Who buys a policy for a trip to Ukraine, and when
This article is for travelers who have already settled on their dates and want to arrange insurance without spending hours comparing options. If you're still weighing different levels of cover, it's worth reading the overview material first. But if you've made up your mind and simply need the document in hand, here's the clear route.
You can take out a policy in advance from the comfort of home, or while you're already on the road — the only rule is that the cover's start date must come before you enter Ukraine. You can't buy a policy retroactively once an incident has already happened, so don't leave it to the last moment.
What to have ready before you start
So you don't have to stop halfway through, keep a few things within reach:
- Your passport — you'll need your surname and given name in the Latin alphabet exactly as they appear in the document, your date of birth, and your passport number.
- Your travel dates — the day you enter and the day you leave. A policy can cover a single trip or a longer stay.
- An email address — this is where the finished policy will be sent. Double-check that you've typed it correctly.
- A payment card — a standard bank card from the international payment systems will do.
No medical certificates or prior check-ups are required for a basic travel policy.
Step by step: from the form to your policy
Step 1. Enter the traveler's details
In the form you provide your personal details as they appear in your passport, along with your country of citizenship. Citizens of the aggressor state cannot purchase cover — this is built into the terms. Check the spelling of your surname carefully: it must match your passport, otherwise identifying you could become difficult if you need to make a claim.
Step 2. Choose the period and territory
Enter your start and end dates. Note that the policy applies across Ukraine, with four categories of territorial exclusion where cover does not apply:
- combat zones — as defined by the relevant acts of state authorities;
- temporarily occupied territories;
- a 50-kilometer buffer strip around the first two categories;
- areas under a special-access regime.
Important: it is these four categories of zones that are excluded — not entire oblasts. Most of the regions visitors actually travel to — Kyiv, Lviv, Zakarpattia, Chernivtsi and others — remain within the covered area.
Step 3. Choose war-risk cover and limits
This is the key point for a trip to Ukraine specifically. Standard travel policies bought in your home country usually exclude war risks outright. That's why it's worth selecting a plan that includes cover related to martial-law circumstances — within the defined limits and the territorial conditions described above.
Choose a sum insured (your limit of liability) that suits your needs. The price depends on the duration and scope of cover, and on the market it runs to a few euros per day; you'll see the exact figure as soon as you've entered your parameters. You can calculate the price and take out a policy on the quote page, where all the details of your chosen plan are also displayed.
Step 4. Payment
The purchase is processed directly in Ukraine through a local partner, so the transaction is settled in hryvnia (UAH) under the jurisdiction of the National Bank of Ukraine. You enter your card details on a secure payment page and confirm the payment. Your card-issuing bank handles the conversion from your own currency at its own rate.
Step 5. Receive the policy by email
Once payment goes through, the policy is generated automatically and sent to the email address you provided — usually within a few minutes. It's a fully valid electronic document; there's no need to print it, simply saving it on your phone is enough. We also recommend saving the assistance and support contacts listed in the policy.
Why arranging cover through a local partner is more convenient
When a policy is issued under Ukrainian jurisdiction, then in the event of a claim you deal with the assistance service and medical facilities without international intermediaries or language barriers. Settling in hryvnia removes any concerns about currency restrictions, and the insurer itself operates under the supervision of the regulator.
Specifically: the insurer is regulated by the National Bank of Ukraine (licence class 18) and belongs to an EU-listed group operating under Solvency II requirements. The agent through whom the purchase is processed holds USREOU code 44559356; information about the status and role of the insurance product distributor is disclosed in line with insurance distribution requirements (IDD). In short: transparent rules of the game and a clear claims-handling process.
Common mistakes to avoid
- The wrong start date — the policy must take effect before you enter Ukraine, not after.
- A mismatch in name spelling — check your details against your passport down to the letter.
- A typo in your email — without the correct address, the document won't reach you.
- Expecting cover in excluded zones — keep the four categories of territorial exclusion in mind.
If everything is filled in correctly, the whole process — from the form to the policy in your inbox — takes just a few minutes.