Unfortunately, the airspace over Ukraine remains closed, and therefore the route to Ukraine has to be planned exclusively by land or with transfers. Find out how to get to Ukraine from Turkey in 2024 and what documents foreigners need to enter the country

Take care of insurance for safe entry and stay in Ukraine

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Foreign tourists continue to come to Ukraine even despite the martial law. In 2023 alone, more than 2.4 million foreigners entered the country, including 51,547 Turkish citizens. This trend will continue in 2024. 

Foreigners go to Ukraine on personal visits, on trips and as part of volunteer missions. Considering that world powers are gradually relaxing recommendations for their citizens regarding trips to Ukraine, for example, Great Britain has already allowed to visit certain regions of Ukraine if necessary, it is predicted that the number of travelers will gradually increase. 

However, taking into account the closed airspace, nowadays a trip to Ukraine has its own peculiarities. It is also necessary to observe certain safety rules during the trip. 

How to get to Ukraine from Turkey? 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 Turkey 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 from Turkey to these countries.

● Turkey – Poland

- Warsaw can be reached by direct flight from Antalya, Ankara, Izmir, Istanbul and Bodrum. The price of the ticket starts from 45 euros. Daily departures are available. The flight is carried out by both low-cost companies (Pegasus Airlines, LOT) and national air carriers (Turkish Airlines). Travel time is about 2 hours. 

- 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 Ankara (twice a week on Monday and Thursday), Antalya (four times a week) and Istanbul (daily). The price of the ticket starts from 80 euros. Travel time is about 2 hours. 

  - Rzeszów (Ryaśiv) is a small airport near the Ukrainian border (172 km from Lviv). You can also fly here on a direct flight from Turkey. There are flights from Antalya and Bodrum several times a week.   The price of the ticket is from 250 euros. You can also get here with a transfer, most often in Warsaw. The duration of such a trip is from 4 hours, but you can save on tickets if you choose tickets for flights from low-cost companies.

You can also fly directly from Turkey to Katowice and Lublin. 

Detailed travel route from Poland to Ukraine in this article.

● Turkey – Moldova

You can get from Turkey to Chisinau by direct flight from Istanbul, Antalya, Bodrum and Dalaman. The price of the ticket starts from 60 euros. Departure is daily, even four flights a day are available from Istanbul. Travel time – 1 hour 40 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.

There is a direct train from Chisinau to Kyiv. Bus transfers to Odessa are also available.

● Turkey – Slovakia

The countries are connected by several direct flights to Bratislava from Dalaman, Antalya and Istanbul. Ticket price from 30 euros. Travel time is 2 hours 30 minutes.

The closest airports to the Ukrainian border are Košice and Poprad. You can get here only with a transfer. Such a trip will last from 4 hours and will cost from 120 euros. 

From Kosice you can reach Chopa and Mukachevo.

● Turkey – Hungary 

You can fly to Budapest from Antalya, Izmir and Istanbul. Travel time from 2 hours 30 minutes. Ticket price from 35 euros. 

There is a direct train from Budapest to Kyiv.

● Turkey – Romania 

Direct flights to Suceava, the closest Romanian airport to the Ukrainian border, are available only from Antalya. The price of the ticket starts from 160 euros, the duration of the trip is 2 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.

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

By train from Turkey to Ukraine 

There is no direct train between Istanbul and Kyiv, but you can arrive with a transfer following the route:

Istanbul (Turkey) - Bucharest (Romania) - Chisinau (Moldova) - Kyiv (Ukraine)

1. There is a direct night train from Istanbul to Bucharest, departing from Istanbul Halkali station at 21:40 and arriving in Bucharest at 17:00. The price of a train ticket is 49 EUR.

2. Then the route continues with a night train from Bucharest to Chisinau. The travel time is 14 hours. The price of a train ticket starts from 25 EUR. The train route will pass through Iasi (Romania) and Ungen (Moldova).

Departure time from Bucharest is 19:15. Time of arrival in Chisinau - 09:30.

3. The next transfer to the Chisinau - Kyiv train. 

Departure at 17:54, arrival in Kyiv at 11:48. Travel time is 13 hours. The price of a ticket starts from 30 euros in a reserved seat and from 50 euros in a compartment.

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.

By bus from Turkey to Ukraine 

A fairly convenient and economical way to get from Turkey to Ukraine is by bus, there are many flights available that connect Turkey with various Ukrainian cities, for example:

- Istanbul - Odesa, travel time - 20 hours, ticket price - from 60 euros;

- Istanbul - Kyiv, travel time - 27 hours, ticket price - from 80 euros.

Advantages and disadvantages of traveling by bus

Pros - due to the large number of bus routes, it is much easier to find a direct flight, which will allow you not to worry about a possible delay during a trip with a transfer. Also, you will not need to take out and carry heavy luggage around the stations.

However, it is impossible to predict how long border crossing checks will last. Therefore, arrival at the destination may be significantly delayed.

Where to buy bus tickets from Turkey 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.

Visit Ukraine on social media: Telegram | YouTube | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | TikTok

By own car from Turkey to Ukraine 

The distance from Istanbul to Kyiv is 1558 km. The route will pass through Bulgaria, Romania and Moldova. Such a trip, taking into account the price of gasoline, can cost from 240 to 350 euros.

Importantly! All checkpoints on the border between Moldova and Ukraine are open 24 hours a day. The biggest queues are usually at the Rososhany checkpoint. You can check the waiting time at checkpoints by following the link. More details about the work of checkpoints 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. 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 citizens of Turkey to Ukraine in 2024

● Visa is not required. Citizens of Turkey 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 your trip you need to apply for a long-term visa (type "D") at the embassy or consulate of Ukraine in Turkey. 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. Turkish citizens also have the right to enter Ukraine on the basis of biometric passports in the form of an ID card.

In addition, 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 Turkey in Ukraine: 

- Address: 22 Panasa Myrny Street, Kyiv, 01011.

- Phone: +380 44 281 07 50 / +380 44 281 07 51.

- Opening hours: 14:30-17:30.

● 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.

Darya Rogova is the head of the Visit Ukraine insurance department

Feel confident during your stay in Ukraine. Take out an insurance policy from verified insurance agents on the Visit Ukraine portal. Reliable protection for your mail in just a few minutes.

Do you have additional questions? Contact the Visit Ukraine hotline (Telegram | WhatsApp).