Good news for travelers in 2025 ! It is now possible to freely cross the border between Russia and Belarus with just one visa. Thanks to a new mutual visa recognition agreement, third-country nationals can move easily between the two countries.
But what are the exact conditions? Which crossing points are allowed? In this guide, I share with you all the information I have collected, so keep reading if, like me, you are planning a trip between Minsk and Moscow.
Note: I plan to travel from Minsk to Moscow by train this coming September. This article is for informational purposes – I am yet to try it.
Last updated: 21/07/2025
New Russia-Belarus agreement: what’s changing in 2025
Since mid-January, Russia and Belarus have applied a mutual visa recognition agreement. Basically, if you obtain a visa for one of these countries, it now allows you to freely cross the border to the other, without additional procedures. A real game changer for those who dream of a trip between Moscow and Minsk without having to worry about paperwork!
Before this agreement, crossing the Russian-Belarusian border was prohibited for third-country nationals (not citizens of Russia and Belarus), since there were no real border posts, and therefore no entry/exit stamp affixed to our passports.
Who can travel with only one visa?
This new agreement concerns all travelers with a valid visa for one of the two countries, such as a tourist visa. This means that :
• If you have a Russian visa, you can enter Belarus without applying for an additional visa.
• If you have a Belarusian visa, you can enter Russia under the same conditions.
Be careful though : We are talking here about “real visas“, stuck in the passport. Russian electronic visas (eVisa) are not ok according to this agreement (they have not added new crossing points on their official page for now). If you have a Russia eVisa, you will not be able to enter Belarus with it. Visa exemption in Belarus for Europeans does not give you access to Russia either.
📌 Guide on Russian visas
Authorized crossing points between Russia and Belarus
One of the biggest changes about by this agreement is the official opening of border checkpoints to foreign travelers (so apparently there are some checks from authorities on both sides). Here are the main checkpoints now accessible :
By road
6 checkpoints are currently allowed for us foreigners :
• Yukhovichi – Dolostsi (Pskov region)
• Ezerishche – Nevel (Pskov region)
• Liozno – Kruglovka (Smolensk region)
• Krasnaya Gorka (Smolensk region, on the Minsk- Moscow highway)
• Zvenchatka – Dubovichka (Smolensk region)
• Selishche – Novozybkov (Bryansk region)
By train
Direct trains Moscow – Minsk and Saint Petersburg – Minsk are now available to foreigners.
By plane
Flights between Russia and Belarus remain considered domestic. You will pass through internal terminals, but the agreement simplifies checks for foreign travelers.
If you are planning a road trip, be sure to check the border crossings open to foreigners, the Russian Foreign Ministry has written very clearly in their press release that “crossing the land part of the Russian-Belarusian border by other roads is not allowed and will be considered a violation of the state border“.
📌 Press release from the Russian Foreign Ministry
I only found the press release in Russian version on the Ministry’s website. I recommend you to read it for all details (the link works even if crossed out – translate in your browser if you don’t speak Pushkin’s language).
Conclusion
I was looking for a new land border to cross for my future overland trip to Russia, so I’m super excited to try this way !
Do not hesitate to share your impressions and feedback in comments.
I share the behind the scenes of my travels (real-time stories, messy bits etc) on Telegram
Comments (2)
Just to comment that there appears to be a significant disconnect between the welcome change of law enabling foreigners to travel overland from Russia to Belarus (including visa free for Belarus for relevant nationalities) and the practice.
Specifically, the Russian embassy in London has advised me NOT to take the Moscow/Minsk rail route but to fly.
And the reason? Well, Russia and Belarus are a Union State – and whilst legally as a foreigner you can now travel from Moscow to Minsk, the issue seems to be that you will not get an exit stamp on leaving Russia nor an entry stamp on entering Belarus because it’s not treated as an international border crossing. Meaning there may be issues about when you departed Russia and when/where you entered Belarus.
I will dig deeper into this – not least because I’ve already purchased my Moscow -> Minsk ticket (and bus ticket Minsk -> Vilnius). But unless I can get a definitive response, I’ll likely ditch existing travel plans and fly out of Russia.
So would be very interested to hear from anyone who has done this route.
Hello Amanda,
It’s interesting, especially because flying Minsk-Moscow would be exactly the same anyway, it’s not consider as an international flight… I’d be curious to know how it turned out for you. I’m taking that route in September, so I’ll definitely write about it when I get back.