There are no restrictions on entry to Ukraine for foreigners. However, the closed airspace makes traveling more difficult, so you should plan your route in more detail. Find out more about how to get to Ukraine from Italy and what entry rules apply in 2024

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Foreigners actively visit Ukraine. According to official information provided by the State Border Service at the request of Visit Ukraine, over 2.4 million citizens of other countries entered Ukraine in 2023. Among them, 23,263 people were representatives of Italy.

Despite the martial law introduced in Ukraine, the country's land borders are working normally, there are no entry restrictions, the main thing is to comply with migration legislation. The only thing that complicates the journey is closed air space. Therefore, the trip route should be planned in more detail.

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

How to get to Ukraine from Italy 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 from Germany to these countries.

1. Flight from Italy to the Ukrainian border

● Italy – Poland

- Warsaw can be reached by direct flight from Naples, Bologna, Bari, Venice, Catania, Rome and Milan.

Flights are operated by low-cost airlines WizzAir and Ryanair, as well as major European airlines. Taking this into account, the ticket price starts at 30 euros. Travel time is about 2 hours and 15 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 Perugia, Ancona, Cagliari, Pescara, Palermo, Pisa, Turin, Catania, Bari, Venice, Rome and Naples. The price of the ticket starts from 40 euros. Travel time is about 2 hours.

- Lublin is another Polish airport, which is located quite close to the border with Ukraine, only 90 km from the Jagodyn checkpoint (Volyn region). There is a direct flight here from Milan three times a week (Wednesday, Friday and Sunday). Departure time is 5:25 p.m., journey time is 2 hours. The price of the ticket starts from 150 euros.

  - You can also fly to Rzeszów (Ryaszów) on a direct flight, but only from Rome. The flight is operated twice a week on Monday and Thursday. Departure at 05:35, arrival at 07:45. Ticket price from 90 euros. The airport in Rzeszów is located 172 km from Lviv (Ukraine).

You can also fly directly from Italy to Katowice, Wroclaw and Poznań.

Detailed route from Poland to Ukraine in this article.

● Italy – Moldova

There are direct flights to Chisinau airport from Italy from Rome, Milan, Venice, Parma, Bologna and Verona. Ticket price from 40 euros. Travel time is 2 hours and 15 minutes.

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.

● Italy – Slovakia

Direct flights from Italy to Slovakia are carried out from the airports of Milan, Trapani Birgi, Rome and Alghero Sardinia. They arrive in the Slovak capital of Bratislava. The duration of the trip is about 2 hours. Ticket price from 16 euros.

You can fly to Kosice or Poprad only with a transfer. Such a trip will last about 4 hours and will cost from 80 euros.

● Italy – Hungary

Debrecen, the Hungarian airport closest to the Ukrainian border, can be reached from Rome on a direct flight twice a week (on Tuesdays and Saturdays). Ticket price from 35 euros.

There are direct flights to Budapest from many Italian cities, including Milan, Venice, Rome, Palermo and Naples. Travel time is about 2 hours, ticket price from 60 euros.

● Italy – Romania

There are direct flights to Suceava from Rome and Milan. The price of the ticket is from 40 euros, the duration of the trip is about 2 hours and 20 minutes.

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.

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

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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

Italy and Ukraine have a fairly close bus connection. For example, direct flights from the Italian capital are sent almost daily to the major cities of Ukraine, Kyiv, Lviv, Odesa, Chernivtsi, etc. Also available are flights from Naples, Florence, Milan, Venice, etc.

The price of the ticket starts from 150 euros. Travel duration from 23 hours.

You can also get to Ukraine with transfers. FlixBuss offers one-stop flights from Milan, Florence, Bologna and other cities to Kyiv, Lviv, Ternopil, Khmelnytskyi, Zhytomyr.

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 between Italy and Ukraine is about 1,800 km, which, on average, can be covered in 20 hours. Such a trip, taking into account the price of gasoline, can cost from 375 to 550 euros.

Read in detail about the operation 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, 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.

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.

Entry rules for Italian citizens to Ukraine in 2024

● Visa is not required. Italian citizens 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 issue a long-term visa (type "D") at the Ukrainian embassy or consulate in Italy. 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 Italy in Ukraine:

- Address: Yaroslaviv Val, 32 B, 01901, Kyiv

- Telephone: +38 044 230 3101;

- 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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