How to Get an International Driving Permit in Ukraine for Driving Abroad
Get an international driving permit in Ukraine based on a valid national licence. Check documents, 2026 cost, validity, MVS filing and when you need one abroad.
UA Ukraine
Driving & Vehicles ~ 9 min read
12 FAQ
Updated 2026-09-02
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Ukraine issues an international driving permit, officially called an international driving licence, on the basis of a valid Ukrainian national driving licence. You must apply personally at a territorial MVS Service Center; the permit cannot be issued fully online and no theory or practical exam is required. Bring the original national driving licence, Ukrainian passport or ID card with the required residence information, Ukrainian passport for travel abroad, residence-registration certificate or IDP certificate where applicable, and one 3.5 × 4.5 cm matte color photo. The current official Diia Guide lists only the blank-production cost, UAH 5.70. The service takes up to 5 working days. The international permit is valid for up to 3 years, but never longer than the national licence on which it is based, and it is not valid without that national licence.
What you need
- Original valid Ukrainian national driving licence.
- Ukrainian passport, or an ID card together with the required information confirming the registered place of residence where it is not contained electronically.
- Ukrainian passport for travel abroad.
- Certificate confirming the registered place of residence or an IDP certificate where applicable under current MVS guidance.
- One 3.5 × 4.5 cm matte color photograph.
- Payment document confirming payment for the service or blank, unless the payment information is otherwise available to the Service Center.
- The application is completed during the personal visit to the territorial MVS Service Center.
Eligibility
The published MVS procedure is for a person who holds a valid Ukrainian national driving licence and can provide the Ukrainian identity and foreign-travel documents required by the Service Center. The national licence must still be valid when the international permit is issued. The applicant must not be deprived of the right to drive or temporarily restricted from exercising that right, and neither the applicant nor the licence may be subject to the disqualifying register conditions checked by MVS.
How to do it
- Check the driving-document rules of the country or countries you plan to visit. Some countries recognize a qualifying Ukrainian national licence under the 1968 Vienna Convention, while countries relying on the 1949 Geneva Convention can require an international driving permit together with the national licence.
- Confirm that your Ukrainian national driving licence is still valid. The international permit cannot be issued for longer than the remaining validity of the national licence.
- Prepare your national driving licence, Ukrainian identity document, Ukrainian passport for travel abroad, residence document where applicable, 3.5 × 4.5 cm matte color photo and payment evidence.
- Book a visit through the MVS e-appointment system or obtain an appointment through the terminal at a Service Center. The appointment can be arranged electronically, but the permit application itself requires a personal visit.
- Attend any convenient territorial MVS Service Center and submit the paper document package.
- The MVS administrator checks your details against the relevant state registers, including information concerning wanted persons, deprivation or temporary restriction of driving rights and the validity of the national licence.
- Review the application prepared at the Service Center carefully and sign it personally. Correct any personal-data error before issuance.
- No theory or practical driving examination is required.
- Receive the international driving permit personally within up to 5 working days.
- When driving abroad, carry both the international permit and the national driving licence because the international document is not valid by itself.
What is an international driving permit?
Ukraine's international driving permit is an additional driving document issued on the basis of a valid Ukrainian national driving licence. The Main Service Center of the MIA describes it as a supplement to the national driving licence rather than an independent licence.
The document is issued as a paper booklet. It translates and standardizes driving-entitlement information for use in countries where an international permit is required or useful under international road-traffic rules.
Do you actually need an international driving permit?
It depends on the destination country's applicable convention and domestic rules. The Main Service Center maintains an official distinction between countries recognizing qualifying Ukrainian national licences under the 1968 Vienna Convention on Road Traffic and countries where an international permit is required under the 1949 Geneva Convention framework.
Current MVS guidance lists countries such as the United States, Canada, Australia, Japan, India, Ireland and Egypt among destinations in its Geneva Convention group where an international permit is required together with the national licence.
For Vienna Convention countries, a compliant Ukrainian national licence may be recognized without an international permit. However, MVS still recommends obtaining the international permit for international travel. Always check the destination country's current entry, driving and vehicle-rental requirements before departure.
Who is eligible to apply?
The official Ukrainian procedure is based on possession of a valid Ukrainian national driving licence. The MVS document list also requires Ukrainian citizen identity and foreign-travel documents.
The national licence must remain valid on the date the international permit is issued. A permit will not be issued if the national licence has already expired.
What documents do you need?
Current 2026 MVS guidance requires the applicant to prepare:
- the original Ukrainian national driving licence;
- a Ukrainian passport or ID card with the applicable registered-residence information;
- a Ukrainian passport for travel abroad;
- a certificate confirming registered residence or an IDP certificate where applicable;
- a 3.5 × 4.5 cm photograph on matte color paper;
- a payment document confirming payment for the service.
The MVS Service Center keeps neither your national licence nor your identity documents merely because you applied for an international permit. After checking them and preparing the application, the administrator returns the underlying documents to you.
How much does the permit cost?
The current official Diia administrative-service guide states that the applicant reimburses only the cost of the blank and lists the amount as UAH 5.70.
The current 2026 MVS applicant guidance requires a payment receipt and states that payment can be made at the Service Center or online before the visit.
Where do you apply?
You can apply at any convenient territorial MVS Service Center. The current MVS guidance does not restrict the service to the Service Center corresponding to your registered address.
You can reserve a visit through the MVS e-appointment system. Current MVS guidance states that online appointment slots can be booked in advance, while a Service Center terminal can also provide an appointment for the same day when available.
Can you get the permit fully online?
No. Current MVS guidance expressly states that the international permit is issued after a personal application at a Service Center.
The appointment and payment can involve online tools, and certain identity information can be presented electronically through Diia where MVS permits it, but this does not turn the procedure into a fully online application. The applicant must personally complete and sign the Service Center application and personally receive the permit.
Do you have to take a theory or practical exam?
No. Issuance and exchange of an international driving permit are performed without theory or practical examinations.
The permit does not create a new category of driving entitlement. It reflects the driving rights established by the underlying national licence.
How long does the service take?
The official processing period is up to 5 working days from submission of the required documents.
Plan the application before your departure rather than assuming the document will always be printed immediately during the first Service Center visit.
How long is the international permit valid?
The international permit is issued for 3 years, but its validity can never extend beyond the expiry date of the Ukrainian national driving licence on which it was issued.
For example, if the national licence has less than three years remaining, the international permit cannot remain valid after that national licence expires.
Can you drive with the international permit alone?
No. The Main Service Center and the official Diia Guide both state that the international permit is invalid without the national driving licence.
When using the permit abroad, carry the valid Ukrainian national driving licence as well. The international booklet does not replace or surrender the national licence.
Does MVS take away your national licence?
No. Under the current procedure, the original national licence is shown to the administrator for verification and is then returned to the applicant.
If the MVS check establishes that the person has been deprived of the right to drive, different statutory handling applies and the national licence may be retained and forwarded for storage according to the official procedure.
When can the application be refused?
Official refusal grounds include:
- the applicant has been deprived of the right to drive;
- the applicant is wanted by the authorities;
- the national driving licence is recorded as wanted;
- the national driving licence shows signs of forgery;
- the national licence has expired by the date on which the international permit would be issued;
- the applicant's personal data do not match the information held in the relevant state systems;
- the applicant is temporarily restricted from exercising the right to drive, as provided by the current administrative-service rules.
MVS checks the relevant registers before issuing the document.
What if you later lose or damage the permit?
A damaged international driving permit is exchanged, while a lost permit is replaced by issuing a new one under the applicable procedure. The Main Service Center reiterated this rule in its July 2026 guidance.
You still need the original valid national driving licence when obtaining the new international permit. If your underlying Ukrainian national driving licence itself has been lost or stolen, first use the separate procedure to replace the lost or stolen Ukrainian driver's licence.
What if your national licence is about to expire?
The international permit cannot outlive the national licence. If your national licence needs to be exchanged because its validity is ending, deal with that issue before relying on a new international permit for a longer trip.
Drivers holding their first two-year Ukrainian licence can check the separate procedure for exchanging the first two-year driving licence after it expires.
Is this the same as converting a foreign licence?
No. An international driving permit is issued on the basis of an existing Ukrainian national licence for use abroad. It does not convert a foreign licence into a Ukrainian licence.
If you hold a foreign national licence and need a Ukrainian driving licence, see the separate procedure to exchange a foreign driving licence for a Ukrainian licence.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Assuming the international permit replaces your Ukrainian national driving licence.
- Trying to complete the entire application online instead of attending a territorial MVS Service Center personally.
- Applying with an expired national driving licence.
- Forgetting the Ukrainian passport for travel abroad or the required 3.5 × 4.5 cm matte color photograph.
- Assuming an international permit is mandatory in every country without checking whether the destination recognizes a qualifying Ukrainian national licence.
- Assuming the permit will always be issued immediately instead of allowing for the official period of up to 5 working days.
- Failing to check the personal information on the application before signing it; MVS warns that an error discovered after issuance requires the document to be redone.
Frequently asked questions
How do I get an international driving permit in Ukraine?
Apply personally at a territorial MVS Service Center with your valid Ukrainian national driving licence, identity documents, passport for travel abroad, applicable residence document, 3.5 × 4.5 cm matte color photo and payment evidence.
Can I get an international driving permit through Diia?
Not as a fully online service. You may use electronic tools for appointment booking, payment or permitted digital identity documents, but issuance requires a personal visit to an MVS Service Center.
How much does an international driving permit cost in Ukraine in 2026?
The current official Diia Guide lists UAH 5.70, describing this as reimbursement of the blank-production cost.
How long does it take to get an international driving permit?
The official service period is up to 5 working days after the required documents are submitted.
How long is a Ukrainian international driving permit valid?
It is valid for up to 3 years, but never beyond the expiry date of the national driving licence on which it was issued.
Do I need to take a driving test for an international permit?
No. Neither a theory nor a practical driving examination is required.
Can I use the international permit without my Ukrainian driving licence?
No. The international permit is not valid without the corresponding national driving licence.
Does MVS keep my Ukrainian driving licence when it issues the international permit?
No in a normal application. The administrator checks the national licence and returns it to you. Special rules apply if the check shows that you have been deprived of driving rights.
Do I need an international driving permit for the United States or Canada?
The current MVS country guidance places the United States and Canada in its 1949 Geneva Convention list where an international driving permit is required together with the national licence.
Do I always need an international permit in EU countries?
Not necessarily. Many European countries recognize qualifying Ukrainian national licences under the 1968 Vienna Convention. Check the current rules of the destination country before travel.
Can MVS refuse an international driving permit because my national licence expired?
Yes. Expiry of the national driving licence by the date the international permit is issued is an official refusal ground.
What happens if I lose my international driving permit?
A new international permit can be issued under the applicable procedure. You must still have the valid national driving licence on which the new document will be based.
Official sources
Main Service Center of the MIA - Issuance of an international driving permitMain Service Center of the MIA - 2026 guidance on international driving permits and required documentsMain Service Center of the MIA - 2026 validity periods for national and international driving licencesMain Service Center of the MIA - 2026 procedure after loss of an international driving permitMain Service Center of the MIA - Countries recognizing Ukrainian national licences and countries requiring international permitsDiia Guide - Issuance of an international driving permitVerkhovna Rada of Ukraine - Cabinet Resolution No. 340 on issuance of driving licencesRelated procedures
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