What You Cannot Bring from Belarus into the EU: 2026 Customs Rules & Limits

Items Completely Prohibited from Belarus into the EU

The following categories of goods are banned from import into EU countries from Belarus regardless of quantity or value, under the EU sanctions package:

• ▸Petrol and diesel in canisters beyond the vehicle fuel tank (Lithuania — 0 l, Poland — up to 10 l, Latvia — 0 l).
• ▸Tobacco products over the established limit (see table below).
• ▸Any military or hunting equipment, air guns, self-defence gas sprays.
• ▸Prescription medications in quantities exceeding personal needs for the trip.
• ▸Animal-origin food: meat, sausages, dairy (milk, cheese, cottage cheese), honey — prohibited from import into the EU.
• ▸Fresh fruit, vegetables, plants, seeds, seedlings, soil.
• ▸EU-sanctioned goods: certain types of steel, timber, potassium fertilisers, machinery.
• ▸Electronics worth over €750 — requires a written declaration.

Personal Customs Allowances: Lithuania, Poland, Latvia

Allowances apply to adult passengers entering from third countries (Belarus is not an EU member). Reduced limits apply for trips shorter than 24 hours.

Duty-Free Import Allowances into Belarus

The duty-free allowance depends on how you cross the border. For land transport (car, bus) or on foot — which covers all ComfortLine passengers — a reduced allowance has applied since 1 April 2024: goods worth no more than €500 and weighing no more than 25 kg per adult passenger.

Tobacco products have a separate allowance that's the same for every mode of entry: 200 cigarettes, or 50 cigars (cigarillos), or 200 heated-tobacco sticks, or 250 g of tobacco (or an assortment of these totalling no more than 250 g). Alcoholic drinks over 0.5% ABV — no more than 3 l when carried in baggage. Alcohol and tobacco allowances apply to travellers aged 18 and over.

Above these limits, customs duty applies: for goods in baggage entering by land, the rate is 30% of the excess value, but no less than €4 per kilogram over the weight limit. For goods delivered by a carrier or by post, the rate is lower — 15% of the excess, but no less than €2 per kilogram. Alcohol between 3 and 5 l is charged at €10 per litre over the 3 l allowance; ethyl spirit (up to 5 l) is charged at €22 per litre. Goods showing signs of a commercial shipment (wholesale quantities, multiple identical items) are declared and processed separately as goods not intended for personal use.

Cash and Declaration Requirements

Rules on exporting cash from Belarus and importing it into the EU are regulated independently — by Belarusian customs (SCC) and by the customs authority of the EU entry country.

Exporting Cash from Belarus

• ▸Up to USD 10,000 (or equivalent in any currency) — no declaration required.
• ▸Over USD 10,000 — mandatory written customs declaration at the Belarusian border.
• ▸Undeclared amounts above the limit are subject to full confiscation.
• ▸Personal jewellery, bank cards and traveller's cheques do not count towards the cash limit.

Importing Cash into the EU (Lithuania, Poland, Latvia)

• ▸Up to €10,000 (or equivalent) — no declaration required on the EU side.
• ▸Over €10,000 — mandatory EU Cash Declaration upon entering the EU zone.
• ▸The declaration is submitted to the customs of the entry country (Lithuanian, Polish or Latvian).
• ▸Concealing amounts above the limit — fine and confiscation of the entire sum.

Parcels and Online Shopping Items

If you are carrying a parcel from a Belarusian courier service or goods ordered online (OZON, Wildberries, AliExpress), customs applies separate rules for international postal items.

• ▸Goods from EAEU countries (Russia, Kazakhstan, etc.) are treated as goods from a third country at the Belarus–EU border.
• ▸EU duty-free import threshold — up to €150 per parcel; above that, customs duty and VAT of the entry country apply.
• ▸Goods with commercial characteristics (multiple identical units, wholesale retail packaging) may be reclassified as commercial cargo.
• ▸Belarusian SCC rules on controlling goods sent to private individuals from the EAEU are on the official customs website.

What Border Guards Check at Belarus–EU Crossings

• ▸Fuel tanks — Lithuanian and Latvian border guards may ask you to open the tank for inspection.
• ▸Cigarettes and tobacco — excise stamp barcodes are scanned, packs are counted.
• ▸Alcohol — excise stamps are checked and quantities verified.
• ▸Electronics — receipts or bank statements may be requested to assess value.
• ▸Food — coolers and food bags are inspected for prohibited categories.
• ▸Boot and luggage — X-ray scanner, sometimes manual search.
• ▸Bank cards and phones — very rarely, only on suspicion of smuggling.

Consequences of Customs Violations

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I bring home-cooked food into Lithuania or Poland?

No. Animal-origin products (meat, dairy, eggs, honey) are banned from import into the EU from Belarus with no exceptions. Factory-sealed preserves are allowed in limited quantities, but border guards often confiscate them too. The safest option is to bring nothing.

Do cigarettes in my pocket count separately from those in my suitcase?

No, the limit is total per person. 40 cigarettes means 2 packs in total, regardless of where they are.

Do I need to declare a laptop or phone?

One laptop and one phone for personal use — no declaration needed. Multiple laptops or new devices in factory packaging worth over €750 in total require a written declaration.

Is there a difference between Kamenny Log, Terekhovka and Bruzgi?

Customs rules are identical at all checkpoints — the difference is only in traffic volume and processing speed. Your choice of crossing affects waiting time, not import allowances.