How to buy a SIM in White Russia?
 

Hi,

I'll be going to Belarus for some days and would appreciate a local SIM.
As this country is well known for a highly developed burocracy :mad:, I want to ask for experiences.

Can tourists buy a SIM?
Is a hotel's address accepted?
Which certificates/copies etc. do I have to bring?
Any special hints where to buy the SIM in Minsk?
asoaso.

Any help appreciated, thx

I don't know about Russia, whatever the color, but in White Ruthenia you need to show your passport (and probably visa, too, which is a sticker in the passport) to buy a prepaid SIM.

Funnily enough, although I used to go to Belarus quite often, it's about the only place where I haven't bought a SIM, in part because Velcom used to have extremely cheap roaming (back in the days before Vodafone "standardized" roaming costs) and prepaid was rather late in arriving there (and when it did, it was initially expensive and a pain to use, and you had to buy a phone - much like may other places at the beginning). But friends from there tell me it's not a big deal to get a SIM these days.

http://wikitravel.org/en/Belarus

It's not a big problem to buy a prepaid in Minsk, there's plenty of official shops by Velcom, MTS and Life. You need the passport with VISA (otherwise you don't even enter the country) and registration. Just prepare to speak some Russian and to wait, wait and wait... big bureocracy there, but things work. To refill I used to go to banks...

.
Do you recommend one company especially?
Can SIMs of all companies be recharged in a bank?
What is the advantage of doing it there?

Thx

Velcom has the best coverage, so if you plan to move around the country that would be better. If you stay in Minsk I think any of the 3 is the same.
I refilled the Velcom card in a Bank, I think with MTS was the same; at that time Life didn't exist, it was still BeST and not very common.

Velcom or MTS is the way to go. If your Russian is not good, ask "devocka" to come with you in to shop.