TRAVEL TO UKRAINE:
current situation and practical guidance
A factual overview for international visitors considering travel to Ukraine today.
IS UKRAINE OPEN FOR INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL?
Yes. Ukraine remains open for international visitors.
Foreign nationals may enter Ukraine for professional, humanitarian, institutional, and other legitimate purposes, provided they comply with current entry requirements and local regulations.
Travel to Ukraine today requires awareness of the security context and practical conditions related to martial law, but international visitors continue to arrive and carry out their activities across the country.
WHAT SHOULD VISITORS BE AWARE OF?
Visitors to Ukraine should be aware that the country is operating under martial law, which affects daily routines and travel logistics. This includes air-raid alerts, curfews in certain cities, and the need to follow official instructions when alerts are announced.
Hotels, conference venues, and public institutions operate with adapted safety measures, including access to shelters. Visitors are advised to plan their movements in advance, stay informed about local regulations, and rely on up-to-date information during their stay.
WHICH REGIONS ARE CURRENTLY HOSTING VISITORS?
International visitors are currently hosted in several regions of Ukraine, particularly in Western Ukraine and selected cities in Central Ukraine. These areas regularly receive journalists, NGO delegations, business missions, and participants of professional and institutional events.
Regional conditions may differ, and travel planning should take into account local regulations, infrastructure, and security arrangements. Many visits are organized with local coordination to ensure compliance with current requirements and practical safety considerations.
WHAT ARE MOST SAFE AREAS?
Is it not completely safe in any region of Ukraine due to the full-scale war, but Ukraine is open and business-visitors travel to Ukraine. Ukraine is a very big country and some areas, especially in Western Ukraine and in Ukrainian Carpathians, are more safe. There are big cities and resorts, like Lviv, Bukovel, Uzhhorod, Chernivtski, Lutsk and others, which are located close to European border and/or deeply in the mountains, so we recommend to plan these cities for your travel to Ukraine. Kyiv as a capital, remains one of the most visited places in Ukraine, holding good infrastructure of hotels & venues with shelters.
INSURANCE
Please, make sure, you have appropriate Travel&Health insurance, which covers Ukraine.
Check with your insurance supplier if your insurance policy covers Ukraine. If not, we can help to issue appropriate insurance, issued by Ukrainian insurance and covering Ukraine.
FAQ about insurance:
-> Do I need insurance to enter Ukraine?
Yes, according to Ukrainian entry rules, each traveller must have valid travel insurance.
-> Will I be denied entry to Ukraine without insurance.
Rarely, but it’s better to follow the rules.
-> Does insurance mandatory has to be issued by Ukrainian insurance company?
No, unless it fully covers travel to Ukraine.
-> Must insurance policy cover war-risks?
No, according to the rules, valid Travel&Health insurance, covering Ukraine is enough, but of course, war-risk insurance is also recommended (not obligatory).
-> Who can help me to issue appropriate Travel&Health insurance, which covers Ukraine?
Any licensed Ukrainian insurance company, which has this product. As licensed touroperator, Ukrainian Incentives can help you to issue appropriate insurance. Contact: u-in@ukrainian-incentives.com.ua
AIR-RAID ALERTS
Ukraine is in active war and we kindly ask you to follow the safety rules, when necessary.
You can follow following signs of air alert:
– particular sound of air raid siren on the streets
– announcements in public places and hotels
– immediate information in digital app, which we highly recommend installing for your stay in Ukraine
In case of air alerts, we kindly ask you to proceed to nearest shelter.
- If you are located in hotel or any place with in-house shelter, during air raid siren, please, follow internal instructions and proceed to venue’s shelter.
- If you are located outside, please, follow to nearest shelter. Please, check in advance actual map of shelter of city, where you are located. Kyiv city shelter map is here https://gotokyiv.com/korisna-informaciia
All underground metro-stations are working as bomb-shelters and are allowed to enter outside of metro working hours. - if you are in the theatre, museum or any other institution, please, follow personnel instructions and follow to their shelter, if there is a shelter in this building. If not, please, proceed to any closest publish shelter or underground crossing.
- if you are in the building without shelter and it is far to closest open shelter, find a place behind 2-3 walls and stay there
- if you are on the street, make sure you are located far from:
– critical infrastructure objects, like power stations and similar
– shops and buildings with big glass windows
– cars
Walk to the nearest shelterFOTOS AND VIDEOS
VERY IMPORTANT: strictly prohibited to share any photos of any military people, military objects, air defence work and any other war related issues as by this you can help to adjust russian bombing trajectory & strategy with further ruination of civil infrastructure and increased life threats. It is strictly prohibited to unveal location of air defence system in case you occasionally saw it.
You can publish pictures from official publics including Ukraine.ua and United24 Media in EnglishSHELTERS
- Please, make sure to book hotel and conference venue with own shelters, so you can proceed there in case of an air raid alarms.
- Please, prepare in advance: check actual map of shelter of city, where you are located.
- All underground metro-stations are working as bomb-shelters.
- Scheme of public shelters is available at “Kyiv Digital” App and Укриття (kyivcity.gov.ua)
BLACK-OUTS
There are black-outs (electricity cut-offs) in different cities of Ukraine at the moment.
If you are located not in hotel, please, note that there is a electricity supply schedule in each district of each city, which you can check at web-page of electric company of certain region.
Kyiv & Kyiv region https://www.dtek-kem.com.ua/
Normally, good hotels have own electricity generator, sufficient provision of water and food, reserved drinking water resources, additional heating system and fuel reserve for it, increased security measures, Wi-Fi, First aid kits.
Also there are RESILIENCE POINTS in every town&city, where you can charge your gadgets and have a cup of hot water.
Anyway we highly recommend always to have with you: charged powerbank, pocket light.
Always check electricity schedule before entering the lift in buildings without generator in order to avoid blocking inside for the period of electricity cut-off.
CURFEW
Curfew hours depend on city and region.
Kyiv curfew hours: 00.00-05.00AM. Metro working hours in Kyiv (but better to double check as rules may change: 06.00 (some stations from 05.30) – 22.30
There are restrictions on the movement of citizens and vehicles without special permission in the city during curfew.
All bars, clubs and restaurants must shut by 10pm. There’s no sale of alcohol after that time either (including supermarkets and alcohol shops).
During the curfew, residents and city guests are forbidden to be outside and in other public places, as well as to move by vehicle or on foot.
If a person is on the street during the prohibited time, the curfew patrol has the right to detain them, check the ID, and ask for the reason for violating it. Please, make sure that you stay in your hotel during curfew hours
ACCOMMODATION
We recommend to book only hotels with own equipped shelters in-house. Security in suggested hotels work in enhanced mode. Check that hotel has own electricity generators, sufficient provision of drinking water and food, reserved drinking water resources, additional heating system and fuel reserve for it, increased security measures, Wi-Fi, First kits. Some hotels equipped with protective gear against nuclear, chemical, or bacteriological threats.
5* hotels even have beds with linen in their shelters.
Please, make sure that it during your check-in to hotel you’ve received all necessary information about safety measures, shelter’s location & way to it, and the algorithm of actions during an air raid. During air raid siren, please, follow internal instructions and proceed to hotel’s shelter.
If you book hotel without shelter or private airbnb apartment, check (and walk there to know the way) nearest shelter.
TRANSPORT
During air alerts, metro stations are serving as bomb shelters, but metro lines work in Kyiv is limited.
Ground metro sections (part of red line from Arsenalna to Lisova stations) are not working.
Metro trains are not crossing bridges (green line between Slavutych and Vybubichi) during air raids.
You can cross Dnipro river by taxi or ground transport on some bridges, that remain open, but we recommend you to stay in the shelters during such periods.
WORKING HOURS DURING AIR RAIDS
Governmental institutions, banks, official Ukrzalisnytsya ticket desks, museums are closed during air raid alarms.
Theatres and cinema’s stop their performances during air raids. Performances can be continued after end of short air raid or you can get ticket, which can be used during certain short period repeatedly, depending on internal rules of each particular place.
Big shopping centres and shopping chains are closed, but lot of street-line shops, some supermarkets, cafes and restaurants continue to work during air raid alarm. Staying in non-protected places during air raids is only your personal responsibility.
FOOD & WATER & DINING
In all alive Ukrainian cities, you can find a lot of different cafes and restaurants for your choice.
Despite of black-outs, everything is working in Ukraine (they use generator’s power supply), so you can enjoy amazing Ukrainian food. In case of air alert, cafes & restaurants are not closing, but we recommend you follow safety rules and proceed to the nearest shelter, when it is necessary.
Please, note: tap water in Ukraine is not allowed to drink. Bottled and/or boiled water is available at hotel and in local shops/cafes.
ENTERTAINMENT
Theatres, museums, cinemas, exhibitions and other cultural institutions are working in Ukraine.
In case of air alerts, they are closing and you should proceed to the nearest available shelter.
Institutions are closed for the time of air alerts. Depending on the duration of air alert, you can return to the performance after the end of air alert.
Rules vary for each particular place. Check interruption rules upon buying the entrance ticket.
if you are in the theatre, museum or any other institution during air alert, please, follow personnel instructions and follow to their shelter, if there is a shelter in this building. If not, please, proceed to any closest publish shelter or underground crossing.
If you require on-ground coordination, professional local partner operate in Ukraine
We are members of
