How to Buy a SIM Card in Belarus in 2026

Yes, you can use a prepaid eSIM in Belarus: three of ours cover the country and can be installed before you leave home, so you have data when you land in Minsk. The alternative is a local SIM from A1, MTS or life:), bought with your passport. This guide compares the two, with what we know about buying a SIM at Minsk National Airport and what the local plans cost.

Several sources say British passport holders can currently enter visa-free for up to 30 days, with the arrangement running to the end of 2026. Check entry rules shortly before you travel.

A1, MTS and life:)

Belarus has three mobile networks: A1, MTS and life:). All three sell prepaid SIM cards, and you need your passport (or another accepted identity document) to buy one.

Where to buy is less clear. MTS lists a sales point at Minsk National Airport, open 11:00 to 18:00, but a November 2026 guide says no dedicated tourist SIM counter with a confirmed price and opening hours is published at the airport. If you land outside those hours, or the counter is closed, you will be buying in the city.

Prices are just as uncertain. One low-quality listing gives an A1 tourist plan at €12 for 7 days with 10 GB, an MTS plan at €10 for 15 GB and a life:) starter at €6 for 5 GB. Another source describes an A1 tourist tariff with 100 GB and 800 minutes for 30 days at 40 Belarusian roubles for the first month. Treat these as rough guides and check in the shop.

Our eSIMs for Belarus

An eSIM avoids the airport question altogether: install it at home, switch it on when you land, and keep your own SIM in the phone. Three of ours work in Belarus:

• Global64: data-only plans for 64 countries, Belarus included. 10 GB for 7 days costs $10, 20 GB for 14 days $15 and 50 GB for 30 days $35, each starting on first use.
• Orange World 20GB: $28 for 20 GB, valid 30 days from first use, with 15 minutes of calls, 50 texts and a French +33 number. It suits a trip that also takes in other countries on its list.
• Global PAYG Data eSIM: $20 including €17.50 of credit, spent only when you use data. In Belarus it works on all three networks, life:), A1 and MTS, and the eSIM can be topped up and reused on later trips.

For most visitors Global64 is the simplest choice: pick the size that matches the length of your stay. A week of maps, messaging and the odd video call fits in 10 GB; two weeks, or sharing your connection with a laptop through hotspot, suits 20 GB. PAYG suits a short visit or light use, where you would not use up a fixed bundle, and because it can use any of the three networks, you are not tied to one operator's coverage outside Minsk.

Install your eSIM at home over Wi-Fi and leave it switched off until you land. All three plans start counting only when you first use them, so you can set them up days in advance.

Keeping your texts

With an eSIM your home SIM stays in the phone, so bank and booking texts keep arriving as normal. If you switch to a Belarusian SIM instead, the O2 SMS Only eSIM gives you a private UK +44 number for incoming texts at $8 a month, so security codes still reach you.

Belarus options compared

Our recommendation

Install Global64 10GB for a week or Global64 20GB for two, so you are online at Minsk National Airport without hunting for a counter; take the Global PAYG Data eSIM for a short or light-use trip. Our eSIM installation guide explains the set-up, and every plan is on the Belarus eSIM page.