Who can drive on a foreign licence
Admission to driving in Ukraine is governed by the Regulation on the procedure for issuing driving licences, approved by Cabinet of Ministers (КМУ) Resolution No. 340. Paragraph 30 of the Regulation deals with people who are staying in Ukraine temporarily. They drive on the licence issued by their own country, provided it complies with the 1968 Convention on Road Traffic and has entries in Latin script. If the licence does not meet the Convention, an international driving permit is needed alongside it.
No exchange for a Ukrainian licence is carried out for this group. A tourist, a seconded employee or a guest who has come for a few months changes nothing and keeps driving on their own document. The other paperwork of your first months in Ukraine is covered in the guide to first steps in Ukraine.
Document checklist
0/5 doneWho has to exchange the licence
Things are different for someone moving to Ukraine for permanent residence. Their foreign licence stays valid for 60 days after the ДМС (State Migration Service, DMS) has issued the permanent residence documents. When that period ends, the licence has to be exchanged for a Ukrainian one. The exchange involves a medical examination, a theory test and a practical driving test.
The practical conclusion is simple. As soon as you receive a permanent residence permit, do not put the licence off. Ask the сервісний центр МВС (Interior Ministry service centre, MIA service centre) right away how to prepare for the exams.
Here is how the three situations compare.
What about a temporary residence permit holder
Paragraph 30 speaks of people staying temporarily and of those moving for permanent residence. A foreigner with a temporary residence permit, in Ukrainian a посвідка на тимчасове проживання (TRP), falls squarely into neither group. Other paragraphs of the Regulation, however, expressly list the TRP among the documents with which an MIA service centre provides its services.
In practice a TRP holder has two routes. The first is a simplified procedure for a Ukrainian licence, after which your national licence is taken away. The second is to sit all the exams anew, as a new driver would. Choose depending on whether you still need your national licence.
When an exchange is not possible
The Regulation names the situations in which no exchange is carried out. One concerns a person who is on a wanted list. Another arises when more than a year has passed since the foreign licence expired. A third covers cases where the person has been deprived of the right to drive or had it restricted.
Keep an eye on the expiry date of your foreign licence for this reason. If it ran out long ago, exchanging it is no longer an option, and you will have to go through training and exams like any new driver.
Which documents you will need
For services at an MIA service centre, a foreigner presents a temporary or permanent residence permit, a refugee certificate, or a certificate of a person granted complementary or temporary protection. The residence permit can also be shown in electronic form through Дія (Diia, the state services app), if it has been added there. How to do that is explained in the article on Diia for foreigners.
Besides the permit, you will need the foreign driving licence itself and a medical certificate. The service centre may ask for a translation of the foreign licence. If it does, make sure the translation uses the same spelling of your name as your residence permit, otherwise the data will not match. The article on notarised translation covers this in detail.
Soviet-era licences
A licence bearing the SU distinguishing sign, issued in a former Soviet republic other than the Ukrainian SSR, counts as foreign under the Regulation. Its holder follows the same rules as for any other foreign licence, including the rule on how long it remains valid.
Martial law
During martial law and for one year after it ends, special rules on admission to driving apply under Cabinet of Ministers Resolution No. 184. They concern procedures at MIA service centres. Check the current rules on the Interior Ministry website before you go, because they change more often than the Regulation itself.
Lawyer's experience
The driving licence question comes up most often for foreigners moving from a temporary residence permit to a permanent one. While living on a TRP, a person drives on their own licence without any trouble. Once the permanent residence permit is issued, a period of 60 days begins that few people know about, and a few months later the person is behind the wheel with a document that no longer gives the right to drive.
That is why, when we take a client through to permanent residence, we remind them separately about exchanging the licence. To those who hold a TRP and want a Ukrainian licence, I explain the choice. The simplified procedure is easier, but the national licence is taken away. If you still need it, you will have to sit all the exams as a new driver.
If you are not sure whether you need an exchange, at a migration law consultation we look at your situation in light of the ground for your stay.
Official sources
Frequently asked questions
Can a tourist drive in Ukraine on a licence from their home country?+
Yes, if the licence complies with the 1968 Convention on Road Traffic and has entries in Latin script. If it does not comply, an international driving permit is needed alongside it.
Can I exchange my licence while I hold a temporary residence permit?+
Yes, in one of two ways. You can get a Ukrainian licence under a simplified procedure, but your national licence is then taken away. The alternative is to sit all the exams anew as a new driver.
When is an exchange impossible altogether?+
The Regulation names three cases. The person is on a wanted list, more than a year has passed since the foreign licence expired, or the person has been deprived of the right to drive or had that right restricted.
Is a Soviet-era licence treated as foreign?+
Yes. The Regulation treats a licence with the SU distinguishing sign, issued in a former Soviet republic other than the Ukrainian SSR, as a foreign licence.
What happens if I keep driving on a licence that should already have been exchanged?+
For a permanent resident, a foreign licence stays valid for 60 days from the day the permanent residence documents are issued. After that it no longer gives you the right to drive in Ukraine. Plan the exchange straight after you receive your permanent residence permit.
This article is general guidance, not individual legal advice.