If you are planning to enter Ukraine by land in 2026, the short answer is straightforward. Six border crossings with the European Union and Moldova are open to non-citizens, with check-in queues that have stabilised at roughly two to four hours during peak weekday mornings, and under an hour in the evenings and overnight. Everything else in this article is detail: which exact crossings are open, what to bring, how customs treats your luggage, and what to expect once you are on the Ukrainian side.
Which crossings are open in 2026
For third-country nationals (any passport other than Belarusian or Russian), six land crossings are active.
With Poland — Krakovets and Shehyni. These two carry the bulk of car and bus traffic into western Ukraine. A third Polish crossing — Hrebenne–Rava-Ruska — is formally open but mostly handles cargo; for passengers, Krakovets or Shehyni are the practical choices.
With Slovakia — Uzhhorod / Vyšné Nemecké. A single crossing, no alternatives, but stable. It is the most convenient option if you are flying into Košice or Budapest and continuing east.
With Hungary — Tysa / Záhony and Beregsurány / Luzhanka. Two crossings, both passenger-friendly.
With Romania — Siret. The main passenger crossing, typically used by travellers arriving via Bucharest or Suceava.
With Moldova — Mohyliv-Podilskyi. Convenient for travel from Chișinău and the southern parts of Moldova.
The borders with Belarus and Russia remain closed to foreigners and will stay closed for the foreseeable future. No consular or tourist route runs through them.
Documents that actually get checked
The list is short and the same at all six crossings.
First, a valid passport. Ukraine requires the passport to remain valid for the duration of your stay; there is no formal "six months remaining" rule, but in practice border officers may ask if you have less than a month left.
Second, a travel insurance policy that covers Ukraine. This is not a formal legal requirement for most nationalities, but officers regularly ask to see a policy, especially at smaller crossings and when you are travelling alone. Travellers without coverage have occasionally been turned back to buy a policy on-site — slower and more expensive than handling it before you leave.
Third, a credible answer to the standard purpose-of-visit question: tourism, family visit, journalism, business, humanitarian work. None of these answers are problematic, but an inconsistent or evasive answer can prompt additional questions.
Visa rules depend on your citizenship. Citizens of the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, the EU, and most visa-waiver partners may stay in Ukraine for up to 90 days within any 180-day period without a visa. Citizens of most LATAM, MENA, and East-Asian countries — likewise mostly visa-free, with case-by-case exceptions; verify your specific passport before travel as rules occasionally tighten.
Insurance — required or not?
Insurance is not a formal entry condition for most foreigners. But border officers have the right to ask for proof of cover, and they regularly do. Beyond formality, the practical question is simpler: war-risk exposure is elevated, medical bills in an emergency can be serious, and most off-the-shelf international travel insurance either excludes Ukraine entirely or carves out war-related events.
A locally-underwritten policy with explicit war-risk coverage solves both problems — the border check and the actual coverage. The recommended workflow is to buy this policy ahead of time, print the PDF or save it to your phone.
Crossings by country
Poland → Ukraine
The largest flow. Krakovets sits about 70 kilometres west of Lviv; Shehyni is also around 70 kilometres but slightly further south. The choice between them depends on which side of the Polish border you are coming from: Krakovets is easier from Rzeszów, Shehyni from Przemyśl. Both handle car and pedestrian traffic.
Polish-side wait times are historically the longest. Peak weekday mornings can run four to six hours. The shortest queues are overnight Tuesday through Thursday.
Slovakia → Ukraine
Uzhhorod / Vyšné Nemecké is a small crossing with comparatively quick processing. Volume is much lower than the Polish crossings, which makes it a good choice if you are travelling from Budapest or Košice. Wait times typically run 30 minutes to an hour and a half.
You arrive directly in Uzhhorod, Ukraine. From there, Lviv is about 250 kilometres by road or train.
Hungary → Ukraine
Tysa / Záhony is the main passenger crossing and carries most of the volume. Beregsurány / Luzhanka is smaller and often quicker. Both handle car and pedestrian traffic.
Tysa sits close to Chop railway station — useful if you plan to switch to the Ukrainian rail network for the leg to Lviv or Kyiv.
Romania → Ukraine
Siret is in Chernivtsi Oblast. The drive from Suceava takes about an hour. Volume is moderate; waits typically run an hour to an hour and a half.
Siret is the fastest option for travellers flying into Suceava or Bucharest and continuing into south-eastern Ukraine or Moldova.
Moldova → Ukraine
Mohyliv-Podilskyi is the crossing for travellers transiting through Moldova. Volume is low and waits are usually 30 minutes to an hour. From Chișinău, allow about four hours by road.
Wait times and when to travel
As a general rule, the shortest queues at every crossing are between 22:00 and 05:00 on weekdays. The longest are Friday evenings and Sunday evenings (Ukrainian residents returning from Poland) and Saturday mornings (foreign tourists arriving for weekends).
Real-time wait varies day to day. For the most accurate read, use the official State Border Guard Service portal, which publishes live queue data per crossing.
Customs: what is allowed, what is not
Personal belongings, electronics, laptops, and a reasonable amount of cash pass without issue. A currency declaration is required if you bring the equivalent of EUR 10,000 or more in any currency — in that case, you fill out a customs declaration at the border.
Drones, satellite phones, and certain professional equipment require pre-arranged paperwork — relevant primarily for journalists and humanitarian organisations. If you intend to bring such gear, sort the procedure in advance through your outlet, sponsor, or embassy.
Pets need an EU-format pet passport (or equivalent), valid rabies vaccination, and a microchip. Some breeds may require additional documentation.
Alcohol and tobacco — within reasonable personal allowances without declaration. Exact figures change; verify before travel.
Special situations
With children. Each child needs their own travel document — a passport or child travel document. If a child travels with one parent, notarised consent from the other parent is generally not required, but officers may ask for documents proving the family relationship.
With pets. EU-format vet passport or equivalent, current rabies vaccination (no older than one year, no fresher than 21 days before travel), microchip. Certain breeds (e.g. fighting breeds) may need additional approval.
By car or motorcycle. Vehicle registration, "Green Card" insurance with Ukraine coverage, an international driving permit for non-EU drivers. You can temporarily import a vehicle without paying duty for up to one year.
Checklist: what to carry
- Passport, valid at least through the end of your trip
- Printed insurance policy with Ukraine and war-risk coverage
- Booking confirmation for your first nights (hotel, AirBnB, invitation)
- Cash in euros or US dollars for first expenses
- A bank card that works in Ukrainian ATMs for cash in hryvnia
- Address and phone number of a contact person in Ukraine (if you have one)
- Charging cable and power bank — electricity is not always available at the border or on the road
After the crossing: the first kilometres in Ukraine
The first 50–100 kilometres from the border typically take you into the nearest large city — Lviv, Uzhhorod, Chernivtsi, or Vinnytsia. In any of these you will easily find ATMs to withdraw hryvnia, cafés with workable Wi-Fi, a pharmacy, and a mobile carrier shop for a Ukrainian SIM or eSIM.
Visa and Mastercard are accepted everywhere in restaurants, hotels, and shops. Cash is useful for smaller expenses on the road — taxis, markets, fuel stations in smaller towns.
Mobile data works reliably in larger cities and along the main highways. Coverage is weaker in rural areas and closer to front-line oblasts. For journalists and humanitarian workers, satellite-based connectivity is covered in a separate guide.