Ukraine

Government advisories

• ☐ United States: level 4/4 — Level 4: Do Not Travel
• ☐ United Kingdom: level 2/4
• ☐ Canada: level 4/4 — Avoid all travel

Health notices

• ☐ Global Measles (level 1)
• ☐ Tap water: avoid — bottled/filtered only

Entry requirements

☐ Visitors to Ukraine must obtain a visa from one of the Ukrainian diplomatic missions unless they are citizens of one of the visa-exempt countries or citizens who may obtain an e-Visa.

Practical

• ☐ Plug type C/F, 230V — bring an adapter if yours differs
• ☐ Drives on the right
• ☐ Emergency (police): 102
• ☐ Emergency (ambulance): 103
• ☐ Emergency (fire): 101
• ☐ SIM: The biggest mobile phone operators Kyivstar, Vodafone (formerly MTS), Lifecell.
• ☐ Money: The unit of currency is the hryvnia denoted by the abbreviation "грн" and symbol "₴". The ISO code is UAH. It is spelt гривня and pronounced hryvnia in Ukrainian. It is sometimes shown as "₴" both before and after the amount and with and without spaces. National Bank actual rates. On Wikivoyage, the notation грн is used, which you will see very often in Ukraine.
• ☐ Tipping: Tipping at restaurants has been gaining "popularity" in Ukraine. About 6-10% is normal, but don't stress about the exact amount. Just rounding up is fine too.

Laws that could get a tourist arrested

• ☐ Mandatory curfew — Curfews are in effect nationwide, with specific hours varying by city, such as 23:00 to 05:00 in Kharkiv and midnight to 05:00 in Kyiv and Lviv. Violating curfew can result in fines or detention.
• ☐ ID and passport requirements — Police, military, and local guards perform ID checks. Foreign men must carry proof of citizenship at all times to distinguish themselves from Ukrainian reservists subject to the military draft.
• ☐ Photography restrictions — Taking photos or videos of soldiers, military sites, vehicles, or checkpoints is prohibited. Posting such material on social media is also banned.
• ☐ Military clothing ban — Wearing camouflage or military-style clothing is prohibited to avoid fatal misunderstandings during the war.
• ☐ Conscription officer checks — Conscription officers patrol train and subway stations to inspect draft cards. Foreigners must provide proof of their status to ensure these interactions end quickly.

Before you go

General trip-prep, not specific to Ukraine — the same short list applies anywhere.

• ☐ Register with your embassy's traveler program if one exists
• ☐ Check your passport's validity and blank-page requirements on your destination's official entry-rules page
• ☐ Photograph/screenshot your passport, visa, and travel insurance documents
• ☐ Download offline maps for your destination
• ☐ Confirm your bank/card issuer knows you're traveling
• ☐ Check whether your phone plan needs a travel add-on or a local SIM