To enter Ukraine by car you need three vehicle documents: a Green Card with the "UA" box not crossed out (or Ukrainian third-party liability insurance bought at the border), the registration certificate and – if the car is not yours – an authorisation from the owner. In addition, every person in the car must have separate Ukrainian medical insurance. A car on Polish plates may stay in Ukraine for up to 1 year duty-free, and fuel costs approx. 90–100 hryvnias per litre (as of September 2026).
Green Card: what to check before you leave?
Ukraine remains in the Green Card System – in 2026 it is one of eight countries for which Polish third-party liability insurance is not enough and you need the paper certificate (by comparison: since 1 June 2023 Polish Green Cards have not been recognised in Russia and Belarus). The card is issued only by the insurer with whom you hold your third-party policy; most insurers do it free of charge, some charge a fee of around 19–100 zł. Before you leave, check three things:
- the UA box on the certificate is not crossed out – since 2022 some insurers have restricted the territorial scope and strike out Ukraine, so ask directly whether the card is valid in Ukraine;
- the period of validity covers the whole trip (a minimum of 15 days, at most until the end of the third-party policy);
- the registration number and make match the registration certificate.
Insurers need from a few days to as long as a month to issue the card, so do not leave it until the last week.
No Green Card – Ukrainian third-party insurance at the border
If your insurer refuses or strikes out UA, on the Ukrainian side of the crossing you can buy the compulsory third-party liability insurance (ОСЦПВ) for a foreign-registered vehicle. It is sold by MTSBU insurers' kiosks at every crossing, around the clock, for hryvnias or by card; some companies offer online purchase before departure. The minimum period is 15 days, and the price depends on the period and engine capacity – in 2026 it is usually the equivalent of a few tens of euros. Without a Green Card or Ukrainian third-party insurance the border officer will not let the car in.
Vehicle and driver documents
| Document | Who checks | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Registration certificate (original) | PL and UA | the electronic certificate in mObywatel is not recognised in Ukraine |
| Green Card or Ukrainian third-party insurance | UA | paper original, UA box not crossed out |
| Notarised authorisation (power of attorney) | UA | when the owner is not travelling with you: with the car details, the period, the right to take the car abroad; preferably with a translation into Ukrainian or English. Leased or company car – consent of the lessor/employer |
| Driving licence | UA, police | a Polish driving licence is enough; an international one is not required |
| Passport or ID card | PL and UA | details in our guide passport or ID card |
| Medical insurance from a Ukrainian insurer | UA | separately for each person in the car |
Compulsory equipment in Ukraine: a fire extinguisher, a first-aid kit, a warning triangle and a reflective vest. Dipped headlights are compulsory around the clock from 1 October to 30 April outside built-up areas.
Temporary import: how long can the car stay in Ukraine?
A car registered in Poland and brought in by a non-resident undergoes temporary import clearance under Article 380 of the Customs Code of Ukraine – for up to 1 year, free of charge and without a written declaration (the customs officer records the entry in the system). During this time the car may be driven only by the person who brought it in and their close family; it may not be lent to a Ukrainian citizen or left in the country. Overstaying carries a penalty from 8,500 hryvnias, and for a longer delay, confiscation. The date of entry is on the stamp in your passport – the year counts from that date.
Fuel, prices, payments
OKKO, WOG, SOCAR, UPG and Shell stations operate on all the main routes, also at night (during the curfew – sales through a hatch only, or closed). Average prices in September 2026: A-95 petrol approx. 90–92 UAH/l, diesel approx. 99–100 UAH/l, LPG approx. 40 UAH/l – so petrol slightly cheaper than in Poland, diesel about the same. You can pay with a Polish card everywhere; cash comes in handy at car parks and small stations. Entering from Poland, you may have a full tank and a jerrycan of up to 10 l.
On the road: checkpoints, speed limits, curfew
- Checkpoints (blokposty) at the entrances to cities and near strategic sites: slow down to 5–10 km/h, at night switch off your main beam and turn on the interior light, lower the window, and have your passport and car documents to hand. Foreign plates are usually waved through after a short conversation.
- Speed limits: 50 km/h in built-up areas (20 km/h in residential zones), 90 km/h outside them, 110 km/h on dual carriageways and 130 km/h on motorways. Speed cameras are numerous on the exit roads from Kyiv and Lviv, and the fine will arrive via the Polish register.
- Curfew: driving is prohibited during the curfew (the exception is a trip to the railway station or hospital, but a patrol will stop you anyway). In Lviv and Lutsk it runs 0:00–5:00, in Kyiv 1:00–5:00, in Chernivtsi 0:00–4:00, and in Uzhhorod there is none at all (as of September 2026). Plan your stages so as to arrive before midnight – details in our article on the curfew.
- An air-raid alert does not stop road traffic, but it closes underground car parks and shopping centres; the "Повітряна тривога" app works with a Polish number.
- Winter tyres are not legally compulsory in Ukraine, but in winter local roads are cleared of snow less well than in Poland; snow chains come in handy in the Carpathians on the way to Bukovel.
Medical insurance is a separate document
The Green Card and Ukrainian third-party insurance cover only damage caused to other road users. They do not cover treatment of the driver or passengers. The Ukrainian State Border Guard Service requires every foreign national to hold a medical policy from a Ukrainian insurer – separately for the driver, the passengers and the children. The EUROINS Ukraine policy includes war risk in both plans: Basic (€3,000) from €3.56 and Extended (€30,000) from €5.75 for 3 days; one policy can cover up to 10 people from one car. Buy insurance before you join the queue, and our guide Poland – Ukraine border crossings will help you choose the crossing.