BELARUS

(BYR) Currency News >>

CURRENCY:

Belarusian Rouble – BYR, Symbol p

DENOMINATIONS:

NOTE: p.100, 000, 50,000, 20,000, 10,000, 5,000, 1,000, 500, 100, 50, 20 and 10

COIN: not applicable

US DOLLAR ACCEPTED:

Yes as is the Euro

CREDIT/DEBIT CARDS AND ATMS:

ATMs are not widely available and are more likely to be found in the capital city. All major credit cards are accepted but predominantly in hotels and at shops and restaurants accepting foreign currency. Therefore it is again recommended to take cash both in local currency and US dollars.

CURRENCY EXCHANGE:

It is recommended to take sufficient currency and to arrange this before travelling to Belarus as rates may be poor when exchanged at local bureaux de change or banks.

TRAVELLER'S CHEQUES:

It is best to use Travellers Cheques in US Dollars or Euros, but it is not generally recommended to use Travellers Cheques as they may be hard to exchange.

BANKING HOURS:

Mon-Fri 0900-1700.

COUNTRY OVERVIEW:

Belarus is a country in Eastern Europe, surrounded by Russia, Ukraine, Poland, Latvia and Lithuania. The capital is Minsk. Belarus has belonged to other countries in its history, including Russia and Lithuania. It has been its own country since 1939, and was made independent from the Soviet Union in 1990. The official languages are Belarusian and Russian. The main religion of Belarus is Russian Orthodox Christianity.

CURRENCY RESTRICTIONS:

Restrictions to import and export of currencies in Belarus remain unclear.

POPULATION:

Around 10 million.

ECONOMY:

The employment rate of Belarus is high and over half the population is in work. This is due in part to the fact that economy is still state-controlled. The country's main economy sectors are agriculture and the export of machinery. A good proportion of the population is employed by factories. The main trade partner of Belarus is Russia. Interestingly, it has been suggested that Russia and Belarus enter one currency as part of their Union which would mean that Belarus stops using the Belarusian ruble in favour of the Russian ruble. This has so far not taken action.