Cabinet of Ministers changes rules for crossing border by road carriers: Whom it may concern

Author

Valery Moiseev

The government, by Decree No. 615 of May 20, 2022, changed the rules for crossing the state border. Novelties concern volunteer drivers and drivers of carriers who have licenses for international transportation.

What changes for volunteer drivers

Drivers of unlicensed carriers (volunteers) may cross the border while transporting the following goods:

humanitarian aid;
medical cargo;
cargo for the needs of the Armed Forces of Ukraine or other legal military formations and the population.

To cross the border, they must provide a ground for the volume of goods and the number of vehicles required for their transportation. These grounds may be submitted in letters from:

military, law enforcement agencies;
military administrations;
medical institutions;
senders or recipients of humanitarian aid.

An application for crossing the border is submitted to the Ministry of Infrastructure at the email address [email protected], or to the regional and Kyiv city military administrations.

Such drivers can stay abroad for no more than 30 calendar days.

What changes for drivers of licensed carriers

Such carriers can make an application for crossing the border for persons aged 18–60 in the account of the Shlyah system, provided that the gross weight of the vehicle is not less than 3,500 kg.

The state border can be simultaneously crossed by:

one driver of a cargo vehicle;
two drivers of a passenger vehicle (bus).

Such drivers can continuously stay abroad for no more than 45 calendar days.

If the driver does not return after this period, the State Service of Ukraine for Transport Safety may terminate the licensee's access to the Unified Complex of Information Systems for three months.

PLEASE NOTE: In case of non-confirmation of the purpose of the trip, the State Border Guard Service may refuse drivers (both licensed and unlicensed carriers) to cross the border.

Additionally. On May 22, the Polish side received a draft intergovernmental agreement on the joint control of persons, vehicles, and goods at common checkpoints in accordance with the international principles of "single window" and "single stop" and a draft note on the organization of work of joint checkpoints on the Ukrainian-Polish border. This was announced by Deputy Minister of Infrastructure Mustafa Nayyem.

The exchange of notes will make it possible to start work on organizing the work of common checkpoints. At such points, border guards and customs officers of both countries will be in the same room. This will reduce border crossing time.

It is reported that four common checkpoints are already operating on the Ukrainian-Polish border.

The signing of an agreement on joint control will yield results in the long term. Its implementation will require the integration of customs data processing systems of both countries, veterinary, transport information systems, as well as an integrated border management system.

For businesses, this means reducing costs through faster customs clearance and release of goods, greater predictability and transparency of rules and procedures.