Health Insurance for Foreign Citizens

In order to obtain a visa and cross the state border of the Republic of Belarus, a foreign citizen must have a certificate of insurance of a foreign country, satisfying the appropriate specific requirements, or take out health insurance at border checkpoints.

If foreign citizens have no insurance policy (certificate of insurance) satisfying the appropriate requirements and refuse to take out compulsory health insurance at the border checkpoints of the Republic of Belarus, located at international airports, they get a refusal of entry to the Republic of Belarus according to the legislative acts of the country.

Foreign citizens temporarily staying or temporarily residing in the Republic of Belarus are required to have a compulsory health insurance policy (from Belarusian insurance companies Belgosstrakh and Beleximgarant) or medical insurance policy took out in a foreign insurance organization in case of their emergency medical treatment in medical institutions (hereinafter — medical insurance policy) .

— Health insurance should meet the following requirements:

♦ contain the name of a foreign insurance company and its location, phone numbers or international assistance services, as well as the surname, first name, patronym (if any) of the foreign citizen;

♦ distribute its effect on the territory of the Republic of Belarus;

♦ be valid for a period of temporary stay or temporary residence of a foreign citizen in the Republic of Belarus;

♦ provide the insured amount not less than 10,000 euros;

♦ availability of health insurance can be confirmed by an insurance policy, an insurance card or other document, containing information about health insurance;

♦ health insurance will be checked according to the established criteria, when getting visas, while foreign nationals who are allowed a visa-free entry should present the health insuarance at checkpoints at the state border of the Republic of Belarus;

If foreign citizens have no insurance policy (certificate of insurance) satisfying the appropriate requirements and refuse to take out a compulsory health insurance at the border checkpoints of the Republic of Belarus, located at international airports, they get a refusal of entry to the Republic of Belarus according to the legislative acts of the country.

— Information that must be specified in insurance policy or insurance card

♦ surname, name, patronymic (if any) of the foreign citizen, it may be specified a number of insured foreign citizens in the same insurance policy, if they jointly entering the Republic of Belarus otherwise the list of insured foreign citizens, who are covered by health insurance can be attached to insurance policy;

♦ the insurance contract period (start and end of the insurance should be specified);

♦ validity area — Republic of Belarus or the whole world;

Insurance cards without specifying the insurance amount are accepted if they are valid for traveling all over the world.

— Requirements for the term of the health insurance (for long-term visa)

Health insurance should be valid for a period of temporary stay or temporary residence of a foreign citizen in the Republic of Belarus. Thus, a foreign citizen, who is visiting the Republic of Belarus several times has the right to conclude a contract of health insurance for each trip. It is also possible to issue a long-term visa to foreign citizens if they have only health insurance for the first trip.

— List of nationalities that do not need compulsory health insurance

citizens of the member-states of the CIS (the Republic of Armenia, the Republic of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, the Republic of Moldova, the Republic of Tajikistan, the Republic of Uzbekistan, Ukraine) in accordance with the Agreement on medical assistance to the citizens of the Member-States of the Commonwealth of Independent States (March 27, 1997, Moscow);

citizens of the Russian Federation in accordance with the Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Belarus and the Government of the Russian Federation on the procedure for medical assistance to the Belarusian citizens in health care institutions of the Russian Federation and for Russian citizens in health care institutions of the Republic of Belarus (January, 24, 2006, St. Petersburg);

citizens of Turkmenistan in accordance with the Memorandum between the Government of the Republic of Belarus and the Government of Turkmenistan on cooperation in the sphere of public health, medical (pharmaceutical) science, education and provision of medical assistance to the citizens of the Republic of Belarus and Turkmenistan (November 5, 2013, Ashgabat);

— Interaction of health organizations with Belarusian insurers and medical assistance for foreign citizens when medical care is required

If a foreign citizen contacts a medical institution or in case of bringing him/her to an institution by ambulance (emergency) medical staff must:

establish the identity of the foreign citizen;

find out whether the foreign citizen’s insurance or proof of the existence of health insurance meets the relevant criteria, if yes, then assist him with emergency medical assistance;

report to the telephone number listed in the insurance policy, or any known telephone of the corresponding insurer of the insured person about his contact to a medical facility, as well as the number of his insurance policy ( in case of the presence of the foreign citizen’s compulsory medical insurance).

report to Medical Assistance on the phone or to the insurer of the insured person's admission to a medical institution, the name of a foreign insurance company with which the foreign citizen has contracted for health insurance, the medical insurance number (in case of the presence of the foreign citizen health insurance).

Thus, if the foreign citizen has concluded a contract of compulsory medical insurance, which means an insurance policy from Belgosstrakh or Beleximgarant it should be informed on receipt of a foreign citizen in the medical institution by health care workers to the relevant insurer: in case of an insurance policy issued by Belgosstrakh — Belgosstrakh (24/7 contact phone: +375 17 395 48 90, mob: +375 29 231 42 24, +375 25 741 42 24, +375 44 741 42 26, in case of an insurance policy issued by Beleximgarant — Beleximgarant (contact phone number.: + 375 17 360 49 80б e-mail: oclmed@eximgarant.by).

If the foreign citizen has concluded a contract of health insurance with a foreign insurance institution (an insurance policy, insurance card or other document confirming the availability of health insurance contract), the report on admission of the foreign citizen in the medical institution should be made by health care workers to Belgosstrakh, “Beleximgarant” at the above telephone numbers.

— Legislation in the field of health insurance of foreigners

The Decree of the President of the Republic of Belarus № 530, August 25, 2006.

The Agreement on medical assistance to the citizens of the member-states of the Commonwealth of Independent States.

The Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Belarus and the Government of the Russian Federation on the procedure for medical assistance to the Belarusian citizens in health care institutions of the Russian Federation and for Russian citizens in health care institutions of the Republic of Belarus, January 24, 2006.

The Memorandum between the Government of the Republic of Belarus and the Government of Turkmenistan on cooperation in the sphere of public health, medical (pharmaceutical) science, education and provision of medical assistance to the citizens of the Republic of Belarus and Turkmenistan, November 5, 2013.