Accommodation for international students

The number of foreign citizens in the Republic of Belarus is growing every year. Foreigners go to Belarus for various reasons: someone for the sake of traveling, and someone to work. However, most of them still come to us to study. Belarusian universities are attractive due to the high quality of education and low prices by the standards of European universities. We will tell you where and how foreign students, who came to study in Belarus, live.

Dormitories

The most common and budget option for students is dormitory accommodation. Almost every university provides places for foreign citizens. However, the cost of renting a room in a dormitory for a foreign citizen will be higher than for a Belarusian. In addition, the cost of the dormitory depends on its type: corridor, apartment and block. The most expensive dormitories are of apartment and block type, while the corridor ones cost less. The cost of the accommodation is usually set by the university, for more information you should contact the university.

There is a good infrastructure near dormitories: shops, public transport stops and metro stations.

As a rule, hostels have self-training rooms, reading rooms, libraries, laundry rooms and gymnasiums. Kitchens and showers are located depending on the type of hostel. If the dormitory is an apartment type, the kitchen and shower rooms are one for two rooms, and if it is a block type, it will be located in a block. There are usually 4 rooms in a block. If the dormitory is a corridor type, the shower is one for the whole dormitory and the kitchen, usually one or two, is one floor.

If you want to fully immerse yourself in student life, get to know your classmates and learn about Belarusian traditions, then the dormitory is for you.

If you have not been accepted into a student dormitory, don't despair; there is at least one other accommodation option for international students.

Rooms

Rooms are usually rented in two or three-bedroom apartments. You will live in one room and other people in the second.

To date, renting a room in Minsk per month will cost from 100$ to 200$ plus utilities. The rent price varies depending on the city. The capital has the highest prices. Some proprietors charge a deposit of one month's rent. They leave a deposit in case you suddenly leave your apartment and you do not tell anyone about it or leave the country. In this case, the proprietor will need the deposit to pay your utility bill. If you decide to leave the apartment and notify the proprietor, the deposit will be fully refunded. If you spoil your property, for example, by breaking a window or a TV, the proprietor can keep the deposit.

The process of living in a rented room in the apartment and in the dormitory is very similar: one kitchen and shower for two. However, renting a room in the apartment has several advantages: 

• you can choose the area you want to live in;
• independent choice of the appropriate cost and finish in the rented room;
• no curfew;
• the possibility of living alone in a room (in dormitories, 2-4 people each).

Apartment

If you’re financial situation allows you or you do not want to share space with someone, you can rent an apartment. Rent for a one-room apartment in Minsk is $200-350 per month. The price depends on the location of the apartment, repair in it and the number of rooms.

A foreign citizen needs to conclude a contract of renting accommodation, because on its basis he can make a temporary registration. Moreover, it is just necessary for a foreigner to stay in Belarus. Temporary registration based on the lease contract automatically becomes invalid as soon as the contract expires. A foreign citizen has the right to go to the visa and registration department and register himself with his passport and employment contract.

Apartment in a private house

The apartment in a private house is part of the house with separate entrance, kitchen, shower and other amenities. In the second part of the house can live either the owner of the house or other tenants. Apartments in a private home are cheaper: from 50 to 150 dollars. However, this accommodation is not quite convenient, because you may not want to live side by side with owners who will dictate the conditions of your stay, visit you without demand, and so on. In addition, private homes are usually not centrally located, so you may not be comfortable getting to where you are studying.

To find a suitable apartment or room, you can contact a real estate agency:

• Sylvan;
• Prestige;
• Tvoya Stolitsa;
• Kvadratniy metr;
• Etazhi;
• Molnar.

Alternatively, search the following websites by yourself:

• realt.by;
• gohome.by;
• kvartirant.by;
• neagent.by;
• hata.by;
• onliner.by;
• kufar.by;
• domovita.by.

We told you about all the options for housing in Belarus for foreign citizens, and the choice is yours.