Does a Ukrainian driver's license allow you to drive a car in Russia?

Appearance of the Ukrainian university

Samples of driver's licenses (DLs) in Ukraine have changed several times, and currently several types are in effect in parallel. Below you can see what documents issued in different years look like. The old-style ID is a laminated form, on the front side of which there is a photograph, information about the owner and the government agency that issued the document. The reverse side lists open categories and notes the categories of vehicles that the owner can drive.

At the same time, the Soviet license in the form of a booklet and a new type of driver's license in the form of a plastic card are valid. The latter are almost identical to the new certificate in the Russian Federation.

In addition to these certificates, driver’s licenses issued during the USSR are also valid on the territory of Ukraine.

Is it possible to drive a car in the Russian Federation on the basis of a Ukrainian driving license?

To correctly answer the question of whether Ukrainian driver’s licenses are valid in Russia, we will find out what is accepted in international treaties on road traffic.

There are two international conventions on road traffic - Geneva 1949 and Vienna 1968. A country party recognizes certificates issued by other members of the convention, provided that certain requirements are met.

The Geneva Convention requires not only a driver's license issued in the country of citizenship, but also an annex to it - an international driver's license (IDP). This document, in fact, is a translation of internal rights into international languages.

The Vienna Convention obliges participating countries to recognize national documents, provided that they have the form established by the convention - a plastic card of a certain type.

Countries that are not parties to any of the conventions recognize only their own VU.

Russia is a party to both conventions, and Ukraine – only to the Vienna one.

Thus, the Russian Federation recognizes Ukrainian rights on its territory. However, the presence of different types, unlimited validity, and the inability to check Ukrainian licenses using the traffic police database lead to restrictions in their use.

What should a citizen of the Russian Federation do with a Ukrainian driver’s license?

There are often situations when a citizen of the Russian Federation has a foreign driving document. For example, he completed training and received a driving license while living in Ukraine, or simply has two citizenships at the same time. In other situations, a Ukrainian with a valid vehicle driving license remains in Russia for permanent residence and receives citizenship.

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Let us recall that until November 4, 2014, a citizen of the Russian Federation had the right to use a foreign document to drive a vehicle for only 60 days. After this date, this requirement became invalid, since the rules for passing qualifying exams and issuing a driving license became invalid (Government Decree No. 1097 “On admission to driving a vehicle” dated October 24, 2014). Thus, foreign licenses to drive a vehicle can be used until then until the new legislation comes into force.

However, Russian roads are still not without misunderstandings when meeting with law enforcement officials. What should you do if your car has been towed to a parking lot? We adhere to the following steps:

1. Record the actions of the inspectors on photo/video.
2. Report your plans to contact the prosecutor's office due to the illegal restriction of your right to drive a car. Such a violation may result in an administrative penalty for a police officer in the amount of 20 thousand rubles. If this has no effect, proceed to further actions.
3. We call the helpline hotline and explain the situation regarding violation of the law. Perhaps this call will stop the evacuation process.
4. If the vehicle is nevertheless towed and a fine is imposed on you, you have the right to challenge it. Typically, a judgment is made in favor of the motorist.

Federal Law No. 92, which came into force on June 1, 2017, does not apply to citizens of the Russian Federation, since Russian is the officially recognized state language (Article 68 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation). Therefore, there is no need to replace a foreign ID with a Russian one. It is also allowed to conduct commercial activities using your own vehicle.

Today, many people prefer to travel by car, especially when it comes to visits to neighboring countries, including visits to relatives and friends. Many citizens of Ukraine arrive in the Russian Federation by personal transport, and therefore the question is whether Ukrainian driver's license in Russia in 2021 is of interest to many.

Is an IDP required in Russia as an annex to the Ukrainian one?

International driving licenses for Ukrainians in the Russian Federation, in principle, are not needed for the reason that both countries have joined the Vienna Convention and recognize each other’s national licenses. But since not all examples of Ukrainian rights comply with the convention, having an IDP will not be superfluous. Otherwise, you may be required to have a notarized translation of your rights.

Since mid-February 2021, the Ukrainian traffic police began issuing international driving licenses. The document is issued on the basis of an internal driver's license. Validity period: 3 years.

Therefore, taking into account the fact that some examples of licenses issued in Ukraine in previous years do not comply with the latest requirements of the Vienna Convention and are not translated into other languages, it makes sense to obtain an international driver’s license (IDP). This will save you from unnecessary questions from traffic inspectors if you have just such an example of a Ukrainian driving license.

Find out more about what IDPs are.

What the law says

Ukraine and Russia are countries that have become signatories to the Vienna International Convention. This treaty regarding road traffic establishes that citizens of other powers who are in the Russian Federation and have an international or national license, the data in which is entered (or duplicated) in Latin, have the right to drive a car.

That is, a certificate made in Ukraine is relevant in the Russian Federation. And drivers have the right to ride their personal vehicles on the Federation’s highways without any problems.

The question of whether Ukrainian driver's licenses are valid in Russia in 2021 is provoked by the fact that Ukrainian authorities often changed the IDs of their subjects. That is why this provokes confusion with the police in Russia, who are trying to be vigilant in order to identify forged documents. Many misunderstandings are also due to the “indefiniteness” of Ukrainian rights, although this is discussed in the designated convention. It is also impossible to check licenses issued in Ukraine using the traffic police database. It is all this that provokes the reluctance of the police to recognize the “European crust” of Ukraine.

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Validity of Ukrainian driving license in the Russian Federation

A Ukrainian driver's license without a validity period on the territory of the Russian Federation is not unlimited in the full sense. The validity period of these rights within Russia is equal to the period of stay of their owner on the territory of Russia.

Ukrainians who do not have a temporary residence permit or residence permit have the right to stay in the Russian Federation for 90 consecutive days. Once this time expires, the validity of the certificate will also expire. True, those guilty of violating immigration laws may face deportation, in comparison with which troubles with the traffic police will not be significant.

Thus, the validity period of a Ukrainian driver’s license in Russia depends on the purpose of visiting the country. If a citizen of Ukraine has a temporary residence permit, then he may well enjoy his Ukrainian rights throughout the entire period of validity of this status.

But you can drive with a Ukrainian license in Russia only if you drive for personal purposes.

Is it possible to drive in Russia with a Ukrainian license?

Russia and Ukraine, along with other countries, are parties to the Vienna International Traffic Regulations Convention of 08.11.1968. This document states that the driver, when entering the territory of another state (in our situation, Ukrainian citizens on Russian territory), is required to have a valid national and international driver's license with him .

ATTENTION! In an international university, all information must be duplicated in Latin alphabet. Only then is free movement throughout Russia allowed in your own/rented car.

Unlike its Russian counterpart, Ukrainian driver's licenses have no validity restrictions. They are characterized by an indefinite life, therefore there is no need to replace them after a specific time period. At the same time, the previous Soviet-style certificate is still valid today, because all data about the car owner is reflected in Russian. However, over the past decades, the appearance of the Ukrainian document has changed significantly. Now modern Ukrainian educational institutions look like this:

• This is a small card made of light pink plastic;
• the front side contains information about the owner of the document, the date of receipt and the department that issued the driver’s license;
• The reverse side displays information about currently open categories.

Despite the fact that Ukrainian VU are developed taking into account international standards and fully comply with them, this document periodically causes misunderstandings between Russian law enforcement officers and motorists.

1. For example, such driving licenses cannot be checked using a single traffic police database.
2. In addition, not all information is written in Latin letters (place of issue of the document, last name of the citizen), so it is not always possible to detect any inconsistency or forgery.

In accordance with migration rules, the validity of Ukrainian rights in Russia is 90 days . The countdown starts from the day you enter the country. When registering for a temporary residence permit, the national driving document loses its validity 60 days after the date of receipt of temporary status. You can obtain Russian VU without having to pass any exams.

If you already have a Russian passport, you plan to live in Russia for a long time and work as a taxi, truck or bus driver, then obtaining a Russian driving license is strictly necessary (Federal Law No. 92 “On Road Traffic Safety” dated 05/07/2013, which came into force on 07/01/2017). Otherwise, the employer faces a fine of 50 thousand rubles , and you - an administrative penalty in the amount of 5-15 thousand rubles, since this act is considered as driving a car without a license (Article 12.32-1 of the Federal Law No. 92 dated 07.05. 2013).

Is this restriction valid for other foreign motorists? The exception applies to drivers who:

• are moving in transit through Russian territory;
• use the vehicle for personal purposes without conducting commercial activities;
• are citizens of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Belarus (clause 13 of article 25 of Federal Law No. 196 “On Road Traffic Safety” dated December 10, 1995).

On 05/17/2017, the State Duma of the Russian Federation submitted for consideration a bill regarding the extension of the validity of a foreign certificate for another 1 year (until 06/01/2018). However, the normative act was never adopted.

Is it necessary to translate the document into Russian?

Many people think about whether a translation of Ukrainian driving license is necessary. It is impossible to answer this question unequivocally. There is no need to translate your license if you have an international driver's license - the translation is already there.

Russian traffic police officers must accept rights that comply with the Vienna Convention, but sometimes they may not understand the Ukrainian text.

Then a translation of the document certified by a notary will not be superfluous. However, a notarized translation of a document is quite expensive - it is much cheaper to obtain an IDP.

Is it possible to work as a driver in Russia with a Ukrainian driving license?

It is no secret that many Ukrainians come to Russian territory in order to earn money, and the question of whether it is possible to work in the Russian Federation as a driver with a Ukrainian driver’s license is very relevant for them.

We have to disappoint them: with a Ukrainian license you cannot not only get a job, but also engage in business activities related to transportation. You must obtain a Russian driver's license. This law came into force on June 1, 2021.

In what situations is it necessary to change permissions?

A Ukrainian who comes to the Russian Federation for a short period of time can drive a car with a Ukrainian license. However, in order to work in the country, you will have to change your ID. The rights of a country where Russian is the official language are suitable for employment. Ukraine is not included in the list of such, so Ukrainians who come to the Russian Federation to work must replace their licenses.

ATTENTION! The period during which Ukrainian rights will be valid on the territory of the Russian Federation is equal to the time of the foreigner’s legal stay in the country. Thus, the validity period for those who are guests in the country is 90 days. When obtaining a residence permit, it is necessary to replace your license.

Is it possible to travel in a Ukrainian state after acquiring Russian citizenship?

If a citizen of Ukraine received Russian citizenship, then previously he had 60 days to obtain Russian rights. Currently, there is no such restriction, since the Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation No. 1396, which contained this requirement, has lost force, and a new period has not yet been approved.

In practice, traffic police officers still often fine citizens of the Russian Federation for driving a vehicle with a foreign license, and the courts quite often support them in this. Therefore, it is better, after receiving Russian citizenship, to replace the Ukrainian passport with a Russian one and not look for problems. Moreover, the State Duma is preparing a new bill, according to which a slightly longer period for replacement will be provided - 180 days. But you still have to change.

Reasons for refusal to issue a driver's license after obtaining Russian citizenship

A national driver’s license may not be issued after obtaining Russian citizenship if:

• not all documents are presented;
• one of the papers is invalid (more often this happens due to the expiration of the term);
• there are errors or corrections in the application;
• no fee has been paid;
• the traffic police has information about depriving an applicant of a license for violating traffic rules;
• the age of the applicant is less than that required by Russian law to register rights to a specific category of vehicle;
• documents are fake.

In the latter case, the applicant will not only not be given a certificate, but also a criminal case will be opened.

We recommend reading about how to renew your driver's license. From the article you will learn about where you can renew your driver's license, the renewal procedure and deadlines, and the punishment for driving with an expired license. And here is more information about how to change your MTPL policy.

If a foreigner has already driven a car, his documents are in order, obtaining a Russian license will not require much effort. The exam is subject to the usual requirements as for local motorists. Only the costs can be higher, because with an old-style driving school you will have to pay for your studies at a driving school.

Is it possible for a Ukrainian to obtain a Russian driver's license?

If your stay in the Russian Federation is legal, you have almost all the same rights as citizens of the country: you can undergo training for the categories of vehicles you choose, pass a medical examination, pass an exam at the State Traffic Safety Inspectorate and receive a Russian driver’s license.

If you have been deprived of your license in your home country, there is a possibility that the Russian traffic police will become aware of this, which means that your license will not be issued.

Registration of Russian VU by Ukrainian refugees

Refugee is an official status that allows a person to stay in Russia for a long time. Accordingly, having this status, you can apply for a Russian driver's license on a general basis or exchange your national rights for Russian ones.

The procedure for exchanging Ukrainian rights for Russian ones

Foreign citizens legally residing in the Russian Federation change their residence permit on a general basis. To do this, you need to pass a medical commission, pass exams, pay a state fee and contact the traffic police with an application, also presenting your foreign license. After receiving a Russian driver's license, the foreign one is returned to its owner.

Find out more about the procedure for replacing foreign rights with Russian ones.