A guide to Belarusian banks for foreigners: who opens an account for a non-resident, which cards work in Russia and abroad, how to receive transfers, and which sanctions to check before choosing a bank.
Belarus has its own banking specifics, even though Russian is widely used and the apps and phone-number transfers feel familiar to Russian speakers. For 2026 the National Bank designated eleven banks as systemically important: Belarusbank, Belagroprombank, Priorbank and Alfa-Bank in the first group, and Sber Bank, Belgazprombank, Belinvestbank, BelVEB, MTBank, VTB (Belarus) and BNB-Bank in the second. The other banks are smaller, but some of them, such as BSB Bank and Paritetbank, issue cards to non-residents without a deposit. Each bank has its own page covering terms for non-residents, cards, outages and restrictions.
The ranking on this page is written for Russians and other non-residents. It looks less at the size of a bank and more at how accessible it is to you and what you can do with the card afterwards: whether a personal visit and a deposit are required, whether Belkart, Mir, SBP or UnionPay are available, and how convenient the app is in Russian. Sanctions are a separate criterion. Since 2 December 2025 the EU has prohibited transactions with Alfa-Bank, Sber Bank and VTB (Belarus), so they rank below banks that are not on EU lists. This matters little for settlements between Russia and Belarus, but it matters for payments in Europe.
Choose a bank for the task. If the card is needed for payments in Russia, take Belkart: Belarusian Visa and Mastercard cards do not work in Russia. If it is for travel abroad, look at banks without European restrictions or at Belarusbank's UnionPay. If the cost of entry matters, compare the deposit and the price of the service package: from nothing at BSB Bank and Paritetbank to 20,000 BYN at Priorbank. Keep in mind that a non-resident opens the first account in person. Tariffs are shown with the date they apply to, so check them on the bank's website before visiting.
A systemically important group II bank that opens cards for non-residents and Russians. The first card is issued in person with a passport, and later ones remotely in the Iskra app.
A small bank with foreign capital that issues Belkart-Premium, Visa and Mastercard cards to non-residents without an insurance deposit. Servicing is paid in one sum for the whole card term.
Technobank issues non-residents cards in the OpenCard range: Belkart Premium, compatible with Mir, and Visa in four tiers. The website has a separate section for non-residents.
Paritetbank issues foreigners a Mastercard Gold in BYN, USD, EUR or RUB. No security deposit is required, but the card costs 450 BYN.
A small bank owned by the Eurotorg retail chain, with Visa, Mastercard and virtual Belkart cards. Offices operate in Minsk, Brest, Grodno, Gomel and Zhlobin.
The bank accepts an online application from non-residents with a passport scan and a payment receipt, and issues the card at a branch. For non-residents there are Comfort packages with Visa and Belkart Premium.
The largest bank in the country, with a network across Belarus. It issues UnionPay, Belkart, Mastercard and Visa to non-residents, but the cards require an insurance deposit and the bank is under EU, Canadian and Swiss sanctions.
A large bank, formerly Raiffeisen in Belarus, owned by a UAE company since November 2024. A non-resident needs a guarantee deposit of 20,000 BYN or more and a Belarusian SIM card.
A systemically important group II bank with Minimum, Optimum and Medium packages for non-residents. A basic account is not available to non-residents, and package prices are higher than at small banks.
A small bank that passed to a Kazakh owner in 2024 and changed its name. For non-residents it issues Belkart in BYN and RUB, the virtual Visa Virtuon, and Visa Classic, Gold and Premium.
A small Belarusian bank, formerly Trastbank. It issues Visa Gold and Visa Platinum to non-residents; the prices in public reviews date from 2023.
A small Belarusian bank that issues non-residents Visa Classic and Belkart-Premium cards. Prices come from a February 2025 review, so tariffs should be checked before a visit.
A large Belarusian bank with Russian-language service. It opens accounts for non-residents only in person and only within the Solutions Package for BYN 250; an EU transaction ban on the bank applies.
The Belarusian subsidiary of Russia's Sberbank, formerly BPS-Sberbank. It offers non-residents a Belkart-Premium guest card, and an EU ban on transactions with the bank has applied since 2 December 2025.
The Belarusian unit of the VTB group issues non-residents the Mir 'MORE' card in BYN. An EU transaction ban on the bank has applied since 2 December 2025.
A state-owned Belarusian bank with a low-cost Personal Non-Resident product on Belkart Premium. OFAC GL 14 licence permits operations with the bank from 26 March 2026 but does not lift the sanctions.
A large Belarusian state bank (group I) offering Belkart Premium for payments in Russia. Terms for non-residents are published only partly, and EU and Canadian sanctions apply.
A Belarusian bank, formerly Belvneshekonombank, owned by Russia's VEB.RF. Terms for non-residents are sparsely published, and EU and Canadian sanctions apply.
A systemically important Belarusian bank (group II) whose ATMs accept Mir cards. Non-resident terms must be confirmed with the bank; the bank has been on the EU list since February 2025.
Yes. Banks open accounts and cards for non-residents, including Russian citizens. A Russian passport is usually enough and a notarised translation is not needed. The first product is issued only in person at a branch.
A non-resident cannot open a first account or card from scratch remotely: Alfa-Bank and BNB-Bank state this directly. After the first visit, BNB-Bank allows new products to be opened in its Iskra app. Zepter Bank accepts an application online, but the card is issued at a branch.
Belkart, including Belkart-Premium and Belkart Maximum. Belarusian Visa and Mastercard cards do not work in Russia, and the banks themselves warn about this. Technobank issues a Belkart-Premium card that is compatible with Mir.
Yes, Russian Mir cards are accepted through integration with Belkart. According to a Mail.ru review dated 30 January 2026, 19 banks accept them. Payments are settled in Belarusian rubles at the issuer's rate, and the cash withdrawal fee ranges from zero to 4% depending on the bank.
Since 2 December 2025 the EU has prohibited transactions with Alfa-Bank, Sber Bank and VTB (Belarus). BelVEB and Belgazprombank have been on the EU list since February 2025, and Belagroprombank and Belarusbank since June 2021. Payments within the Russia-Belarus corridor are generally unaffected, but foreign banks and services may refuse operations.
The price depends on the bank. At Belarusbank a Mastercard Standard for a non-resident costs 50 BYN for two years plus an insurance deposit, Alfa-Bank requires a 250 BYN service package, and Priorbank requires a 20,000 BYN guarantee deposit. Tariffs change often, so check them on the bank's website.
Through SBP (Faster Payments System): free up to 100,000 RUB per month, then up to 0.5%. Transfers from Sber, VTB and T-Bank cards and money transfer services such as Golden Crown and Unistream also work. Once the exchange rate is included, the real cost is usually 1.5-2.5%.
The recipient in Belarus pays the tax. Transfers from close relatives are not taxed. Transfers from other individuals are tax-free up to 6,000 BYN per year, and the amount above the limit is taxed at 13%.
