The lack of air travel reduces the number of options for getting to Ukraine. At the same time, the country's land borders are open, so we have prepared convenient routes and useful tips for foreigners entering from Romania in 2024

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Even despite the imposed martial law, Ukraine's borders are open, including for foreigners. According to official information provided by the State Border Service at the request of Visit Ukraine, over 2.4 million foreigners entered Ukraine in 2023, including 409,186 Romanian citizens. The state took second place among the countries from which most people came to Ukraine in 2023.

Ukraine and Romania have a common border, so the trip will not be too difficult. However, given the closed airspace, it is worth planning the route in advance. Especially because the railway connection between the countries is not as well developed as with other neighboring states of Ukraine. Also, to quickly cross the border, you need to have a complete package of documents.

Which travel routes from Romania to Ukraine will be the most convenient and which entry rules are relevant in 2024? Let's talk further.

How to get to Ukraine from Romania in 2024?

You can enter Ukraine from Romania only by land transport - by train, bus or your own car. Each of the methods has its advantages and disadvantages.

● Train

Oddly enough, despite the rather warm neighborly relations between Ukraine and Romania, there is still no direct railway connection between the countries, and all attempts to establish it have not yet been completed successfully. Even if you analyze the updated schedule of Ukrzaliznytsia trains for 2024, there are no plans to restore rail connections between Ukraine and Romania.

Therefore, the only available train travel option includes a transfer in Moldova:

Stage 1 – Travel by train from Romania to Moldova

- Flight 106, Bucharest – Chisinau, departure from Bucharest at 18:08, arrival in Chisinau at 07:44;

  or

  - Flight 824, Iasi-Sokola – Ungeny, departure time 17:40, arrival in Moldova – 18:56.

The price of the ticket is 40-45 euros.

Stage 2 – By train from Moldova to Ukraine

- 351, Chisinau – Unehy – Kyiv, departure from Chisinau at 5:54 p.m., arrival in Kyiv at 11:48 a.m., stop at the intermediate station – Unehy at 8:51 p.m.

The journey by train will take about 18 hours. The price of tickets ranges from 50 to 80 euros.

Importantly! The train does not run every day: on even days (from Kyiv to Chisinau), on odd days (from Chisinau to Kyiv).

However, this route has certain disadvantages:

1. Cost - ticket prices start at 2,000 thousand hryvnias for the entire route (in the reserved carriage).

2. The travel time is almost 18 hours from the Ukrainian to the Moldovan capital. And it is necessary to get there from Romania before that.

Among the advantages - thanks to a comfortable seat, the passenger will be able to rest during the trip.

Where to buy train tickets from Moldova to Ukraine?

Tickets for the Chisinau-Kyiv flight 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. Tickets that have been returned appear on the website 1-2 days before departure.

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● Bus

- From Suceava to Chernivtsi and Kyiv

Chernivtsi has a fairly close bus connection with bordering Romanian cities. The most popular are flights from Suceava. Several minibuses and buses run between cities per day. Ticket price starts at 400 hryvnias.

Travel time is only 3 hours, because the distance between the cities is 80 km. In fact, travelers spend most of their time at the border.

You can get from Chernivtsi to Kyiv by train. Departure time at 19:12, arrival in Kyiv at 07:02. The price of a ticket is from 460 hryvnias - reserved seats up to 2600 hryvnias - luxe. 

The road from Suceava to Kyiv on this route will cost about 1,100 hryvnias.

- From Bucharest

Comfortable buses from Bucharest, Iasi, Suceava and many other Romanian cities arrive in Kyiv, Zhytomyr, Khmelnytskyi, Chernivtsi, Ivano-Frankivsk and Uzhhorod.

1. Daily flights to Kyiv leave Bucharest at 03:00 (arrive in Kyiv 22:00), 16:00 (arrive in Kyiv 12:20 the next day), 19:00 (arrive in Kyiv 18:30). The duration of the trip from Bucharest to Kyiv is about 21 hours. Flights from Bucharest depart from:

- "Filaret" bus station, Strada Doctor Constantin Istrati 1;

- Railway station (main entrance), st. Kalea Gravity, 140;

- "Bosfor Turizm" bus station, Viilor road, 54.

Ticket price from 75 euros.

2. You can also get from Bucharest to Odesa quite quickly and economically. Travel time is 12-14 hours. There are many flights, both day and night. Ticket price from 50 euros.

Where to buy bus tickets from Romania 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.

● Own car

Many foreigners prefer to travel by their own car.

The following border crossings operate on the Romanian-Ukrainian border: Dyakove - Halmeu, Solotvino - Sighetu Marmaciei, Krasnoilsk - Vikovu de Sus, Porubne - Siret, Dyakivtsi - Rakovec.

Importantly! All checkpoints are open 24 hours a day. The longest queues are usually at the Dyakove checkpoint. You can check the waiting time at checkpoints with Romania to enter Ukraine by following the link. More details about the work of checkpoints on the Ukrainian border in our material.

Useful tips for those who travel by their own car

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.

How long will the trip from Odesa to the border with Romania take, read 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.

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.

Rules of entry for citizens of Romania to Ukraine in 2024

● Visa requirements

A visa is not required. Citizens of Romania 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 duration of your stay exceeds 90 days or you plan to work or study in Ukraine, then before traveling you need to issue a long-term visa (type "D"). To do this, contact the embassy or consulate of Ukraine in Romania at least 3 months before the planned trip.

● List of documents for a trip to Ukraine from Romania

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 ).

4. Absence of a ban from the authorized body on entry into Ukraine.

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 Romania in Ukraine:

- Address: 01030, Kyiv, str. Mykhailo Kotsyubinsky, 8

- Phone: +38 044 234-52-61

- Fax: +38 044 235-20-25

- 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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