Eastern Europe · UN member
Ukraine: Travel Guide & Requirements
· Україна
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe with its capital in Kyiv. It has a population of 39.0 million (#40 in the world) and covers 603,550 km². The official language is Ukrainian. The currency is the Ukrainian hryvnia (UAH, ₴).
Where is Ukraine? Map of Ukraine
Eastern Europe, bordering the Black Sea, between Poland, Belarus, Romania, and Moldova in the west and Russia in the east.
- Region
- Eastern Europe
- Coordinates
- 49° N, 32° E
- Neighbours
- 7 — see list
- Coastline
- 2,782 km
- Ukraine
- Neighbours
- Capital
- Largest cities
Map of Ukraine showing Kyiv (capital) and the largest cities: Kharkiv, Odesa, Dnipro, Donetsk, Lviv, Zaporizhzhya, Kryvyy Rih and Sevastopol.
Travel requirements
What you need to travel to Ukraine
- Passport
The UK FCDO tells British nationals travelling without a visa that their passport should be valid for the proposed duration of their stay, with no additional period of validity required.
- Visa or eTA
Depends on your passport: of 198 passports, 82 need no visa, 42 need an eVisa, 74 need a visa from an embassy. Check yours or see Ukraine entry requirements for every passport.
- Return or onward ticket
No official requirement. Cabinet of Ministers Resolution No. 884 lists checking a return or onward travel ticket with a fixed date as one way of establishing sufficient funds.
- Proof of funds
Cabinet of Ministers Resolution No. 884 of 2013, adopted under Article 21 of the Law on the Legal Status of Foreigners, says foreigners must have funds of 20 times Ukraine's monthly subsistence minimum per month, calcul…
- Travel insurance
Ukraine's Ministry of Foreign Affairs says e-Visa applicants upload a health insurance policy with EUR 30,000 coverage.
- Customs allowance
Canada's travel advice says cash of €10,000 or more (or the equivalent in other currencies) must be declared to customs when entering or leaving Ukraine, and undeclared amounts above that may be seized.
- Travel advice
Avoid travel — US and UK advice.
Entry rules: TravelRequirements.info — Entry Requirements Dataset (CC BY 4.0), each rule cited to an official government source. Always confirm with the airline and the official source before you travel.
Before you go
10 things to know before you travel to Ukraine
- Safety: Governments advise against travel to Ukraine: the US State Department rates Ukraine Level 4 (“Do Not Travel”), and the UK Foreign Office advises against all travel to parts of the country.
- Best time to go: June to August — when daytime highs in Kyiv are around 25–27°C.
- Money: the Ukrainian hryvnia (UAH) — 1 US dollar is about 45.3764 UAH.
- Plugs: type C and F, 230 V, 50 Hz — standard 220–240 V: devices from the US or Japan (110–120 V) need a converter unless they are dual voltage (100–240 V).
- Emergency numbers: Police 102, Ambulance 103, Fire 101.
- Language: Ukrainian is official.
- Driving: on the right — speed limits are 50 km/h in built-up areas, 90 km/h outside built-up areas, 110 km/h on expressways and 130 km/h on motorways.
- Time zone: UTC+2 in Kyiv.
- Capital: Kyiv. About 39.0 million people live in Ukraine.
- Outdoors: 55 national parks and 21 ski areas.
Key facts
Ukraine at a glance
Languages spoken: Ukrainian (official) 67.5%, Russian (regional language) 29.6%, other (includes Crimean Tatar, Moldovan/Romanian, and Hungarian) 2.9% (2001 est.)
Geography & history
About Ukraine
Ukraine was the center of the first eastern Slavic state, Kyivan Rus, which was the largest and most powerful state in Europe during the 10th and 11th centuries. Weakened by internecine quarrels and Mongol invasions, Kyivan Rus was incorporated into the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and eventually into the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. The cultural and religious legacy of Kyivan Rus laid the foundation for Ukrainian nationalism. A new Ukrainian state, the Cossack Hetmanate, was established during the mid-17th century after an uprising against the Poles. Despite continuous Muscovite pressure, the Hetmanate managed to remain autonomous for well over 100 years. During the latter part of the 18th …
Read the full history
Ukraine was the center of the first eastern Slavic state, Kyivan Rus, which was the largest and most powerful state in Europe during the 10th and 11th centuries. Weakened by internecine quarrels and Mongol invasions, Kyivan Rus was incorporated into the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and eventually into the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. The cultural and religious legacy of Kyivan Rus laid the foundation for Ukrainian nationalism. A new Ukrainian state, the Cossack Hetmanate, was established during the mid-17th century after an uprising against the Poles. Despite continuous Muscovite pressure, the Hetmanate managed to remain autonomous for well over 100 years. During the latter part of the 18th century, the Russian Empire absorbed most Ukrainian territory. After czarist Russia collapsed in 1917, Ukraine -- which has long been known as the region's "bread basket" for its agricultural production -- achieved a short-lived period of independence (1917-20), but the country was reconquered and endured a Soviet rule that engineered two famines (1921-22 and 1932-33) in which over eight million died. In World War II, German and Soviet armies were responsible for seven to eight million more deaths. In 1986, a sudden power surge during a reactor-systems test at Ukraine's Chernobyl power station triggered the worst nuclear disaster in history, releasing massive amounts of radioactive material. Although Ukraine overwhelmingly voted for independence in 1991 as the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) dissolved, democracy and prosperity remained elusive, with the legacy of state control, patronage politics, and endemic corruption stalling efforts at economic reform, privatization, and civil liberties. In 2004 and 2005, a mass protest dubbed the "Orange Revolution" forced the authorities to overturn a presidential election and allow a new internationally monitored vote that swept into power a reformist slate under Viktor YUSHCHENKO. Rival Viktor YANUKOVYCH became prime minister in 2006 and was elected president in 2010. In 2012, Ukraine held legislative elections that Western observers widely criticized as corrupt. In 2013, YANUKOVYCH backtracked on a trade and cooperation agreement with the EU -- in favor of closer economic ties with Russia -- and then used force against protestors who supported the agreement, leading to a three-month protestor occupation of Kyiv's central square. The government's use of violence to break up the protest camp in 2014 led to multiple deaths, international condemnation, a failed political deal, and the president's abrupt departure for Russia. Pro-West President Petro POROSHENKO took office later that year; Volodymyr ZELENSKYY succeeded him in 2019. Shortly after YANUKOVYCH's departure in 2014, Russian President Vladimir PUTIN ordered the invasion of Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula. In response, the UN passed a resolution confirming Ukraine's sovereignty and independence. In mid-2014, Russia began an armed conflict in two of Ukraine's eastern provinces. International efforts to end the conflict failed, and by 2022, more than 14,000 civilians were killed or wounded. On 24 February 2022, Russia escalated the conflict by invading the country on several fronts, in what has become the largest conventional military attack on a sovereign state in Europe since World War II. Russia made substantial gains in the early weeks of the invasion but underestimated Ukrainian resolve and combat capabilities. Despite Ukrainian resistance, Russia has laid claim to four Ukrainian oblasts -- Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk, and Zaporizhzhia -- although none is fully under Russian control. The international community has not recognized the annexations. The invasion has also created Europe's largest refugee crisis since World War II, with over six million Ukrainian refugees recorded globally. It remains one of the two largest displacement crises worldwide (the other is the conflict in Syria). President ZELENSKYY has focused on boosting Ukrainian identity to unite the country behind the goals of ending the war through reclaiming territory and advancing Ukraine’s candidacy for EU membership.
Location
Eastern Europe, bordering the Black Sea, between Poland, Belarus, Romania, and Moldova in the west and Russia in the east
Climate
temperate continental; Mediterranean only on the southern Crimean coast; precipitation disproportionately distributed, highest in west and north, lesser in east and southeast; winters vary from cool along the Black Sea to cold farther inland; warm summers acr…
Terrain
mostly fertile plains (steppes) and plateaus, with mountains found only in the west (the Carpathians) or in the extreme south of the Crimean Peninsula
Highest point
Hora Hoverla 2,061 m
Natural resources
iron ore, coal, manganese, natural gas, oil, salt, sulfur, graphite, titanium, magnesium, kaolin, nickel, mercury, timber, arable land
Natural hazards
occasional floods; occasional droughts
National symbols
tryzub (trident), sunflower
Driving
Speed limits & road rules in Ukraine
The default speed limits in Ukraine are 50 km/h in built-up areas, 90 km/h outside built-up areas, 110 km/h on expressways and 130 km/h on motorways. The legal alcohol limit for drivers is 0.2‰. Posted signs always take priority over these defaults.
- 2020 km/hResidential zonesLiving streets & residential areas
- 5050 km/hBuilt-up areasTowns and cities
- 9090 km/hOutside built-up areasCountry roadsWith a trailer: 80 km/h
- 110110 km/hExpresswaysDual carriageways & expresswaysWith a trailer: 80 km/h
- 130130 km/hMotorwaysMotorways / freewaysWith a trailer: 80 km/h
- International Driving PermitRecognised: 1968 ViennaCarry the IDP together with your national licence
- Driving sideDrive on the rightOvertake on the left
- Alcohol limit0.2‰ blood alcohol (0.02% BAC)
- Seat beltsRequired by law
- Child seatsRequired by law
- Motorcycle helmetsRequired for riders
- Road deaths (2021)10.5 per 100,000 peopleClose to the world median (12.4)
Speed limits: OpenStreetMap wiki — Default speed limits (CC BY-SA 2.0). Road-safety laws: WHO Global Health Observatory. Compare speed limits and alcohol limits by country. Defaults for cars; local signs, weather and vehicle type can lower them.
Safety
Is Ukraine safe to visit?
Governments advise against travel to Ukraine: the US State Department rates Ukraine Level 4 (“Do Not Travel”), and the UK Foreign Office advises against all travel to parts of the country.
US State Department
UK Foreign Office (FCDO)Latest update: Updated information about the Russian invasion of Ukraine ('Warnings and insurance' page).
Updated 2 Oct 2026 · Full travel advice
Sources: US Department of State travel advisories (public domain) and UK FCDO foreign travel advice (contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0). Checked daily. Advice can change quickly — always read the official page before you travel.
Weather
Best time to visit Ukraine
The best time to visit Ukraine is June to August, when daytime highs in Kyiv are around 25–27°C. May and September are also a good time to go. July is the warmest month (27°C by day), January the coldest (-9°C at night), and June the wettest with about 73 mm of rain.
- Jan-3°C-9°C
- Feb-1°C-8°C
- Mar6°C-3°C
- Apr14°C4°C
- May21°C10°C
- Jun25°C14°C
- Jul27°C17°C
- Aug27°C15°C
- Sep21°C10°C
- Oct13°C4°C
- Nov5°C-1°C
- Dec-1°C-7°C
Best time Good Less ideal
Before you go
Plugs, voltage & emergency numbers in Ukraine
Plugs & sockets
230 V, 50 Hz · Standard 220–240 V: devices from the US or Japan (110–120 V) need a converter unless they are dual voltage (100–240 V).
Emergency numbers
Save the local numbers before you travel — 112 or 911 may not connect here. All countries →
Sources: Wikipedia — Mains electricity by country and List of emergency telephone numbers (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Ski resorts
21 ski resorts in Ukraine
- 120 km of slopes
- 93 lifts
- up to 1,706 m
Biggest: Буковель · Драгобрат · Slavske - Trostyan
National parks
55 national parks in Ukraine
- 15,404 km² protected
- oldest from 1974
Largest: Podilski Tovtry National Park · Meotyda National Nature Park · Upper Pobuzhia National Nature Park
Currency · 26 October 2026
Ukrainian hryvnia exchange rates today
Ukraine uses the Ukrainian hryvnia (UAH, ₴). One US dollar buys 45.3764 UAH; over the last 30 days the UAH has lost 1.3% against the dollar.
What other currencies cost in UAH
Currency converter
Daily reference rates from the open-source currency-api (CC0), 26 Oct 2026. Banks and exchange offices add a margin.
World rankings
Where Ukraine ranks
How Ukraine compares with the rest of the world — open any card for the full ranking.
Airports
Airports in Ukraine
208 airports and airfields — 4 large, 32 medium and 117 small, plus 55 heliports. 0 have scheduled passenger flights.
Military
Ukrainian armed forces
Ukraine ranks #15 of 145 in the Global Firepower military strength ranking, with a defence budget of $84.1 billion (2025).
People
Population & society
Largest cities: Kyiv (3.0 million), Kharkiv (1.4 million), Odesa (1.0 million), Dnipropetrovsk (942,000), Donetsk (888,000)
Economy
Economy
Main industries
industrial machinery, ferrous and nonferrous metals, automotive and aircraft components, electronics, chemicals, textiles, mining, construction
Export partners
Poland 12%, Romania 9%, Turkey 7%, China 6%, Spain 6% (2023)
Top exports
corn, seed oils, wheat, iron ore, soybeans (2023)
Travel tools
Handy before every trip to Ukraine
Next public holiday
Christmas Day — Friday, 25 December 2026. Then New Year's Day (1 Jan).
Ukrainian passport
Ranked #66: 92 countries visa-free, 40 with visa on arrival, 4 with an eTA and 30 with an eVisa.
Ukrainian passport photo
Exact size, head position and background for Ukraine's passport and visa photos — make one free with AI checks.
Calling Ukraine
Dial +380 before the local number. Internet domain .ua.
Climate footprint
142.5 million tonnes of CO₂ in 2024 — 3.76 t per person.
Entry requirements
Visa rules for every passport visiting Ukraine: visa-free stays, eVisas, visas on arrival and documents to bring.
News
Latest travel news about Ukraine
Czechia keeps current Russian visa rules, rejects EU-wide tightening for travellers
Czechia declined to support a Finnish initiative for tighter EU-wide visa restrictions on Russian travellers. Foreign Minister Petr Macinka said Czec…
U.S. immigrant visas from 75 countries delayed despite court ruling, lawyers say
Immigration lawyers say the U.S. State Department is delaying nearly 300,000 immigrant visa applications from 75 countries after a federal judge stru…
US Keeps Sudan and Ukraine TPS Protections Going Past Expiry Date
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has confirmed that Temporary Protected Status (TPS) protections will continue for eligible Sudanese and Ukra…
Frequently asked questions about Ukraine
What do I need to travel to Ukraine?
How long must my passport be valid for Ukraine?
Where is Ukraine?
What is Ukraine known for?
What is the capital of Ukraine?
What language is spoken in Ukraine?
What currency does Ukraine use?
What is the calling code of Ukraine?
Which countries border Ukraine?
How strong is the Ukrainian passport?
What is the speed limit in Ukraine?
Is Ukraine safe to visit?
When is the best time to visit Ukraine?
What plug type does Ukraine use?
How many airports does Ukraine have?
Sources: CIA World Factbook (public domain); World Bank Open Data (CC BY 4.0); names, languages and currencies: mledoze/countries (ODbL); flag: flag-icons (MIT); coat of arms: Wikimedia Commons (file page); exchange rates: Daily reference rates from the open-source currency-api (CC0); airports: OurAirports.