How to Return to Ukraine with an Expired International Passport: List of Countries for Transit

You can return to Ukraine even with an invalid document, but the journey home will require proper transit. Learn about the current border crossing rules, the requirements of Schengen Area countries, and available routes for a safe trip back home

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An expired passport while abroad is a serious obstacle to travel, accessing banking services, and even simply returning home. Although most countries strictly prohibit foreigners from entering with invalid documents, there are certain exceptions for Ukrainian citizens that allow them to safely return to their homeland, according to Relocate.

Will you be allowed into Ukraine with an expired foreign passport?

The main and unconditional rule is: Ukrainian citizens have the full right to return to their country under any circumstances, even if their foreign passport is expired or lost. The State Border Guard Service will allow you to enter Ukraine.

However, it is important to understand that this document is valid only for a one-way trip. You will not be able to use an expired passport for further travel or to leave the country again—to do so, you will need to apply for a new biometric passport while already in Ukraine. When planning your route, also take into account the policies of transit countries and consulates. For example, returning via Budapest with a document that is about to expire can be extremely difficult.

Which countries can you travel through with an expired passport?

Moldova remains one of the main and most reliable transit hubs for Ukrainians. Due to the state of war, this country has implemented significant relaxations and often allows Ukrainian citizens to pass even with invalid documents. This makes the Moldovan route the best option for returning home by land. Before traveling, however, it’s still worth checking the latest information, as the rules for crossing the border by land and boarding a flight differ significantly.

At the same time, Georgia requires stricter compliance with passport control. For safe transit or entry, your passport must remain valid for at least 90 days. If it has already expired, you should not plan a route through Georgia—it is highly likely that the airline will simply not allow you to board the flight.

Entry rules for Schengen Area countries: Will you be allowed in with a document that is about to expire?

The Schengen Area has a strict rule: your travel document must remain valid for at least three months after your planned departure date from the EU, and the passport itself must have been issued no more than ten years ago. If you are in Europe as a tourist, an expired or soon-to-expire document will almost certainly result in a denial of entry.

The situation is slightly different for Ukrainians who hold a residence permit, a long-term visa, or temporary protection status. Resident status increases your chances of being allowed to return to your country of residence, but it does not waive the main requirement: your passport must be valid. Each EU country interprets these rules differently, and what might be overlooked for a resident of Germany could become a problem for a resident of Poland or Spain. Furthermore, the final decision is often made not by border guards but by airline staff.

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Can You Travel with an Extended Foreign Passport?

Amid the full-scale war, Ukrainian consulates stamped old foreign passports to extend their validity. However, using such a document for full-fledged travel today—especially within the European Union—is extremely risky.

Many countries do not recognize extended passports as valid travel documents, even if you have a residence permit or humanitarian grounds. An extended passport is not equivalent to a new biometric passport, so you should replace it at the earliest opportunity.

What to do if your passport expires while you’re abroad

If your passport has less than six months left before it expires, you need to address the issue in advance:

1. Familiarize yourself with the requirements: Check the rules of your destination country and the airline. For Schengen Zone countries, a three-month validity period is required; for many others, six months. It is the airline, not the border control officer, that checks your documents first before boarding.

2. Apply for a new passport: While abroad, you can apply for a new passport by contacting the Ukrainian consulate or the overseas branches of the passport service (State Enterprise “Document”).

3. Plan your transit: If you’ve firmly decided to return to Ukraine with a problematic passport, carefully plan your overland route and make sure that the transit countries will allow you to continue toward the Ukrainian border.

If you have questions about the validity of a visa in a canceled passport, the recognition of documents abroad, or any other immigration and legal nuances — Visit Ukraine’s immigration lawyers are ready to advise you individually.

We remind you! Ukrainian law allows you to hold no more than two valid foreign passports at the same time, but you may also keep a revoked passport. Find out under what conditions an old passport is revoked, how this process works, and when you can keep it.

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