Travel warning
Most governments currently advise against all travel to Ukraine, or against all but essential travel. Russia's full-scale invasion is ongoing. Missile and drone attacks reach every part of the country, including cities far from the front lines. Lviv has been struck multiple times. Air raid alerts are a daily fact of life.
If you are determined to go, western Ukraine — Lviv, the Carpathians, Zakarpattia, Ivano-Frankivsk, Chernivtsi — carries far lower risk than the centre, east or south. Do not go to Kharkiv, Kherson, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, or anywhere near the front lines. Check your government's travel advisory before you go and keep monitoring it while you are there.
Visas
Citizens of the EU, UK, USA, Canada, Australia and most Western countries do not need a visa for stays up to 90 days. Check the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs website for your specific nationality. On arrival, register your address with the police within 90 days if staying longer — in practice, hotels do this automatically.
Note: men aged 18–60 of Ukrainian nationality may face restrictions on leaving the country due to wartime mobilisation rules. This does not apply to foreign nationals.
Currency
The Ukrainian hryvnia (UAH) is the local currency. Notes come in denominations from 1 to 1000 UAH. Exchange at banks or official exchange offices — rates at hotel desks are poor. ATMs are widely available in cities and accept foreign Visa and Mastercard. Contactless payment (Apple Pay, Google Pay) works well in most shops, cafes and restaurants. Carry some cash for smaller towns and markets.
Getting money
The best approach is to withdraw hryvnia from ATMs with a card that has low foreign transaction fees. Revolut and Wise are popular options. Currency exchange offices offer competitive rates in the cities — ask for the posted rate and avoid the booths at border crossings.
SIM cards
Buy a local SIM card on arrival. Kyivstar and Lifecell have the widest coverage. Cards are inexpensive (a few dollars) and available at phone shops and supermarkets in any city. You do not need to register. Ukraine is not part of the EU roaming area, so European SIM cards will incur roaming charges.
Language
Ukrainian is the official language. Most signage is in Ukrainian. Russian is still widely spoken, particularly among older people and in eastern and southern cities, but its use has declined significantly since 2022. In Lviv and western Ukraine, Ukrainian dominates. In tourist areas, younger staff increasingly speak basic English.
Learning a few words of Ukrainian is appreciated. The Cyrillic alphabet is used — learning to read it makes navigating much easier.
Health
No vaccinations are specifically required to enter Ukraine. Travel insurance that explicitly covers war zones is essential — most standard policies exclude active conflict areas. Check the small print carefully. Emergency medical services function in western Ukraine, but hospital conditions are under strain.
Safety basics
Download an air raid alert app before you arrive (Повітряна Тривога is the official one). When a siren sounds, move to the nearest shelter — basements of metro stations, underground car parks, or any reinforced structure. Take the alerts seriously; ignore them at real personal risk.
Register your trip with your country's embassy. Keep a copy of your passport and insurance details separately from the originals.
Curfews apply in some areas; check local rules on arrival. Photography near military installations, checkpoints or damaged infrastructure is restricted and can attract serious trouble.
Electricity
220V, 50Hz. Two-pin round European plugs (Type C/F). UK and US travellers need adaptors.
Tipping
Tipping 10% in restaurants is standard. Round up taxi fares. No strong convention for other services.