Ukrainian traffic rules do not differ much from those in the U.S. or European countries, although drivers with foreign licenses who decide to reside in Ukraine are expected to pass local driving tests in order to have the privilege of getting behind the wheel here.
Besides potholes, reckless drivers and lack of road signs, the language barrier is the main obstacle for foreign drivers in Ukraine.When a foreigner achieves permanent residence status in Ukraine, their national or international driver’s license is valid only for two months.
After that they have to pass driving tests to obtain a Ukrainian driver license.“Driving exams can be passed only in Ukrainian,” says Kateryna Ponomarenko, a lawyer at the EBS consulting company. “This is the main problem that foreigners face in Ukraine.
”Austrian citizen Ilona Zekely of Egorov Puginsky Afanasiev & Partners law firm confirms this. “Colleagues of mine who obtained driver’s licenses in Ukraine said they faced no problems with it, except for the communication difficulties with authorities due to the language barrier,” Zekely said.
Non-residents with international driver licenses or ones obtained abroad that meet the standards of the 1968 Convention on Road Traffic and have Latin letters on them, can drive a car in Ukraine without obtaining a Ukrainian driver’s license.
However, if foreigners lose their driver’s license, it may not be replaced with a Ukrainian one, says Tetyana Ruda, lawyer at the international law firm Goldblum and Partners.
“In such cases the above-mentioned persons can obtain a Ukrainian driver’s license after passing a medical examination and driving tests in any state traffic police center.
”Employees of diplomatic, consular missions and representatives of foreign organizations in Ukraine who have a valid driver’s license can get a Ukrainian driver’s license without passing driving tests. But diplomats and foreign organization officials are the only exceptions, lawyers say.
If a foreigner plans to bring their own car to Ukraine, they have to bear in mind that a foreign vehicle is allowed to be operated in Ukraine for up to 60 days.
If a foreigner plans to stay in the country for more than two months, they have to register the vehicle at a traffic police center that issues them a Ukrainian license plate and a vehicle registration number.Foreign travelers crossing the Ukrainian border should have the vehicle registration certificate, a valid international driver’s license, insurance certificate, a two-letter country code bumper sticker and a vehicle registration plate with information written in Latin letters.According to Ukrainian laws, apart from proper technical standards, a vehicle should be equipped with a fire extinguisher, a first-aid kit and an emergency warning triangle.
Zekely of Egorov Puginsky Afanasiev & Partners does not dare to drive a car in Kyiv even though she has a driver’s license and knows the city well. She prefers the service of a personal driver. Zekely admits that her local driver knows better how to avoid traffic jams and how to deal with Ukraine’s traffic police.The language barrier is another reason why she prefers not to drive a car in Ukraine.
“Few service stations have English speaking personnel, which causes misunderstandings,” Zekely said, adding that jaywalking is another big problem that foreigners face in Ukraine. “Jaywalking is very common for Ukraine. People are more careless and do not follow traffic rules – they often cross the road in forbidden paths.”
Speed limits and fines
The speed limit in Ukrainian cities is 60 kilometers per hour. On country roads, it is forbidden to drive faster than 90 kilometers per hour and not more than 110 kilometers per hour on roads with at least one lane in each direction separated by a solid white median.
The speed limit on highways is 130 kilometers per hour.Anatoliy Sirenko, head of the Interior Ministry’s traffic police department, says that speeding is the most common traffic violation by foreigners in Ukraine. Until recently, fines for traffic rule violations were ridiculously small, but now the size of fines varies from Hr 51 up to Hr 51,000 ($4-$4,400).
Driving without a seat belt in punishable by a fine of Hr 170–Hr 340.Intersection crossing violations, prohibitive traffic signals, speaking on a cell phone without hands-free equipment while driving are punishable by a fine of Hr 425–Hr 595.
Speeding fines vary from Hr 255 to Hr 680.Driving a car under the influence of alcohol or drugs could lead to a license being suspended for up to two years, administrative arrest for a period of seven to 10 days or a fine of Hr 3,400-5,950.
Administrative penalties are required to be paid at a bank within 15 days otherwise it doubles.In case a car is stolen, lawyers recommend writing a police statement, using an interpreter’s assistance. The police are obliged to issue a certificate about the vehicle theft, which should be sent to the insurance company.
Kyiv Post staff writer Nataliya Trach can be reached at [email protected]
