In 2024, foreigners will continue to come to Ukraine, because there are no restrictions on entry. The only thing that complicates the journey is closed air space. Find out about the most convenient travel routes from Romania to Ukraine and current entry rules

Take care of reliable insurance for safe entry and stay in Ukraine

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In 2024, foreigners will go to Ukraine on personal visits, on trips and as part of volunteer missions, because the country's borders are open and there are no entry restrictions. Citizens of Romania also actively travel to Ukraine, for example, 409,186 Romanians arrived in the country in 2023 alone. The state took second place among the countries from which most people came to Ukraine in 2023. Given the presence of common borders and close ties between the states, this trend continues in 2024.

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 Romania? 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 Romania in 2024?

The closure of the airspace significantly affected the operation of transport in Ukraine. From now on, you can enter the country only by land transport - by train, bus or your own car. Each of the methods has its advantages and disadvantages.

● Train

There is no direct train between Ukraine and Romania. You can get there only with a transfer, the most convenient routes are:

- Bucharest – Chisinau – Kyiv

1. In Bucharest, take train #106, which leaves the station at 18:08 and goes to Chisinau. Stop at the final station at 07:44.

2. There is a direct train #351 Chisinau - Kyiv from the capital of Moldova to Kyiv. Departure from Chisinau at 17:34, arrival in Kyiv at 12:05.

- Yassi-Sokola – Unegy – Kyiv

1. From Iasi-Sokol to Unega, take train #824. Departure from Iasi station at 5:40 p.m., arrival in Moldova at 6:56 p.m.

2. Continue the route on train No. 351, which departs from Unegy station at 9:01 p.m., arriving in Kyiv at 12:05 p.m.

The cost of tickets for the entire route is about 2,200 hryvnias (55 euros).

The advantages of traveling by train include a fixed border crossing time and comfort - thanks to a comfortable seat, the passenger will be able to rest during the trip.

Where to buy train tickets to Ukraine?

Tickets for most Ukrzaliznytsia flights 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. Returned tickets appear on the website 1-2 days before departure.

Please note that you will have 2-4 minutes to purchase tickets for some of the flights, as they sell out very quickly.

● Bus

The bus transportation market is represented by a large number of companies, from experienced carriers with a large fleet to industry newcomers.

Comfortable buses from Bucharest, Iasi, Suceava and many other Romanian cities arrive in Kyiv, Zhytomyr, Khmelnytskyi, Chernivtsi, Ivano-Frankivsk and Uzhhorod. The price of a ticket starts from 400 hryvnias (10 euros) - between border cities. The average price of a ticket is 50-60 euros.

- Suchavy - Chernivtsi

Chernivtsi has a close bus connection with the Romanian border town of Suceava. There are many bus services per day between the cities. The distance between the cities is 80 km, so the travel time is 3 hours (taking into account the passage of border control).

From Chernivtsi, you can continue the route to other cities of Ukraine, for example, you can get to Kyiv by train. Departure time at 19:12, arrival in Kyiv at 07:02.

  - Bucharest - Kyiv

Daily flights to Kyiv depart from Bucharest at 03:00, 16:00 and 19:00. The duration of the trip from Bucharest to Kyiv is about 21 hours. Ticket price from 80 euros.

- Bucharest - Odesa

Many bus routes, both day and night, run on the route Bucharest - Odesa. Travel time is 12-14 hours. Ticket price from 60 euros.

Where to buy bus tickets 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.

● Airplane + train/bus

A fast and quite convenient route includes a combination of a plane with a train or a bus.

You can fly to Chisinau from Bucharest on a direct flight. Departure at 12:35, 18:05 and 22:05. Travel time is about 1 hour.

There is a direct train from Chisinau to Kyiv. You can also get to Odesa from here quite quickly by direct bus. The distance between the cities is 195 km, the travel time is about 5 hours. The price of the ticket is from 15 euros.

● Own car

Many foreigners prefer to travel by their own car. The distance from Bucharest to Kyiv will be 913 km. Estimated travel time – 11 hours 52 minutes. Such a trip, taking into account the price of gasoline, can cost from 250 to 2000 euros.

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

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.

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.

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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.

Rules of entry for citizens of Romania to Ukraine in 2024

● 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 apply for a long-term visa (type "D") at the embassy or consulate of Ukraine in Romania. 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. 

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 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.

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).