Ukraine's land borders are open. However, traveling under martial law requires attention to some peculiarities. Learn more about the current rules and convenient routes to enter Ukraine from Estonia in 2024

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The organization of a trip to Ukraine under martial law has certain peculiarities, because the country's airspace is closed. However, despite the difficulties, foreigners continue to come to the state. In 2023 alone, more than 2.4 million travelers crossed the Ukrainian border, including 4,146 citizens of Estonia.

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

How to get to Ukraine from Estonia in 2024?

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 train or bus.

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

1. Flight from Estonia to the Ukrainian border

● Estonia – Poland

- Warsaw can be reached by direct flight from Tallinn. The flight is operated by the Polish airline LOT. Departure from Tallinn at 18:30, arrival in Warsaw - 19:10, travel time - 1 hour 40 minutes. The price of the ticket starts from 80 euros.

- You can get to Krakow and Rzeszów (Ryaszew) only with transfers, most often in Warsaw. Travel time from 4 hours, ticket price from 180 euros. The airports in these two Polish cities will be as convenient as possible for travelers planning a trip to Ukraine, as they are located near the Ukrainian border. From here it is as convenient as possible to get to Lviv and the western regions of Ukraine.

Detailed route from Poland to Ukraine in this article.

● Estonia – Moldova

You can get from Estonia to Chisinau only with a transfer (it is most convenient to do it in Warsaw). Travel time is about 8 hours. The price of the ticket is about 250-300 euros.

The distance to the Ukrainian border from Chisinau is 130 km - Palanka checkpoint (Odesa region). The nearest large Ukrainian city: Odesa. Tourists planning a trip to the southern regions of Ukraine should choose a flight to Chisinau airport.

● Estonia – Slovakia

You can fly to Bratislava, Kosice or Poprad from Estonia only with a transfer. Such a trip will last about 4 hours and will cost from 120 euros.

We advise travelers who plan to visit the Transcarpathian region (the city of Uzhgorod, Mukachevo, the Ukrainian Carpathians, etc.) to choose a trip to Slovakia.

● Estonia – Hungary

You can get to Budapest from Tallinn with a transfer in Helsinki or Warsaw. The price of the ticket starts from 80 euros. The flights are operated by the Hungarian carrier WizzAir. Travel time is about 6 hours.

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

2. Travel to Ukraine by land transport

At the second stage, it is necessary to continue your trip from the European city to Ukraine by ground transport.

● Train

Most of the tourists prefer the railway because of its speed and comfort. Ukraine is connected to European cities by the following trains:

- Poland - from Warsaw you can get to Kyiv, from Przemyśl - to Kyiv, Kharkiv, Odesa and Zaporizhzhia, from Chelm - to Kyiv and Kharkiv.

- Hungary - there is a direct train from Budapest to Kyiv.

- Austria - a direct train goes from Vienna to Kyiv.

- Moldova - a direct train goes from Chisinau to Kyiv.

- Slovakia - from Kosice you can reach Chopa and Mukachevo.

Find a detailed schedule of trains running between Ukraine and European countries by following the link.

● Bus

A fairly convenient and economical way to get to Ukraine is by bus.

However, there is no direct bus connection between Estonia and Ukraine. You can get there only with transfers, first you need to get to Riga or Vilnius, and from there use the Lviv-Riga or Lviv-Vilnius buses.

The average price of a ticket is 150 euros. Travel time is about 25-35 hours.

Carriers offer comfortable passenger buses for the trip. The salon is equipped with soft seats, a toilet and an automatic climate control system, a large luggage compartment, Wi-Fi, which allows you to travel comfortably.

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. Plane, train or bus - a ticket for any type of transport in one place.

● Own car

The distance from the capital of Estonia, Tallinn, to Lviv is 1,350 km. The journey to Kyiv will be 550 kilometers longer. The route will pass through the following European countries - Latvia, Lithuania, Poland. Such a trip, taking into account the price of gasoline, can cost from 250 to 400 euros.

To avoid a long wait, prefer traveling at the beginning of the week. From Monday to Wednesday, the passenger flow is less 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. Read in detail about the operation of checkpoints on the Ukrainian border in our material.

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.

A foreigner is allowed to enter Ukraine by car, but can only use it for personal needs. Foreign citizens can drive cars with foreign license plates in Ukraine for up to one year. If you plan to stay in Ukraine 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.

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Rules of entry for citizens of Estonia to Ukraine 2024

● Visa is not required. Citizens of Estonia 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 get an education in Ukraine, then before traveling you need to issue a long-term visa (type "D") at the embassy or consulate of Ukraine in Estonia. 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 Estonia in Ukraine:

- Address: str. Yevhena Chikalenko (formerly Pushkinska), 43B, Kyiv, 01024;

- Phones: +380 44 590 07 80

- Email address: [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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