Opening a Company in Belarus as a Non-Resident: Procedure in 2026

Author: Liudmila Anatolyevna Sulima, lawyer at the law firm "Economic Disputes," specialization – consumer disputes, corporate law, liquidation and bankruptcy, transportation, lease, labor law, foreign business in Belarus

13.06.2026

Opening a company as a non-resident is the administrative and legal procedure for establishing a legal entity on the territory of the Republic of Belarus by a foreign citizen or foreign organization, followed by entering information about it into the Unified State Register of Legal Entities and Individual Entrepreneurs (hereinafter — the USR). From the moment of registration, the organization acquires legal capacity: it may open bank accounts, conclude contracts, and conduct business activity. The legal basis consists of Articles 47–50 of the Civil Code of the Republic of Belarus and Decree of the President of the Republic of Belarus No. 1 of 16 January 2009 "On State Registration and Liquidation (Termination of Activity) of Business Entities" (hereinafter — Decree No. 1), which approved the Regulation on State Registration of Business Entities, detailing the procedure, the composition of documents, and the timeframes.

Which non-residents can register a company in Belarus

Belarusian legislation does not restrict the circle of foreign founders by citizenship or country of registration. Founders of Belarusian commercial organizations may be foreign individuals — citizens of any state possessing full legal capacity under the legislation of their country of residence and having reached the age of 18 — as well as foreign legal entities of any organizational and legal form, provided they are operating and are not undergoing liquidation or bankruptcy proceedings. Opening an LLC as a non-resident does not require a residence permit in the Republic of Belarus, and there is no requirement of a mandatory number of days spent on the country's territory. At the same time, a foreign investor is obliged to independently reconcile its corporate status with the requirements of Belarusian legislation: according to the position of the Ministry of Economy of the Republic of Belarus, the obligation to conduct such verification follows directly from part 1 of clause 26 of the Regulation on State Registration of Business Entities approved by Decree No. 1.

A little-known fact: if the share of a foreign legal entity — founder in the charter fund of a Belarusian company being established exceeds 25%, that company loses the right to apply the simplified taxation system. This nuance often goes unnoticed at the stage of structuring the business and entails revising the entire financial model after registration.

Which organizational and legal forms suit foreign business

The most common form for foreign investors is a limited liability company (LLC) — a business entity whose charter fund is divided into shares of the sizes determined by the charter. Participants of an LLC are not liable for the company's obligations with their personal property and bear the risk of losses within the value of the contributions made to the charter fund (Article 95 of the Law of the Republic of Belarus No. 2020-XII of 9 December 1992 "On Business Entities"). No minimum size of an LLC's charter fund is established by law. If there are several founders, only a business entity — an LLC or a closed joint-stock company (CJSC) — may be established. If there is a single founder, it is also possible to establish a private unitary enterprise (PUE); however, the enterprise's property belongs to it under the right of economic management rather than ownership, which significantly limits flexibility when selling the business.

Which documents are needed from a foreign founder

The list of documents for a non-resident is broader than for a Belarusian founder. According to the Regulation on State Registration of Business Entities approved by Decree No. 1, a foreign individual submits a copy of an identity document with a notarized translation into Belarusian or Russian. A foreign organization submits a legalized extract from the trade register of the country of establishment or other equivalent proof of legal status with a notarized translation. The extract must be issued no more than one year before the date of filing the application for state registration. For founders from the Russian Federation, it is sufficient to certify a copy of the passport or the extract with a Belarusian or Russian notary without an apostille — this follows directly from the Convention on Legal Assistance and Legal Relations in Civil, Family, and Criminal Matters (the 1993 Minsk Convention). For founders from states party to the Hague Convention (for example, from EU countries, the USA, Australia), an apostille is required with a subsequent notarized translation.

Among the documents mandatory for all founders are: the decision to establish the company, an application to the registering authority in the form approved by Resolution of the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Belarus No. 8 of 27 January 2009, the charter (or an indication of the use of a model charter), and confirmation of payment of the state fee. The amount of the state fee for registering a commercial organization is 1 base unit (45 Belarusian rubles in 2026).

Practical recommendation: first check the extract from the trade register of the parent company for compliance with the validity period and the corporate structure of the founders, then determine the method of legalization depending on the country of origin, then order the notarized translation — already in Belarus, which allows saving up to 2 weeks on sending documents.

Can a company be registered by power of attorney

The personal presence of a foreign founder during state registration is not mandatory. The interests of a foreign legal entity when filing documents may be represented by an authorized representative on the basis of a notarized power of attorney. The power of attorney must contain a specific list of powers: agreeing on the name, signing the application, submitting documents to the registering authority. If the power of attorney is issued abroad, it is subject to legalization in the same manner as other foreign documents. Life hack: include in the text of the power of attorney the wording "with the right of substitution" (Article 188 of the Civil Code of the Republic of Belarus) — this will allow the attorney, if necessary, to engage an additional specialist without a repeat request to the founder.

At the same time, the company's director is obliged to be personally present when opening a bank account — unlike the founder, who does not need to travel to Belarus. Documents for registration can be filed in three ways: through personal application to the registering authority (the executive committee at the company's location), through a notary, or in electronic form via the USR web portal.

Which timeframes and stages of registration should be taken into account

State registration of business entities is carried out on the basis of the declarative principle on the day the documents are filed — this is one of the key advantages of the Belarusian system. The full cycle, including opening an account and obtaining an electronic digital signature (EDS), usually takes 5–7 business days with timely preparation of all documents.

The most resource-intensive stage for a non-resident is the pre-registration stage. The first step is agreeing on the name: according to clause 12 of the Regulation on State Registration of Business Entities and Resolution of the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Belarus No. 154 of 5 February 2009, the name of a business entity must be agreed before filing documents for registration. Availability of the name can be checked on the USR web portal in electronic form; the review period is up to 1 business day, and the reservation lasts for 1 month. The next stage is preparing the charter. Since 13 March 2025, model charters for LLCs have been in effect, approved by Resolution of the Council of Ministers No. 133 of 3 March 2025: separately for a company with one participant and for a company with several participants. Using a model charter is a right, not an obligation. However, the model charter does not contain information on the name, location, size of the charter fund, composition of participants, and their shares — this data is entered into the USR, which reduces the degree of protection of the founders' interests in corporate disputes.

The question of appointing a director deserves separate attention. If a foreign citizen from an EAEU member state (the Russian Federation, the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Republic of Armenia, the Kyrgyz Republic) is planned as director, no work permit is required, and formalizing the labor relationship takes one day. Citizens of other states must obtain a special permit to engage in labor activity.

Which mistakes slow down opening a company

The first mistake is filing a foreign founder's passport with a notarized translation made abroad, without legalization. A Belarusian notary is entitled to certify the authenticity of a translation only if the original passport is present on the territory of Belarus. This means the original must at least once end up in the Republic of Belarus, or the translation should be certified by a notary in the country of origin followed by an apostille.

The second mistake is opening a current account without taking restrictions into account. A number of banks are entitled to refuse service to persons from jurisdictions with elevated risk. This needs to be checked in advance, choosing a bank already at the structuring stage, not after receiving the registration certificate.

In complex cases — with a multi-level founder structure, non-standard jurisdictions, or tight deadlines — engaging specialized lawyers can significantly reduce the risk of refusal of registration and the need to redo documents.

Why entrust opening a company to an experienced team

The law firm "Economic Disputes" has worked since 2019 with foreign founders in the field of business registration, corporate law, and protection of interests in economic disputes. The company's team includes 15 lawyers and specialists with 15 to 25 years of practical experience, 4 accredited mediators, and its own arbitration tribunal, "Economic Disputes." The company's director, Sergei Belyavsky, has 20 years of practice in economic courts, including 10 years as a judge; he is a recommended arbitrator of the International Arbitration Court at the Belarusian Chamber of Commerce and Industry and a number of other arbitration institutions, and the author of 5 books and more than 2,000 publications on legal topics. Over the course of its work, the company has supported more than 2,000 clients, ensuring the return and preservation of assets worth more than 1.95 billion Belarusian rubles. The average client rating is 4.95 out of 5 based on more than 100 verified reviews.

The company practices in Russian, Polish, and English, is part of a partner network covering more than 160 states, and since June 2025 has been a member of the Association of European Lawyers (AEA). For clients from abroad, settlements are available through an account with PKO Bank Polski. The company's offices are located in Minsk (11 Kulman Street) and Grodno (23 Kaliuchynskaya Street). Its professional YouTube channel and Instagram page have about 25,000 subscribers, and the company's specialists regularly speak at international legal conferences.

If your business needs legal support in opening a company in Belarus as a non-resident — leave a request on our website: we will offer a realistic registration plan taking into account your business structure, jurisdiction, and timeframes.