Study in Belarus: Admission, Cost, Visa and Scholarships (2027)

Belarus admits foreign students to state universities that teach in Russian and, in some programmes, in English. Applicants normally apply to the university first, and the university then supports the visa. Belarusian State Medical University (BSMU) in Minsk teaches General Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmacy in English or Russian. Foreign citizens without a Belarusian preparatory certificate are admitted to the first year through an interview in English or Russian with biology and chemistry questions, and for 2026/2027 BSMU accepts documents for that route from 13 July 2026 to 15 October 2026 while free places remain. The Belarusian State University of Informatics and Radioelectronics (BSUIR) in Minsk teaches information technology, electronics and information security programmes in Russian and English, admits foreign applicants on an interview in the language of instruction, requires neither IELTS nor TOEFL for English-medium programmes, charges no application fee, and lists 1 October 2026 as the application deadline for first degree and Master's programmes.

Study visa. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Belarus lists study among the purposes for which an entry visa is issued. Visas are issued by Belarusian diplomatic missions and consular offices abroad and by the department for the entry of foreigners of the Main Consular Directorate at Minsk National Airport. A type C visa is short-term and valid for up to 90 days, and a type D visa is long-term, multiple-entry, valid for more than 90 days and up to five years. For a short-term visa for study, the visa support document is an invitation to study issued by the educational institution and agreed with the citizenship and migration unit, and the visa may be single or double entry. The applicant submits a visa application form, one 35 x 45 mm photograph taken within the last 6 months, a travel document, the visa support documents, a medical insurance contract and proof that the consular fee was paid. A contract with a foreign insurer must provide a sum insured of at least 10,000 euros. The consular fee is 60 euros for all types of visa with any number of entries, children under 14 are exempt, urgent handling within 2 working days doubles the rate, and visas issued at Minsk National Airport carry rates raised by 100 or 200 percent depending on whether Belarus has a mission in the applicant's country. The consular officer decides within 5 working days, the decision is final, and the fee is not refunded after a refusal.

Registration. Under the law quoted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, foreigners staying temporarily must register at their actual place of stay within ten days. Registration in electronic form through the Unified Portal of Electronic Services is free of charge for foreigners who entered through border checkpoints, while those who entered across the border with Russia must register in person at the citizenship and migration unit. To extend a stay, foreigners contact that unit for an exit visa or a temporary residence permit. BSUIR lists registration with the Minsk Migration and Citizenship Body among the steps after arrival, at about 65 US dollars per year for passport registration.

What the universities charge. For 2026/2027, BSMU charges foreign citizens 6,300 US dollars a year for English-medium General Medicine, 6,950 US dollars for English-medium Dentistry and 5,400 US dollars for Russian-medium General Medicine, plus 70 US dollars for document review and 60 US dollars for the interview. BSUIR charges 5,000 US dollars a year for English-medium full-time first degree programmes, 3,350 US dollars for Russian-medium ones and 4,350 US dollars for English-medium full-time Master's programmes.