How to get to Ukraine from Great Britain in 2025: convenient routes and visa rules

Travel to Ukraine remains difficult due to the closed airspace and busy border. Find out more about how foreigners can travel to Ukraine from the UK in 2025

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Despite the introduction of martial law, Ukraine's borders are open to foreigners. In 2024, more than 32,000 British citizens visited the country. However, given the closed airspace, travelling to Ukraine in 2025 has its own peculiarities.

How to get to Ukraine from the United Kingdom? What are the current entry rules for British citizens in Ukraine in 2025? Useful information for those planning a trip to Ukraine is compiled in our article. 

How to get to Ukraine from Great Britain in 2024?

Air flight from Great Britain to the Ukrainian border and travel by ground transport

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.

Stage 1. Flight from Great Britain to the Ukrainian border

● Great Britain - Poland

- Warsaw can be reached by direct flight from London, Liverpool, Leeds, Birmingham and Manchester. The price of a ticket is from $17 to $70. Travel time is 2 hours 30 minutes. Departure from London at 06:35, 08:00, 15:10 and 21:40.

- Krakow is one of the closest Polish airports to the Ukrainian border, with direct flights from Great Britain. Available from London, Newcastle, Manchester, Leeds, Liverpool, Birmingham, Edinburgh and more. The price of a ticket is from $20 to $90. Travel time - 2 hours 40 minutes.

- You can fly to Rzeszów from London, Manchester, Nottingham and Bristol. The advantage of this airport is its location - the distance from the Ukrainian border is only 100 km (to Sheghini or Krakovets checkpoints, Lviv region). The price of a ticket is from $30 to $90. Travel time 2 hours 25 minutes.

There are also direct flights from Britain to the Polish cities of Katowice, Wroclaw, Szczecin, Szymany, Gdansk, etc.

● Great Britain - Moldova

There is a direct London-Chisinau flight from Great Britain to Chisinau airport. Travel time – 3 hours 20 minutes. Estimated departure time is 11:30. Ticket price starts at $90.

● Great Britain - Slovakia

Direct flights to Bratislava depart from the following British cities - Manchester, London, Leeds and Edinburgh.

- London-Bratislava - daily departures at 05:55 and 08:25, travel time 2 hours 15 minutes, ticket price from $60.

- Manchester-Bratislava - four times a week (Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday) at 18:00, journey time - 2 hours 30 minutes, ticket price from $15.

Košice airport, located 90 km from the Uzhhorod checkpoint (Transcarpathia region), can be reached from London (departure at 6:00 p.m., travel time 2 hours 30 minutes, ticket price from $20) and Liverpool (flight twice a week - on Monday and Friday, travel time 2 hours 40 minutes, ticket price from $40).

● Great Britain – Hungary

Budapest can be reached by direct flight from the following British cities: London, Birmingham, Edinburgh, Belfast, Nottingham, Bournemouth, Liverpool and Manchester.

Departure from London at 14:00 and 17:25, travel time 2 hours 25 minutes, ticket price from $50.

Also, the London-Debrecen flight, which is available six days a week except Saturday, can be quite convenient. Departure time - 21:40, ticket price - from $80.

The distance from the Ukrainian border to Debrecen airport is 120 km from the Chop (Tysa) checkpoint, Transcarpathian region.

● Great Britain – Romania

The two countries have close air connections, with direct flights flying from London, Liverpool, Manchester, Edinburgh and arriving in Bucharest, Cluj-Napoca, Bako, Suceava, Iași, etc.

The average duration of the route is more than 3 hours. Ticket price starts at $30.

London-Bucharest - departure times 06:00, 09:40, 12:55, 16:30 and 20:50.

London-Suceava - departure time 15:15, travel time 3 hours 10 minutes, ticket price from $30.

2 stage. 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.

Travel to Ukraine by 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.

Travel to Ukraine by bus

A fairly convenient and economical way to get to Ukraine is by bus. Routes depart from many European cities and go to most Ukrainian regions. The ticket price starts from 500 hryvnias ($15). The duration of the trip is up to 20 hours.

When looking for tickets to travel to Ukraine, it is important to use convenient services that allow you to quickly compare prices and choose the best deals. One of these resources is the Visit Ukraine portal, where you can find and buy tickets online in just a few minutes.

The portal allows you to compare prices for trains travelling from different European cities to Ukraine and book tickets quickly. The booking process is extremely simple. You simply select the route, carrier and date, and payment can be made directly through the website.

From Great Britain to Ukraine by own car

The distance from London to Kyiv is 2,400 km. Travel time is 30 hours 30 minutes.

To enter Ukraine by car, you must have a Green Card insurance policy. 

You can check the current state of queues for entry into Ukraine from Europe by following the link.

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 of entry for citizens of Great Britain to Ukraine 2024

Visa requirements

A visa is not required. Citizens of Great Britain 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 Great Britain at least 3 months before the planned trip. 

List of documents for traveling to Ukraine from Great Britain

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.

If you are planning to stay in Ukraine for a long time or are dealing with issues with documents, it is important to have someone who is familiar with Ukrainian law. Visit Ukraine's lawyers work with foreigners, helping them with residence permits, tax numbers, business registration and other issues related to their stay in Ukraine. Legal support means peace of mind and confidence in every step.

Useful links for those planning a trip to Ukraine

● You can buy tickets to Ukraine by plane, train or bus on the Visit Ukraine portal. See the schedule and book using the link.

● 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. 

● Book hotels here. 

● To feel more mobile while traveling in Ukraine, we recommend renting a car. Detailed instructions at the link.

● Safety rules must be strictly followed when traveling through Ukraine under martial law. In addition, make sure you have military risk insurance. 

● 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.

● Stylish clothes and accessories in memory of Ukraine here.

● Contacts of the Embassy of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland in Ukraine:

- address: 01901, Kyiv, str. Desyatynna, 9

- phone: +38 044 490-36-60

- fax: +38 044 490-36-62

- e-mail: UKinUkraine@fco.gov.uk

- website: http://www.gov.uk/world/ukraine

- working hours: Monday-Friday - 09:00-17:00 (break from 13:00 to 14:00).

Are you planning a trip to Ukraine?

In today's realities, it is important to take care not only of comfort but also of safety. Medical insurance covering military risks is a necessary protection during your trip. The policy is valid even in case of emergencies related to military events, provides access to medical care and covers treatment costs.

Take out insurance and travel with confidence!

Just a reminder. To plan a trip to Ukraine, a foreigner needs to resolve a large number of issues related to entry and stay in the country. Read here about the rules of entry to Ukraine in 2025, as well as what is important to consider before planning a 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 – health insurance with coverage of war risks;

Visit Ukraine Mini Hull Insurance – car insurance with extended coverage in Ukraine;

Visit Ukraine Osago – compulsory motor third party liability insurance for cars with Ukrainian registration;

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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