The airspace of Ukraine is still closed, so you need to carefully consider the route and familiarize yourself with the rules of entry. Find out in more detail how it is convenient to get from Bulgaria to Ukraine and what documents you need to have to cross the border

Take care of reliable insurance for safe entry and stay in Ukraine

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For more than 2 years, martial law has been imposed in Ukraine, but the country's borders are open. According to official information, more than 2.4 million foreigners entered the country in 2023, of which 12,510 were Bulgarian citizens.

In 2024, the trend continues, foreigners continue to come to Ukraine on personal visits, on trips and as part of volunteer missions. However, currently traveling to the country has its own peculiarities, in particular, the country's airspace is closed, and it is also necessary to observe certain safety rules.

How to get to Ukraine from Bulgaria? What rules for entering Ukraine are relevant in 2024? Useful information for those planning a trip this year is collected in our material.

Air flight from Bulgaria to the Ukrainian border + train/bus

The most convenient and fastest way to get to Ukraine is to fly to one of the airports in Europe, which is located near the Ukrainian border, and from there continue the journey by land transport - by train or bus.

Ukraine borders Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania and Moldova. There are many direct flights to these countries from Bulgaria.

● Bulgaria – Poland

  - Warsaw can be reached by direct flight from Burgas, Varna and Sofia. The price of the ticket starts from 40 euros. Daily departures available. Travel time is about 2 hours 05 minutes.

- Krakow is one of the closest Polish airports to the Ukrainian border. The distance from Krakow to Lviv is 328 km. You can get here by direct flight from Varna or Burgas. Departure twice a week - Wednesday, Saturday. The price of the ticket starts from 60 euros. Travel time is about 1 hour 50 minutes.

 - You can fly to Rzeszów (Ryaszów) only with a transfer, most often in Warsaw. Travel duration from 4 hours. The price of the ticket is from 80 euros. The airport in Rzeszów is located 172 km from Lviv (Ukraine).

Detailed route from Poland to Ukraine in this article.

● Bulgaria – Slovakia

The countries are connected by a direct flight from Burgas to Kosice, the airport closest to the Ukrainian border. The travel time is 1 hour 40 minutes, the price of the ticket is from 200 euros.

From Kosice you can reach Chopa and Mukachevo. More details in this article.

● Bulgaria – Hungary

You can fly to Budapest from Sofia and Burgas. The flight is operated daily by Ryanair. Travel time 1 hour 20 minutes. Ticket price from 15 euros. Departure at 20:05.

There is a direct train from Budapest to Kyiv. Detailed route from Hungary to Ukraine by link.

● Bulgaria – Romania

Only connecting flights are available to Suceava. Departure is from Sofia. Ticket price from 150 euros, trip duration from 5 hours.

You can easily get to Chernivtsi from Suceava, there is a daily bus from the bus station, the journey to Chernivtsi takes 2-3 hours.

Sofia and Bucharest are also connected by a direct flight four times a week - Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday. Ticket price from 140 euros. The detailed route from Romania to Ukraine is here.

Pay attention! If you plan to buy tickets for the near future, the prices may be much higher.

By train from Bulgaria to Ukraine

At this time, there is no direct train from Bulgaria to Ukraine.

You can get from Bulgaria to Kyiv by train only with transfers. For example, through Bucharest and Chisinau.

- 1st stage – Sofia-Bucharest

There are two rail connections between Bulgaria and Romania, both crossing the Danube by a large bridge. Tickets are sold at international ticket offices at major railway stations in Romania. You can also try to order train tickets on the websites of Romanian and Bulgarian railway companies.

- 2nd stage – Bucharest-Chisinau

Travel from Romania to Moldova by night train on the route Bucharest - Chisinau. Travel time is 13 hours. The price of train tickets starts from 25 euros. The train route passes through Iasi (Romania) and Ungeny (Moldova).

- 3rd stage – Kishinev-Kyiv

  From Chisinau, you can reach Odesa and Kyiv by rail. The travel time is 13 hours. The ticket price starts from 30 euros in a compartment and from 50 euros in a luxury carriage. Travel time from Chisinau to Odesa is four hours. Ticket prices start at 8 euros. This train service usually runs on weekends.

The whole journey, including transfers, takes about 39 hours, which is quite tiring. It is also worth bearing in mind that routes may be shortened or cancelled.

Where to buy train tickets from Bulgaria to Ukraine?

Tickets for most Ukrzaliznytsia flights from Poland can be bought online on the official website of Ukrzaliznytsia, in the mobile application and through official chatbots.

Tickets go on sale at 08:00 20 days before the flight. Returned tickets appear on the website 1-2 days before departure.

By bus from Bulgaria to Ukraine

The best option is a trip from Bulgaria to Ukraine by bus, because it is not so long and quite budget-friendly.

The duration of the move depends on several factors:

1. The city from which you are leaving and to which you are following.

2. The situation at the border (queues, promptness of customs officials, gathering of passengers).

For example, the road from Bulgaria to Lviv, on average, lasts from 21 to 24 hours.

The price of the ticket starts from 70 euros.

Where to buy bus tickets from Bulgaria to Ukraine?

Choosing a proven service for buying tickets is one of the most important stages in organizing a trip. That is why thousands of travelers use the ticket purchase service on the Visit Ukraine portal.

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By own car from Bulgaria to Ukraine

The distance from Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria, to Kyiv is 1,300 km. The route will pass through Romania and Moldova. Such a trip, taking into account the price of gasoline, can cost from 200 to 300 euros.

Importantly! The biggest queues are usually at the Rososhany checkpoint. You can check the waiting time at checkpoints with Moldova for entry into Ukraine by following the link. More details about the work of checkpoints on the Ukrainian border in our material.

To avoid a long wait, prefer traveling at the beginning of the week. From Monday to Wednesday, passenger traffic is lower, and accordingly there are no long queues. Starting from Thursday evening until Sunday, the number of people willing to cross the border increases, which increases the load on checkpoints.

In addition, we draw your attention to the fact that, despite the fact that checkpoints are open 24 hours a day, there is a curfew on the territory of Ukraine due to the state of war.

Rules for entering Ukraine by car for foreigners

A foreigner is allowed to enter Ukraine in his own car, but he can use it only for his own needs. Foreign citizens can drive cars with foreign license plates in Ukraine for up to one year. Also, if you plan to stay in Ukraine for longer than two months, you need to contact the service center of the Ministry of Internal Affairs for temporary car registration. After the expiration of the one-year period, the car with foreign license plates must leave Ukraine.

To enter Ukraine by car, you must have a Green Card insurance policy.

Detailed rules for traveling in Ukraine by car with foreign registration in this article.

Entry rules for Bulgarian citizens to Ukraine in 2024

● Visa is not required. Citizens of Bulgaria have the right to stay in Ukraine without a visa for up to 90 days, if the purpose of the trip is tourism, visiting relatives, treatment, etc.

  If the length of stay exceeds 90 days or you plan to work or study in Ukraine, then before traveling you need to apply for a long-term visa (type "D") at the embassy or consulate of Ukraine in Bulgaria. It is better to start the procedure at least 3 months before the planned trip.

● Entry into Ukraine is based on a valid foreign passport, which must have at least one blank page for the entry stamp.

Also, to cross the Ukrainian border, you must provide:

1. Health insurance policy.

2. Confirmation of the purpose of the trip: a notarized invitation from citizens of Ukraine (relatives, acquaintances, friends), travel vouchers, confirmation of accommodation reservations, invitations from companies or organizations, tickets to seminars, exhibitions, fairs, documents about treatment in medical facilities, etc.

3. Confirmation of financial support (cash, bank statement, check from an ATM, etc.) - proof that you have sufficient funds for the entire period of your planned stay in Ukraine or transit to a third country ($45 per person for each day of your stay in Ukraine ).

Importantly! Foreigners who have been banned from entering Ukraine by an authorized state body will not be able to cross the border. Read about who can be refused entry to Ukraine in our article.

Useful links for those planning a trip to Ukraine

● Booking a tour – if the purpose of the trip is tourism, be sure to search for a tour in advance. The largest database of routes from proven tourist operators is collected at the link. Depending on your interests, you can also plan an individual trip.

● Housing search – book hotels here. Rules for renting an apartment in Ukraine for foreigners in this article.

● Rent a car – to feel more mobile while traveling in Ukraine, we recommend renting a car. Detailed instructions at the link.

● Safety and insurance rules – safety rules must be strictly followed when traveling through Ukraine under martial law. In addition, make sure you have military risk insurance. About the benefits of the policy here.

● Legal support – in the conditions of martial law, certain rights of citizens may be limited, therefore, if you need the help of a lawyer while traveling in Ukraine, you can contact the specialists at the link.

● Contacts of the Embassy of the Republic of Bulgaria in Ukraine:

- Address: 01030, Kyiv, str. Hospital, 1.

- Telephone: (044) 246-76-72, (044) 246-72-37, (044) 235-22-02.

- Working hours: 9.00-17.30 (Monday-Friday).

- E-mail: [email protected]

● Souvenirs – stylish clothes and accessories in memory of Ukraine here.

We wish you a good trip!

Want to know more? Read the latest news and useful materials about Ukraine and the world in the News section.

We recommend purchasing it for a safe and comfortable trip to Ukraine: 

Visit Ukraine Insurance – safe travel in Ukraine (insurance covering military risks);

Visit Ukraine Legal advice – comprehensive legal support on entry to Ukraine;
Visit Ukraine Tickets – bus and train tickets to/from Ukraine;

Visit Ukraine Tours – the largest online database of tours to Ukraine for every taste;

Visit Ukraine Hotels – hotels for a comfortable stay in Ukraine;

Visit Ukraine Merch – patriotic clothing and accessories with worldwide delivery.

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