After the Chernobyl nuclear reactor explosion of 1986, some Southern regions of Belarus were showered with radioactive dust, contaminating land, water and people. Though a lot of these areas are now liveable for humans, the land remains contaminated and as such food grown in these areas, as well as livestock produced in them should be considered contaminated and unsafe to eat or drink – water should always be filtered and boiled before it is consumed. There are a number of regions which are still highly unsafe for human life and should be avoided at all costs – they are marked, fenced off and policed, so it is nearly impossible to stray into them by accident, but all the same care is advised.

Pick pocketing and muggings are not uncommon, so necessary precautions should be taken to avoid potential trouble.

Demonstrations, protests and rallies that are anti-government or pro-opposition parties should be avoided, as security forces are known to be fierce in their dispersal techniques, as has been shown over the last decade.

It is recommended that vaccinations are taken out against Hepatitis A if staying for long periods of time, as well as against Tick-borne encephalitis if visiting forested areas.