PREPARATORY COURSE OF THE RUSSIAN LANGUAGE

FOR FOREIGN STUDENTS

Republic of Belarus
225710 Pinsk
Pushkina str., 4 office 3708
tel. +375 165 31 08 81
e-mail: polessky.edu@gmail.com, box@polessu.by

Useful to know

• Terms of application
• How to get an official invitation
• How to arrive
• Enrollment
• Registration
• Tuition fee
• Accommodation
• Useful information about Republic of Belarus
• Passport-visa rules for international students on the territory of the Republic of Belarus

Useful to know
There are several important things which every foreign citizen coming to Belarus should know. Belarusian people are warm and hospitable. Many international students who have lived some time in other States of Europe, with great satisfaction note the warm hospitality of the Belarusians, their friendly attitude towards visitors from abroad, regardless of their religious beliefs and racial affiliation. Today Belarus is home for more than 100 different nationalities.
At the same time one must not forget that Pinsk, like any other city, is not equally safe. We recommend you to be careful in the streets, watch your belongings and avoid visiting Pinsk outskirts at night.
Here are the emergency numbers:
Emergency Service (Fire Brigade) - 101
Police - 102
Ambulance - 103
The stay of foreign citizens in Belarus is regulated by special rules, the violation of which can lead to administrative punishment or deportation. So always remember to carry identification documents. Make sure you have and carry a copy of your passport.
Detailed information about the rules of stay of foreign citizens in Belarus is available on http://www.pravo.by/WEBNPA/text.asp?RN=C21001030 , and in the office of international cooperation  (room 3708).
Terms of application
The recruitment is carried out during the year as the group is formed.
Number of people in the group - 6 - 10 people.

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How to get an official invitation
A student visa is issued by the Consular Office of the Republic of Belarus. To get an official invitation foreign citizens should present the following documents:
- Copy of school certificates where subjects and marks are indicated and a translation of the former attested by a notary.
- Copy of birth certificate, passport or any other ID.
-  Application.
- Copy of medical certificate issued by an official organ stating that the candidate is capable to study in the climatic conditions of Belarus and at the corresponding educational establishments and research organizations.
- Copy of a medical general certificate and AIDS-test certificate issued by an official medical organ of the country of the candidate.
- Vaccination certificate.
Besides the listed documents, their translation into Russian or Belarusian attested by a notary is needed.
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These documents can be sent to the University:
1. by post: 23 Dneprovskoy Flotilii  str., 225710 Pinsk, Republic of Belarus;
2. by fax:+375 165 31 21 95
3. by e-mail: box@polessu.by or polessky.edu@gmail.com
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How to arrive
You can come to Belarus by plane (http://airport.by) or by train. (http://www.rw.by for trains’ schedule)
You should also take into account that the National airport “Minsk-2” is 50 km away from Minsk. You can reach the city center from the airport by taxi ($20) or shuttle bus ($3).
Afterwards you will need to get from Minsk to Pinsk, and you can use the next ways of travelling:
– the most convenient way is travelling by train (http://www.rw.by), the cost of ticket is about 5 dollars;
– you can also take a bus (http://ticketbus.by), the cost of ticket is about 10 dollars;
- you can use a shuttle bus (taxi) from Minsk train station to Pinsk - the cost of ticket is about $5
A foreigner (or his/her representative) must inform the university’s international cooperation officer on his/her date of arrival to the Republic of Belarus by phone +375 165 31 08 81 or by mail polessu@nbrb.by;polessky.edu@gmail.com
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Enrollment
Have you received a Student Visa and arrived in Belarus? Now you are to pass the enrollment procedure, move into one of the university dormitories, take medical examination and receive a temporary registration (temporary residence) in Belarus for the academic year.
STEP 1. To submit the following documents to the Admission Office:
-  Application indicating the chosen course (to be filled in when submitting the documents to the Admission Office).
- School certificate indicating subjects, exams taken and marks received.
- Medical certificate issued by a territorial medical organization of the sending country that confirms an applicant’s ability to study in the climatic conditions of the Republic of Belarus.
- Medical general certificate and AIDS-test certificate issued by an official medical organ of the applicant’s country of origin
- Copy of birth certificate attested by a notary.
- 6 photos 3x4 cm.
- Certificate confirming the completion of Preparatory Course, Department or Faculty (if available) .
- Passport or any other ID.
Besides the documents listed documents, their translation into Russian or Belarusian attested by a notary is needed.
STEP 2. To pass an interview checking your knowledge of the Russian language and major subjects.
STEP 3. To conclude an agreement on education and to pay a tuition fee.
STEP 4. To make an agreement on compulsory medical insurance with some insurance company (170 EUR/per year).
STEP 5. To pass the medical examination in Pinsk town central polyclinic.
The enrollment order is issued on the basis of a signed agreement, results of medical examination and a paying slip.
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Registration
You are to register at the department for citizenship and migration within 5 days after your arrival in Belarus. To get registration you are to submit the following documents to the university’s internation cooperation officer (room 3708):
- Passport and its copy;
- Migration card;
- Receipt on payment for registration up to the date of visa expiry – 24,5  Belarusian rubles
-  Receipt on payment for temporary residence: up to 1 year – 73 Belarusian rubles.
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Tuition fee
1600 $ for 9 months (840 hours).
Individual programs are also available.
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Accommodation
A foreign student is guaranteed accommodation at one of  the University’s dormitories. Accommodation fee is determined in accordance with the Rector’s order. In the academic year of 2017-2018 it is about  60 dollars a month.

Students’ accommodation meets all necessary standards. There are 6 comfortable hostels, with rooms equipped with TVs and refrigerators. Reading-rooms, rooms for leisure, computer classes, gyms, a laundry with automatic washing machines, rooms for drying and ironing clothes, a room to keep vegetables – all this makes students’ living comfortable.

Living wage in Belarus
Living wage is determined on a quarterly basis and is calculated on the average income per capita.
The budget living wage in Belarus in 2013

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Useful information
The Republic of Belarus is a unitary democratic social law-governed state.
Government type: presidential republic
President: Alexander Lukashenko
Capital: Minsk (1 million 938.4 thousand)
Population: 9 million 327 thousand 329 people
Major languages: Belarusian, Russian
Monetary unit: Belarusian ruble (BYN)
Geography
Belarus is situated in the centre of Europe. Belarus provides the shortest transport communications connecting the CIS countries with the countries of Western Europe. It boders on  Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Russia and Ukraine.
Climate and Weather
Belarus has a moderate continental climate, with cool humid winters and warm summers. The weather in the Republic of Belarus has 4 clearly defined seasons:

Currency
Belarus’ national currency is Belarusian ruble (BYN). US dollar ($) and European Euro (€) are the most common foreign currencies in Belarus. A foreign citizen can exchange them at any bank or currency exchange office.
Passport-visa rules for international students on the territory of the Republic of Belarus
1. All international students who arrived to study in Belarus must submit their international passports with Belarusian visas and migration cards to the university’s international cooperation officer (room 3708) within 3-5 days after having crossed the border.
2 In case a student refuses the student hostel he/she must be registered at the actual address submitting the necessary documents confirming that he/she studies in Belarus: the contract signed with the University, the document of payment for the studies, admission certificate, student certificate and other papers on request of citizenship and migration department.
3. The contract on educational services provided by the University is prepared by a certain department which defines the quantity of academic hours, costs, terms, etc. The originals of all the documents are kept in the personal files of international students. Another set of original documents in the Russian language is given to the international citizen.
4. International students must provide the university’s international cooperation officer with exact and definite personal information on time.
5. Part-time students who arrived without any official invitation have to solve the problems with registration at their study or place of living.
6. All foreign students must purchase an insurance policy valid on the territory of the Republic of Belarus (unless otherwise stipulated by intergovernmental agreements).
7. For 14 days before the expiry date of the registration in the city indicated in the passport international students must prolong the period of its validity if the Dean of their faculty confirms that the student is determined to continue studying at the University.
8. In case an international student needs to leave Belarus for a certain period of time or forever and cannot do this with the available visa he/she must inform the university’s international cooperation officer about it a month before leaving the country. If it is possible to do it with the available visa – 7 days before leaving the country.
9. All the documents necessary for entering/leaving the country should be submitted 20 days before the day of entering/leaving for a holiday period or other reasons and only on a written agreement of the Faculty Dean.
10. On returning back to Belarus after holidays students must inform the university’s international cooperation officer within 1-2 days and submit their passport and migration card.
11. Students must change their national passports in their countries 1-2 months before the expiry date, and they must immediately inform the international cooperation officer about it.
12. Students must inform the international cooperation officer about their travelling to other places of the Republic of Belarus.
13. When the studies at the University come to an end, students must pass documents to international officer of the university to prepare leaving visa 15 days before the departure.
14. In case a student breaks the rules of the passport-visa regime,  a number of fines will follow, and the question of further studies and presence on the territory of the Republic of Belarus will be raised.
15. If you have any questions concerning the rules of the passport-visa regime or you need information about the rules of staying on the territory of Belarus, or about the conditions of lodgings and adaptation, please contact the university’s international cooperation officer:
The Republic of Belarus
225710 Pinsk
4 Pushkina  str., office № 3708
tel. +375 165 31 08 81