Traffic rulesUkraine

The Main Service Centre of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, together with its territorial service centres, administers driving-licence examinations, issuance, exchange and restoration.

Theory and practical examinations are taken in territorial service centres of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, commonly called MVS service centres.

Yes. The licence records categories such as A1, A, B1, B, BE, C1, C, C1E, CE, D1, D, D1E, DE and T.

No. A driver must hold the appropriate A1 or A motorcycle category; category B by itself does not authorise motorcycle riding.

No. Categories C1 or C do not automatically grant category B, so category B must be opened separately for ordinary cars.

Yes. A person may drive only vehicles covered by a valid category or categories recorded in the driving-licence register and document.

Yes. Ukraine permits an electronic driving licence without a plastic card, and it has full legal force within Ukraine.

It is displayed in the Diia application and the Driver Cabinet after the document and its data have been created in the state registers.

No. International road-traffic rules do not yet generally recognise Ukraine's digital-only licence, so a physical national licence and any required international permit should be taken abroad.

Yes. Services generally operate on an extraterritorial basis, allowing applicants to use a convenient MVS service centre rather than only the centre linked to their registered address.

Yes. Appointment availability, security interruptions, wartime procedures, required documents and service-centre operations can change, so the official MVS service-centre information should be checked before travel.

Category A1 covers mopeds, scooters and other two-wheeled motor vehicles with an engine capacity up to 50 cubic centimetres or an electric motor up to the applicable legal limit.

Category A covers motorcycles and other two-wheeled motor vehicles that are not limited to the A1 class, including motorcycles with a sidecar where permitted.

Category B1 covers certain quadricycles, motorised tricycles and other three- or four-wheeled vehicles within the legal B1 specifications.

Category B covers vehicles with a maximum authorised mass not exceeding 3,500 kilograms and no more than eight passenger seats in addition to the driver's seat.

Yes. Category B may cover a trailer up to 750 kilograms, and may also cover certain combinations permitted by the detailed mass rules.

Category BE covers a category B towing vehicle combined with a trailer exceeding the ordinary category B trailer limits.

Category C1 covers goods vehicles with a maximum authorised mass above 3,500 kilograms but not exceeding 7,500 kilograms, subject to the passenger-seat limit.

Category C covers goods vehicles with a maximum authorised mass exceeding 7,500 kilograms, subject to the legal passenger-seat limit.

Category C1E covers a category C1 towing vehicle with a trailer over 750 kilograms, within the combination limits established by Ukrainian law.

Category CE covers a category C goods vehicle with a trailer or semi-trailer exceeding 750 kilograms.

Category D1 covers passenger vehicles designed for more than eight but no more than sixteen passenger seats in addition to the driver's seat.

Category D covers buses designed for more than sixteen passenger seats in addition to the driver's seat.

Category D1E covers a category D1 passenger vehicle drawing a trailer over 750 kilograms under the applicable combination rules.

Category DE covers a category D bus drawing a trailer over 750 kilograms.

Category T covers trams and trolleybuses; the authorised vehicle type is indicated according to the relevant training and entitlement.

The minimum age for categories A1 and A is 16.

The minimum age for categories B1 and B is 18.

The minimum age for categories C1 and C is 18.

The minimum age for category BE is 19.

The minimum age for categories C1E and CE is 19.

The minimum age for categories D1 and D is 21.

The minimum age for categories D1E and DE is 21.

The minimum age for category T is 21.

No. The person must also satisfy the health, training and examination requirements and receive the relevant entitlement.

Yes. A licence may be refused where identity, medical fitness, legal eligibility, documents or register checks do not satisfy the requirements.

Yes. A candidate may prepare for the theory examination independently or complete theoretical training through an accredited driving school.

Yes. Before the theory examination, the candidate should tell the service-centre administrator whether preparation was by self-study or through a driving school so the records can be checked correctly.

Yes. Practical driving instruction must be completed through an accredited driver-training establishment before the practical examination.

Yes. The Ukrainian process separates theory and practice, and a successful official theory examination is generally required before the practical training stage.

Yes. Accredited schools enter completion data and electronic training certificates in the relevant MVS registers.

Where a candidate completes theory through a school, the school records completion and any required internal assessment before the candidate is admitted to the official theory examination.

Yes. Practical instruction for obtaining a category must be completed at a properly accredited training establishment.

In qualifying cases, a driver opening a lower category completes a 20-hour practical driving course and then takes the required practical examination.

Yes. Category B is not granted automatically; the driver must complete the prescribed practical retraining and pass the category B practical examination.

Yes, subject to the training programme and eligibility rules, although separate practical examinations may still be required for different categories.

Yes. When several categories are opened together, theory may be tested once using the examination material for the higher relevant category, while practical tests remain category-specific.

Yes. Training should be taken only through an establishment shown as accredited or otherwise authorised in the official system.

The official theory examination contains 20 questions.

The candidate has 20 minutes to answer the 20 questions.

No more than two mistakes are allowed, so at least 18 answers must be correct.

Yes. The computerised examination system generates the result after the test is completed.

Questions cover traffic rules, safe driving, vehicle construction and operation, and first aid, with the exact selection generated by the examination system.

Yes. The Main Service Centre publishes the approved question bank and provides official information for preparation.

The computer system may allow navigation within the examination, but the candidate must complete all answers within the 20-minute limit.

The examination is failed and the candidate must register for another attempt.

The next attempt is available after ten calendar days, meaning the candidate may register from the eleventh day.

No fixed lifetime limit applies to theory attempts, but each attempt must follow the waiting and registration rules.

No. Using unauthorised devices, materials, prompts or outside assistance can cause the examination to be stopped and recorded as unsuccessful.

Yes. Online theory examinations from home are not provided; the official test is taken in person at an MVS service centre.

During martial law, the category B practical examination is conducted in real road traffic on an approved examination route.

They are conducted on designated training grounds for initial vehicle-control skills.

Categories such as BE, C1, C, C1E, CE, D1, D, D1E and DE are examined in road traffic on approved routes.

The road-traffic examination lasts at least 20 minutes and no more than 60 minutes.

A candidate may normally make up to three recorded errors; more than three results in failure, while a dangerous or disqualifying action may end the test earlier.

The next attempt is available after ten calendar days, beginning on the eleventh day.

Yes. Where available for the category, a candidate may choose an MVS service-centre examination vehicle without a separate vehicle-use charge.

Yes. A vehicle from an accredited training establishment may be used if its attendance and use are arranged with the school and it meets the examination requirements.

Yes. Service centres publish or identify approved routes so candidates can understand the road environment used for examinations.

Technical monitoring, including video recording, is used to improve transparency and document the conduct of examinations.

Yes. The candidate is assessed on lawful signalling, mirror and blind-spot checks, positioning, priority, speed choice and interaction with other road users.

Yes. An action creating an immediate danger, requiring intervention or seriously violating traffic rules can terminate the examination.

Generally yes. Even where one theory test covers several categories, the candidate must demonstrate practical competence in each category being opened.

The licence is issued only after the service centre confirms the examination results, identity, eligibility, medical and training records, payments and absence of legal obstacles.

A driving entitlement granted for the first time is issued for two years.

It begins on the date the person's first driving category is opened, not when a later additional category is added.

No. Opening another category does not start a new two-year novice period if the person already holds a first licence.

A novice driver holding the first two-year licence may not exceed 70 kilometres per hour.

The driving licence may contain code 64.70, indicating a maximum permitted speed of 70 kilometres per hour for the novice period.

The normal exchange to a regular licence is made after the two-year period expires, subject to the legal conditions.

It can normally be exchanged without theory or practical examinations if the driver committed no more than two qualifying road-safety administrative offences during the two-year period.

The driver must pass the theory and practical examinations again before receiving the replacement licence.

The person must complete the required retraining and pass theory and practical examinations; the newly issued licence is again valid for two years.

No. The two-year rule applies to the first grant of the right to drive, not separately to every category later added.

Yes. A first licence may be issued as an electronic document if the applicant selects that format and the service procedure permits it.

Yes. The driver should arrange exchange when eligible and should not assume that an expired document will be accepted outside any specific temporary wartime extension applying within Ukraine.

Under the July 2026 rules, these motorcycle, light-vehicle and car-trailer categories are granted for 15 years.

These goods-vehicle and goods-combination categories are granted for five years.

These passenger-vehicle and passenger-combination categories are granted for five years.

Category T is granted for five years under the differentiated validity rules.

Yes. Before the July 2026 change, regular licences were generally issued for 30 years, while first licences remained limited to two years.

No. A previously issued valid licence does not automatically become invalid solely because new validity periods apply to later issuance or exchange.

Exchange may be needed when validity expires, personal data changes, the document is damaged, a category is added, the licence is lost or stolen, or the holder requests a modern document.

No. Exchange or restoration of a regular licence is normally completed without theory or practical examinations unless a specific legal ground requires retesting.

Yes. The holder should apply for replacement within the prescribed period, generally within ten days after the personal-data change.

Yes. Eligible licences that appear correctly in the electronic registers can be exchanged or restored through the Driver Cabinet or Diia.

No. First issuance requires in-person theory and practical examinations at an MVS service centre.

Yes. Available delivery options may include collection at a service centre or delivery through an approved postal operator, depending on the current service.

No. During martial law, a medical certificate is not required for specified exchanges and restorations, although medical fitness remains relevant and a certificate is normally required for examinations and category opening.

Yes, if the foreign licence complies with the 1968 Vienna Convention requirements, or if a non-compliant national licence is accompanied by a valid international driving permit.

No. An international driving permit is a supporting document and must be used together with the valid national licence on which it is based.

It remains valid for 60 days from the date the competent migration authority issues the permanent-residence documents, after which it must be exchanged.

Normally the person must pass a medical examination and the Ukrainian theory and practical examinations, unless an exemption applies.

Yes. Examinations may be waived where Ukraine has an applicable mutual-recognition and exchange agreement with the issuing country.

The official service information currently lists Spain, Italy, Lithuania, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates, but the list and treaty conditions should be checked before applying.

In qualifying circumstances, a Ukrainian citizen may exchange a compliant foreign licence without theory and practical examinations, subject to verification and the detailed rules.

Yes. A foreign licence received in exchange for a Ukrainian licence may qualify for exchange back under the simplified conditions and verification procedure.

Yes. The foreign-licence exchange service requires a personal visit to an MVS service centre and is not completed entirely online.

Yes. The foreign licence and certain supporting foreign documents generally require a translation certified by a notary or consular institution when they are not in an accepted form or language.

Yes. Verification may include confirmation from the foreign competent authority that the licence was issued validly and that the holder is not deprived of or restricted in the right to drive.

No. Ukrainian categories are granted according to the equivalence rules, treaty terms and verified vehicle entitlements rather than by copying every foreign notation without assessment.

Territorial MVS service centres issue Ukrainian international driving permits on the basis of a valid Ukrainian national licence.

It is valid for up to three years, but never beyond the expiry date of the national driving licence.

No. The international permit cannot outlast the national licence, so its validity is limited to the remaining period of the first licence.

No. It is issued or exchanged without theory or practical examinations.

No. After inspection and copying, the national licence is returned to the applicant.

The official service period is up to five working days after the required documents are submitted.

The applicant normally presents the national licence, Ukrainian internal passport, passport for travel abroad, a copy of the national licence, a 3.5 by 4.5 centimetre matte photograph and proof of payment.

No. The permit has no independent validity and must accompany the valid national driving licence.

The legal requirement depends on the destination, but the MVS recommends checking the destination rules and obtaining a permit where recognition of the national card alone is uncertain.

It should not be relied upon abroad. A physical national licence and any required international permit should be arranged before travel.

Yes. The candidate must be medically fit for the relevant category and normally presents a valid medical certificate for examinations and category opening.

No. Fitness is assessed for the relevant vehicle category or categories, and heavier or passenger categories may involve stricter standards.

Yes. Where medical fitness depends on glasses or contact lenses, the corresponding restriction may be recorded and the driver must comply with it.

Yes. Codes may limit the holder to an adapted vehicle, automatic transmission or other equipment required by the person's assessed ability.

Yes. A disability does not automatically prevent licensing; fitness, required adaptations, training and examination are assessed for the individual and category.

Yes, where authorised and technically suitable, an adapted vehicle may be used so the candidate can demonstrate safe control under the recorded restrictions.

Yes. Driving contrary to a medical, equipment, transmission or speed restriction may mean the person is driving outside the terms of the entitlement.

No general waiver applies to first-time examination and category-opening requirements; the wartime relaxation mainly concerns specified exchanges and restorations.

Yes. The certificate form, medical-provider process, validity and category-specific standards can change, so the current official requirements should be confirmed.

The person may not lawfully drive during the deprivation period, and the licence is handled according to the court decision and MVS procedures.

To restore the right after deprivation, the person generally completes the required training or retraining and passes theory and practical examinations.

The licence issued after the required retraining and examinations is again issued for two years.

No. Deprivation of the right to drive is a ground for refusing the international permit and may lead to retention of the national licence during checks.

Yes. Restoration is normally an administrative procedure without theory or practical examinations, provided no separate legal obstacle exists.

Yes, where the licence is correctly recorded in the electronic registers, restoration can be requested through the Driver Cabinet or Diia.

A licence whose validity expired during martial law is treated as valid within Ukraine for the wartime period and for the additional period specified by the applicable emergency rules; this should not be assumed to apply abroad.

No. Category CE must still be opened, but the temporary wartime simplification removes the usual one-year category C driving-experience requirement while retaining training and the practical examination.

No. The official guidance states that the required category C1 experience for C1E remains in force.

A category D candidate must be at least 21 and normally have more than three years of driving experience in qualifying categories such as B, C1, C or D1.

No. Commercial passenger or goods transport may also require employment, professional-competence, medical, working-time, tachograph or sector-specific documents.

No. Bus, truck, dangerous-goods, international and commercial drivers should also check the current transport-licensing, professional-qualification and operator rules applying to their work.

The official Main Service Centre licensing service page was used for examination documents, practical-test locations, lower-category training and wartime service arrangements.

The current Cabinet of Ministers Regulation No. 340 and the July 2026 MVS explanations were used for categories, first-licence rules and the 15-year and five-year validity periods.

The official MVS service-centre age guidance was used for the minimum ages from A1 through category T.

The official 2026 theory-examination explanation was used for the 20 questions, 20 minutes and 18-correct-answer pass requirement.

The official 2026 practical-examination guidance was used for the 20-to-60-minute duration, three-error rule and retest interval.

The official foreign-licence exchange service page was used for visitor recognition, the 60-day permanent-residence rule, documents and examination exemptions.

The official international driving-permit service page was used for validity, documents, processing time and the requirement to carry the national licence.

This English master was last reviewed on 4 August 2026. Wartime measures, service availability, fees, medical requirements, treaty lists and examination procedures can change and should be verified with the Main Service Centre of the MVS and current Ukrainian legislation.