Important!
On February 24, 2022, Russia launched a military operation in Ukraine. International air traffic has been halted and all travel to Ukraine is not recommended. This has resulted in a negative travel advice. At the moment, much is still unclear about the future of Ukraine, which means that the information below may contain inaccuracies.
According to thesciencetutor, Ukraine (English: Ukraine, Ukrainian: Україна) is a country in Europe bordering Russia, Belarus, Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania and Moldova. Ukraine has been independent from the former Soviet Union since 1991. The capital of Ukraine is Kiev (Kyiv). A number of major cities in Ukraine are: Kharkiv, Lviv, Dnepropetrovsk, Odessa, Donetsk and Zaporizhia. Within the country’s borders of Ukraine is also the Autonomous Republic of Crimea (Autonomous Republic of Crimea). This autonomous republic is located on the Crimean Peninsula.
Ukraine is a country with a long history. This is reflected in the many old towns. Almost every city has an old cathedral or church. The landscape of Ukraine is characterized by large areas of untouched nature, forest areas and swamps. Large parts of this nature are housed in protected nature reserves. Some animals that live in these natural areas are wolves, foxes and wild cats. Tourists often come to Ukraine for the ancient towns and the beautiful beaches on the Black Sea. Ukraine is also known for Chernobyl. This is a city where a nuclear disaster occurred in 1986. Due to the high radiation level, life is no longer possible and the city is deserted. See campingship for brief information about Ukraine.
Where is Ukraine?
Travel information of Ukraine
Official name: Ukraine
Continent: Europe
Area: 603,700 km²
Capital: Kiev (Kyiv)
Country code: UA, UKR
Population: 43,922,939 inhabitants (2020)
Form of government: Republic
Highest point: 2,061 m (Hoverla)
Distance (Amsterdam – Kiev): 1,785 km
Flight time: approximately 2 hours and 45 minutes
Negative travel advice
Current status: All trips to Ukraine are discouraged.
Current color code: Red. Due to this status, a negative travel advice
is in effect for Ukraine.
Corona
Due to the coronavirus (COVID-19), (temporary) measures may apply in Ukraine that you as a tourist may have to deal with. For the most up-to-date corona travel advice, please refer to our special coronavirus travel advice page. For the number of current corona infections, number of deaths and various corona-related graphs of Ukraine, please visit Countryaah.
Travel offer
On our travel offer page you will find an overview of reliable travel organizations that offer complete trips and holidays to Ukraine. In addition, you will find an overview of separate travel components (car rental, hotels, holiday homes and airline tickets) with which you can compose your ideal trip yourself.
Travel guides and maps
Are you looking for a travel guide, map, walking map, cycling map, book or DVD about Ukraine?
Excursions, activities and day trips
With the help of Countryaah you can reserve an excursion, activity, guided tour, entrance ticket and/or day trip for your stay in Ukraine at a discount. This way you are assured of a place, in some cases you can skip the queue and you can already plan your travel program.
Weather and climate
Ukraine has a temperate climate. In the winter months the temperatures are around 5 to -10 degrees and in the summer months around 15 to 25 degrees.
The current weather (weather forecast) and a weather forecast for Ukraine can be found on our extensive weather page.
Detailed information about the climate of Ukraine can be found at Climate info.
Best time
May, June and September are the best months to travel to Ukraine. In these months you have the most pleasant temperatures and you also avoid mass tourism.
Language
Ukrainian is the official language in Ukraine. In addition, Russian, Hungarian, Polish and Romanian are spoken.
Do you want to translate from or to Ukrainian for free? Use the Google translator for this.
Travel documents
You must have a passport that is valid for at least 3 months upon departure from Ukraine.
A visa is not necessary if you stay in Ukraine for less than 90 days.
Embassies and consulates
Below is an overview of relevant diplomatic representations, including addresses and contact details.
Temporary Dutch embassy in Poland because of war: netherlandsworldwide.nl.
Embassy of Ukraine in the Netherlands: rijksoverheid.nl.
For urgent assistance, you can contact the Ministry of Foreign Affairs 24/7 on +31247247247.
Vaccination (inoculation)
It is advisable to get one or more vaccinations before visiting Ukraine.
For extensive vaccination advice and to make a vaccination appointment at home, please visit Thuisvaccinatie.nl. You can also see here whether your health insurance reimburses the vaccination(s).
Money and Currency
In Ukraine, payments are made with the Ukrainian hryvna (UAH).
The current position of this currency (currency, currency) can be found on our exchange rate page.
An overview of all ATMs in Ukraine can be found on our ATMs page.
Price level
Prices in Ukraine are much lower than in the Netherlands. The price difference with the Netherlands is -63% on average. Some examples are: restaurants (76% cheaper), food (64% cheaper), imported beer in catering (70% cheaper), cigarettes (86% cheaper) and public transport (95% cheaper). Please note that the price difference in tourist areas, especially during high season, may vary.
Tipping
In Ukraine it is customary to tip. If no service costs have been calculated yet, a tip of approximately 15% is given.
Time difference
In Ukraine it is 1 hour later than in the Netherlands.
Summer time in Ukraine differs from that in the Netherlands.
Find the local time, date, time zone and exceptions for Ukraine on our time difference page.
Traffic and route
In Ukraine you have to drive on the right.
You do not need an international driver’s license to drive and/or rent a motor vehicle in Ukraine.
With the Google route planner you can compile a route description from, to or within Ukraine.
Electricity
In Ukraine the same plugs and sockets are used as in the Netherlands.
More information about electricity in Ukraine can be found on our electricity page.
Emergency services
If you need help from the police, fire brigade and/or ambulance in an emergency, you can use the emergency numbers below.
– Police: 102 (112 from GSM)
– Fire Brigade: 101 (112 from GSM)
– Ambulance: 103 (112 from GSM)
Tap water
It is not recommended to drink water from the tap.
If you are unable to buy bottled water, use a water purifier to purify the water or boil the water for 5 minutes. After this you can safely use it as drinking water and for things like brushing teeth, cleaning lenses and washing vegetables and / or fruit. More information about drinking water and/or the purchase of water purification products can be found on our drinking water page.
News and newspapers
The latest news related to Ukraine can be found on Google news.
An overview of the newspapers from Ukraine can be found on Abyznewslinks.
Internet
Websites from Ukraine end in.ua.
Official websites of Ukraine: president.gov.ua and traveltoukraine.org.
Telephony
The country code (international access code) to call someone in Ukraine is 00380 or +380.
Do you want to call the Netherlands from Ukraine? Then use the Dutch country code 0031 or +31.
(If using a country code, omit the leading 0 of the number to be called.)
All Ukraine area codes can be found on Wikipedia.
Telephone numbers can be found in the Telephone Directory of Ukraine.
Photos and videos
On Flickr you will find a nice collection of photos of Ukraine.
On Youtube you will find a nice collection of videos from Ukraine.
Holidays
An overview of all public holidays in Ukraine can be found on Beleven.org.
Reviews and travel experiences
On Zoover and TripAdvisor you will find reviews from travelers about accommodations (eg hotels and holiday homes), restaurants and destinations in Ukraine, supplemented with photos, videos and places of interest.
Travelogues
Are you looking for a travelogue about Ukraine?
Here you will find travel reports and experiences of travelers who have previously visited Ukraine. It is also possible to keep a free diary of your trip for family and/or friends.
Nature and world heritage
An overview of the protected nature areas (including national parks, reserves and wildlife parks) in Ukraine can be found on Protected Planet.
An overview of the world heritage sites in Ukraine can be found on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Customs rules
Do you want to know how much you are allowed to import and export when traveling to Ukraine? On the IATA website you will find an overview of the maximum quantities of cigarettes, alcohol, money and medicines, among other things. If you stick to these quantities, you don’t have to declare anything to customs. In addition, on this website you will find the laws and regulations regarding the importation of pets and a list of everything that may not be imported and/or exported to Ukraine.
Entrepreneurship and doing business
If you are planning to do business in or with Ukraine, it is wise to prepare well. The Netherlands Enterprise Agency can help you with this. On PaulSourcing.com you will find a large amount of information about Ukraine, including: opportunities, import and export rules, trade figures, do’s and don’ts, product requirements, business partners and subsidies.
Relevant legislation
Below you will find relevant legislation and regulations that you may encounter during your visit to Ukraine.
– Alcohol: Buying and/or drinking from the age of 18.
– Alcohol and traffic: The maximum permitted alcohol content is 0.2.
– Tobacco: Buy from the age of 18, smoking at all ages.
– Smoking ban: In public places.
– Homosexuality: Allowed (propaganda not allowed).
Did you know that…
…The Chernobyl nuclear disaster took place in Ukraine?
…The mortality rate in Ukraine is very high (15.75 per 1000)?
…Football is the most popular sport in Ukraine?
…The gas lamp was invented in Ukraine?
…Ukraine has the deepest subway tunnel in the world (105 meters)?
…77% of Ukrainians have never crossed the border?