There are nine road border crossings on the Polish–Ukrainian border, eight of which handle cars, while one (Dorohusk) has handled only lorries and buses since June 2022. All are open around the clock. You can cross on foot only at Medyka, and by train via Przemyśl (to Lviv) and Dorohusk (to Kovel and Kyiv). A typical queue to enter Ukraine ranges from ten or twenty minutes at Hrebenne or Malhowice to 3–6 hours at Medyka at the weekend.
Which road crossings are open?
As of 2026, from north to south. Waiting times are approximate and apply to cars entering Ukraine – check them live before you set off (links below).
| Crossing (PL – UA) | Type of traffic | Open | Typical queue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dorohusk – Yahodyn | lorries and scheduled buses; car traffic suspended since 27.06.2022 | 24 h | not applicable to cars |
| Zosin – Ustyluh | cars (up to 3.5 t), buses | 24 h | 30 min – 2 h |
| Dołhobyczów – Uhryniv | cars, buses, bicycles | 24 h | 20 min – 1.5 h |
| Hrebenne – Rava-Ruska | cars, lorries, buses | 24 h | 15 min – 2 h |
| Budomierz – Hrushiv | cars (up to 3.5 t), buses | 24 h | 30 min – 2 h |
| Korczowa – Krakovets (A4) | cars, lorries, buses | 24 h | 1 – 4 h |
| Medyka – Shehyni | cars, lorries, buses, pedestrians and cyclists | 24 h | 2 – 6 h (cars), 30 min – 2 h (on foot) |
| Malhowice – Nyzhankovychi | cars (up to 3.5 t), buses; opened 21.12.2024 | 24 h | 15 min – 1 h |
| Krościenko – Smilnytsia | cars, buses, lorries with restrictions | 24 h | 20 min – 1.5 h |
Driving from Warsaw or Lublin to Lutsk and Kyiv, choose Zosin, Dołhobyczów or Hrebenne. From Kraków and Rzeszów to Lviv the fastest route is the A4 motorway to Korczowa; Medyka is the best known and therefore the most congested. The new crossing at Malhowice (12 km from Przemyśl) often has the shortest queue on the whole border, but the approach is via local roads.
Rail crossings
- Przemyśl – Mostyska: the main line to Lviv (approx. 2 h) and on to Kyiv, Odesa and Zaporizhzhia. 5–6 Ukrzaliznytsia trains a day leave Przemyśl Główny, including the morning Intercity+ 706 to Kyiv (departs 7:40, arrives 17:35, as of 2026).
- Dorohusk – Yahodyn: the line from Chełm to Kovel and Kyiv. This is the route of the night train Chełm – Kyiv and the direct Warsaw – Kyiv service (departing Warszawa Wschodnia at 17:48).
- Werchrata – Rava-Ruska: a regional rail crossing, activated periodically for trains from Lublin and Warsaw to Rava-Ruska.
Timetable details and carriage classes are covered in our guide Train from Poland to Ukraine.
Where to check queues live?
- granica.gov.pl – the official service of the Polish Border Guard and the National Revenue Administration (KAS): estimated waiting time to leave Poland at every crossing, closure notices, camera feeds.
- dpsu.gov.ua/uk/map – the interactive map of the Ukrainian State Border Guard Service showing the number of cars queuing on the Ukrainian side (important for the return journey). Hotline: 1598 (from a Ukrainian number).
- nakordoni.eu and the Telegram channels "Кордон UA" and the "Кордон Польща – Україна" groups – real-time reports from drivers, usually more accurate than the official statistics.
When to travel to avoid queuing?
Queue measurements from 2026 point to a simple rule: Sunday is the worst (on average 3.5 times more cars than on a Tuesday), while the best times are Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday between 8:00 and 10:00 and between 20:00 and 22:00. Counter-intuitively, the night (0:00–6:00) is not empty – many drivers travel "overnight", and a curfew applies on the Ukrainian side, so after clearance you have to wait until 5:00 anyway. Also avoid long weekends and the days before public holidays in both countries.
Which documents are checked on each side?
Polish side (Polish Border Guard and KAS): passport or ID card, vehicle documents, random customs checks. Leaving Poland on an ID card is possible – details in our guide passport or ID card.
Ukrainian side (DPSU and Customs): passport or ID card, valid medical insurance issued by a Ukrainian insurer (a requirement of Article 9 of the Act on the Legal Status of Foreigners), a Green Card or Ukrainian third-party liability insurance for the car, the registration certificate, and for someone else's car – an authorisation. Border officers also ask about the purpose and place of stay. Insurance issued by a Polish insurer is usually not honoured – the reasons are described in our article on Polish travel policies. You can buy the EUROINS Ukraine policy online in 5 minutes, from €3.56 for 3 days – buy insurance before you join the queue, because at Shehyni the Polish mobile network no longer works.
The pedestrian crossing at Medyka
The only place where you can cross the border on foot or by bicycle. City buses run from the station in Przemyśl to Medyka (the Medyka route, approx. 25 min, a ticket costs a few złoty), and on the Ukrainian side there are marshrutka minibuses and taxis to Lviv (approx. 80 km). Pedestrian clearance operates around the clock; it is busiest in the morning between 6:00 and 9:00 and on Sunday evenings. In winter be prepared to stand in the frost – the pedestrian pavilion is small, although its expansion is planned for 2026. Pushchairs, bicycles and large luggage go through the same corridor.
Before you travel, also check the current entry rules in our guide Entering Ukraine from Poland 2026 and the customs limits in the article What you cannot bring into Ukraine.