
Bank account
Belarusian banking has been significantly affected by international sanctions since 2020–2022. Key practical points: (1) Sberbank Belarus, Belarusbank, BPS-Sberbank, Alfa-Bank Belarus, and most major Belarusian banks are subject to SWIFT restrictions or disconnection from the international system — international wire transfers from most Belarusian banks to Western countries are largely unavailable. (2) Belarusian Mir-linked and BELKART cards are not accepted in most Western countries, EU countries, the UK, or the US. Do not rely on these cards for spending abroad. (3) Currency controls: the National Bank of the Republic of Belarus (nbrb.gov.by) maintains foreign currency regulations. Check the current rules for FX purchase, withdrawal limits, and international transfer permissions before departure — rules have changed repeatedly since 2020. (4) BYN (Belarusian ruble) cannot be easily converted abroad — convert BYN to foreign currency (USD/EUR/RUB) within Belarus before departing, to the extent NBB regulations permit. (5) Keep accounts open while any final salary, pension correspondence, or deposit return payments remain outstanding. (6) Close accounts you will not maintain in person before departure — obtain written closure confirmation. (7) ERIP (Единое расчётное информационное пространство — unified billing system): cancel all ERIP automatic payments before departure or SIM cancellation.
Utilities
Belarusian utility services: (1) Electricity — Energosbyt (энергасбыт, regional energy supply companies under Belenergo): cancel at your local energy supply office or via the ERIP system. Request a final meter reading on your move-out day. (2) Gas — Beltopgas or regional gas operators: cancel at the local gas service office. Final meter reading required. (3) Water — Vodokanal (Вадаканал, municipal water services): cancel at the local utility office. (4) Central heating (цэнтральнае ацяпленне): most Belarusian apartments use centralized heating — billing managed through the ЖЭС (housing and communal services). Settle all heating charges before departure. (5) Internet/broadband — Beltelecom (beltelecom.by), A1 Belarus, Life: check contracts for notice periods (30 days is standard). Return rented equipment. Request cancellation confirmation in writing. (6) Mobile phone — A1 Belarus (formerly Velcom), MTS Belarus, Life: cancel postpaid in store; prepaid can lapse. Retain one SIM for OTPs during the transition period. (7) Housing and communal services (ЖКГ — zhilishchno-kommunalnoye khozyaystvo): settle all outstanding ЖЭС charges (elevator, building cleaning, waste management) before key handover.
Rental contract
Belarusian rental law is governed by the Civil Code of the Republic of Belarus and the Housing Code (Жыллёвы кодэкс). Key rules: (1) Notice period: for open-ended residential lease agreements, the tenant must give at least 3 months written notice before vacating (unless the contract specifies a shorter period). Fixed-term leases: terminate on the agreed end date; early exit may require landlord consent and may incur a penalty. In practice, many Minsk expat leases specify 30–60 days notice — check your specific contract. (2) Written notice: provide notice in writing (email with read confirmation or registered letter — рэгістраваны ліст). (3) Move-out inspection: conduct jointly with the landlord. Photograph and video every room, appliance, and all meter readings on your last day. (4) Deposit return: Belarusian law does not specify a fixed deposit return deadline — agree the timeline and method explicitly before handing over keys. (5) Outstanding utility charges: settle all ЖЭС, electricity, gas, and heating charges before departure. Landlords routinely condition deposit return on clearance of all communal debts. (6) Handover act (акт прыёмкі-перадачы кватэры): always sign a formal handover document with the landlord — this protects both parties. (7) Currency: in Minsk, deposits are sometimes held in USD or EUR alongside BYN — confirm the return currency in writing.
Leaving the Country
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