In short: Suits those who need branches across the country, UnionPay and clear issuing rules, and for whom payments through European services are not critical. The main limitations are sanctions and the insurance deposit.
Terms for non-residents
- Non-residents
- Yes
- Remote account opening
- No
- Visa / Mastercard
- Yes
- Russian-language support
- Yes
- Application
- only in person at a bank office
- Insurance deposit, Standard and Classic
- without employment and registration: 300 USD/EUR, 22,000 RUB or 650 BYN
- Cost of Mastercard Standard
- 50 BYN for 2 years or 65 BYN for 3 years; virtual card 5 BYN
- Sanctions
- EU since 24 June 2021, Canada since 11 April 2023, Switzerland
- UnionPay for non-residents
- Gold and Platinum
- Money-back on non-resident cards
- not accrued
Pros
- The largest bank in the country, with a network across Belarus, including the regions
- UnionPay and Belkart are available to non-residents
- The bank publishes exact deposit amounts and a list of documents
- SBP transfers from Russia are available
Cons and limits
- Under EU, Canadian and Swiss sanctions: declines are possible in foreign services
- Cards for non-residents are issued only in person
- An insurance deposit is needed without permanent employment and registration
- Online banking outages occurred in October 2026
## About the bank
Belarusbank is the largest bank in the country. Its history goes back to 1922, and it has existed in its current form since 1995. The owner is the state: the State Property Committee directly holds 98.76%, and another 1.19% belongs to administrative-territorial units. Assets were 43.24 billion BYN as of 31 December 2023. The National Bank classes it as a group I systemically important bank for 2026, and licence No. 1 of 9 June 2025 is listed on the bank's website.
The branch network covers the whole country, including the regions, so a card can be obtained and serviced outside Minsk.
## Sanctions: what this means
Belarusbank is under sanctions from several countries:
- the EU, since 24 June 2021;
- Canada, since 11 April 2023;
- Switzerland.
In practice this means a risk of declined payments and transfers through foreign banks and services. Settlements within the Russia-Belarus corridor and Belkart payments in Belarus are usually not affected.
## Account for non-residents
Russians are served on the same terms as other non-residents, in person only. You need an identity document and a notarised translation if it is foreign; registration or residence permit details and an employer's certificate are requested if you have them.
### Insurance deposit
A deposit is needed if you have no permanent employment, registration and a salary account of at least three months. Amounts per the bank's data:
| Card | Without employment and registration | With employment and/or registration |
|---|---|---|
| Mastercard Standard, Visa Classic | 300 USD/EUR, 22,000 RUB or 650 BYN | 150 USD/EUR, 11,000 RUB or 325 BYN |
| Gold and above | 500 USD/EUR, 37,000 RUB, 5,000 CNY or 1,100 BYN | half as much |
## Cards and payments
Non-residents can get Belkart-Premium, Mastercard Standard and Gold, Visa Classic and Gold, UnionPay Gold and Platinum, Belkart Maximum and club cards. Mastercard Standard costs 50 BYN for two years or 65 BYN for three years, and the virtual card costs 5 BYN. Money-back is not accrued on non-resident cards. Belarusian Visa and Mastercard do not work in Russia, so Belkart is needed for payments there.
## The M-Belarusbank app and outages
Since 1 October 2026 the app does not allow adding cards that do not belong to the customer; otherwise the app is blocked for all cards. For joint expenses, get an additional card at a branch. Online banking outages occurred on 11 and 16 October 2026; according to the bank's 16 October statement, card operations, cash withdrawals and shop payments worked normally.
## Who it suits
Belarusbank suits those who live in the regions or travel around the country often, want UnionPay or Belkart, and accept paying an insurance deposit. It works well for Russia-Belarus settlements, but not for payments in Europe or European subscriptions.
Frequently asked questions
Does a non-resident need an insurance deposit at Belarusbank?
Yes, if there is no permanent employment, registration and a salary account of at least three months. For Standard and Classic without employment and registration the deposit is 300 USD/EUR, 22,000 RUB or 650 BYN. With employment and/or registration it is half as much.
Is Belarusbank under sanctions?
The bank has been on the EU sanctions list since 24 June 2021, on the Canadian list since 11 April 2023, and is also under Swiss sanctions. This does not cancel payments within the Russia-Belarus corridor, but foreign services and banks may decline.
Can I get UnionPay?
The bank issues UnionPay Gold and Platinum to non-residents. The deposit for the Gold level without employment and registration is 500 USD/EUR, 37,000 RUB, 5,000 CNY or 1,100 BYN.
Why can't I add someone else's card to M-Belarusbank?
Since 1 October 2026 the function has been disabled to protect against fraud. If another person's card remains in the app, the app is blocked for all cards. For shared expenses, an additional card is issued at a branch.
Can I receive SBP transfers from Russia?
According to the myfin.by review for April 2026, SBP transfers from Russia to the bank are available. Limits and fees are set by the sending bank.