FAQ about border with Poland

EES (Entry/Exit System) - an automated EU system for registering biometric data of foreigners when entering and exiting Schengen.

When launched: October 12, 2025

What data is collected:

• Name and passport details
• Date and time of entry/exit
• Face photo
• Fingerprints

Important:

• Registration is FREE
• No need to register in advance
• Average registration time: 2-5 minutes

Men aged 18-60 have restrictions on leaving Ukraine without special permission from DPSU during martial law.

Exceptions (can leave):

• Have permission from the State Border Guard Service
• Foreign citizens
• Refugees and persons under international protection
• People with disabilities
• Parents with three or more children
• Specialists in critical fields with official permission

Important: Before departure, be sure to contact DPSU to obtain permission.

To cross the Ukraine-Poland border you need:

Basic documents:

• Biometric passport (valid at least 6 months after entry)
• Valid visa or visa-free entry - Ukrainian citizens have the right to visa-free entry to Schengen for up to 90 days within 180 days

Additional documents:

• Proof of purpose of travel - invitation from relatives, hotel booking, work contract
• Proof of financial means - cash, bank statement (minimum 45 USD per day)
• Health insurance - international insurance policy

For drivers additionally:

• Vehicle registration certificate
• Driver's license
• Green Card
• Technical passport

The only official pedestrian crossing on the Ukraine-Poland border is located at the "Shehyni-Medyka" border crossing point. This crossing point functions for pedestrian border crossings in both directions - both entry to Ukraine and exit. On average, 2,000 to 2,500 people pass through this crossing point daily. It is important to note that at other border crossing points on the border with Poland, only persons traveling by vehicle are allowed to pass. Everyone wishing to cross the border on foot is directed by the Polish side specifically to the "Medyka-Shehyni" border crossing point.

Queues are updated every 15 minutes based on data from DPSU and Polish Border Guard.

Typical pattern:

• Malhovice-Nizhankivtsi: 0-20 min
• Ustyluh-Zosin: 10-45 min
• Rava-Ruska: 20-90 min
• Krakovets: 30-150 min
• Shehyni: 40-200+ min

Check current queues on the UA-PL statistics page before departure.

Optimal days and times:

Day of week:

• Best: Monday-Wednesday (low traffic)
• Medium: Thursday morning, Friday morning
• Avoid: Friday evening, Saturday, Sunday (60-120+ min)

Time of day:

• Best: 10:00-15:00
• Acceptable: 7:00-9:00
• Avoid: 18:00-22:00

Border crossing points (ranked by queues):

• Malhovice-Nizhankivtsi - 15-30 min
• Ustyluh-Zosin - 30-60 min
• Rava-Ruska-Hrebenne - 45-90 min
• Krakovets-Korchova - 60-150 min
• Shehyni-Medyka - 75-180+ min

Average waiting time (December 2025):

Factors: weather, day of week, transport type, road works.

Yes, Ukrainian citizens can cross the EU border with a biometric passport without a visa.

Visa-free conditions:

• Stay period: maximum 90 days within any 180 days
• Purpose: tourism, short meeting, business trip
• Passport validity: at least 6 months after entry date

Important: After the 90 days expire within the 180-day period, you need to leave Schengen for at least 90 days or obtain a long-term visa.

Depends on status:

Women: can leave and return without restrictions

Men 18-60 years:

• Special DPSU permission required to leave
• Without permission - prohibited
• With permission - can return without restrictions

People with Temporary Protection:

• Can return to Ukraine
• Status is preserved after return

Required: have passport, obtain DPSU permission (for men 18-60).

The Green Card is an international certificate of mandatory civil liability insurance for vehicles.

When needed:

• When crossing the border in your own car
• When entering any European country

How to get:

• Contact an insurance company in Ukraine
• Issue time: 1-2 hours
• Cost: 70-300 UAH for 15 days (depends on vehicle class)

ETIAS (European Travel Information and Authorisation System) - an electronic travel authorization system for Schengen.

When it will launch: Expected start - end of 2026 Currently ETIAS is NOT required - you can travel under regular visa-free rules

Cost and validity:

• Price: EUR 20 for most citizens
• Validity: 3 years or until passport expires
• Application: online before travel

Temporary Protection - a special legal status for third-country nationals who were legally in Ukraine before February 24, 2022.

Who is entitled:

• Third-country nationals with permanent residence in Ukraine before 24.02.2022
• Persons who received international protection in Ukraine
• Family members of such persons

Benefits:

• Right to stay in the EU without a visa
• Access to work and social benefits
• Healthcare
• Protection from deportation

It depends on your residence status in Ukraine before February 24, 2022.

If you had permanent residence:

• You are entitled to temporary protection in the EU
• You do not need a visa
• Right to work, education, healthcare

If you had temporary residence:

• Requires careful consideration
• You may need a visa depending on your citizenship

What to prepare:

• Passport of your country
• Proof of residence in Ukraine before 24.02.2022
• Confirmation of inability to return to your country

Yes, if the car is registered to another person, you definitely need a power of attorney.

If the car is registered to a Ukrainian:

• You need a notarized power of attorney
• Notary cost: ~200-400 UAH

If the car is registered to a company:

• You need a power of attorney certified by company order

Insurance (Green Card):

• The car must be insured in the driver's name
• If insured to the owner, you need the insurer's consent

Official requirements (Schengen):

• Minimum per day: 45 USD (~1600 UAH)
• Per week: 315 USD (~11,200 UAH)

How to prove:

• Cash
• Bank card with sufficient balance
• Bank statement
• ATM receipt

Practical tips:

• Short trip (up to 7 days): 100-200 USD
• Medium trip (1-2 weeks): 300-500 USD

Tip: Exchange part of your money in Ukraine (better rate).

Yes, but only through special pedestrian crossings.

Points with pedestrian crossings:

• Shehyni-Medyka - allowed on foot and by bicycle
• Rava-Ruska, Krakovets, Ustyluh, Malhovice - cars only

Documents for pedestrians:

• Biometric passport
• Proof of purpose of travel
• Proof of finances

Waiting time: 15-60 minutes (separate queue from cars)

Average X-ray time:

• No queue: 5-15 minutes
• Small queue: 15-30 minutes
• Large queue: 30-120+ minutes

Time by vehicle type:

• Passenger cars: 5-15 min
• Minivans: 10-20 min
• Trucks: 30-90 min

Tips to reduce time:

• Pack neatly
• Do not hide items
• Arrive at off-peak times (less queue)

Speed limits in Poland:

Fines for speeding:

• 1-10 km/h: 50 PLN
• 11-20 km/h: 100 PLN
• 21-40 km/h: 300 PLN
• 40+ km/h: 500 PLN + possible license confiscation

Mandatory: seat belts, headlights on, phone prohibited.

At the Medyka border crossing, you should usually take the third lane on the right, as that is typically where such procedures are processed.

In compliance with the aforementioned laws [1], foreign nationals entering the Republic of Poland must have sufficient funds as follows:

• For stays up to 4 days: PLN 300.
• For stays longer than 4 days: PLN 75 per day
  • or the equivalent amount in foreign currency.

Additionally, if the foreign national does not possess a return ticket, they must have enough funds to cover the cost of the return trip when crossing the border. These amounts must be at least:

• PLN 200 if arriving from a neighboring country,
• PLN 500 if arriving from another EU Member State,
• PLN 2,500 if arriving from a non-EU country

or the equivalent amount in foreign currency.

[1] - https://www.gov.pl/web/mswia-en/entry-and-residence-conditions-for-foreign-nationals-in-poland

The cost of minibus travel from Medyka to Przemyśl is 6 zlotys.

• On motorways: 140 km/h
• On dual carriageway expressways: 120 km/h
• On single carriageway expressways and dual carriageways with at least two lanes designated for each direction of traffic: 100 km/h
• On other roads outside built-up areas: 90 km/h

Routes from Lviv to Shehyni:

By car:

• Distance: ~80 km
• Time: 1.5-2 hours
• Route: Lviv → Persenkivka → M-11 → Shehyni
• Cost: ~100-200 UAH fuel

By bus/minibus:

• Cost: 80-150 UAH
• Time: 2-3 hours
• Schedule: 2-4 trips per day

By taxi:

• Cost: 300-600 UAH
• Time: 1.5-2 hours
• Services: Uber, Bolt

Distance and time from Lviv:

• Distance: ~60 km
• Time without queue: 1-1.5 hours
• Route: Lviv → Rava-Ruska → Krakovets

Travel options:

• Car: 100-200 UAH fuel
• Taxi: 400-800 UAH
• Bus: 60-120 UAH

Krakovets is one of the less congested checkpoints, queues usually 60-150 min.

Required documents:

• Veterinary passport - issued by a veterinarian
• Microchip - ISO 11784/11785 standard
• Rabies vaccination - at least 21 days before travel
• Medical certificate - 10 days before travel

Steps:

• Plan at least a month ahead
• Visit a veterinarian
• Obtain passport

Cost:

• Rabies vaccination: 150-300 UAH
• Microchip: 100-200 UAH
• Veterinary certificate: 50-150 UAH

DPSU (Ukraine):

• Website: dpsu.gov.ua
• Hotline: +38 (440) 2000
• Telegram: @official_dpsu

Straz Graniczna (Poland):

• Website: strazgraniczna.pl
• Phone: +48 55 2611313
• Queues: granica.gov.pl

Ukraine Customs:

• Website: customs.gov.ua
• Hotline: +380 44 5008855

Emergency number: 112

Official information channels:

DPSU website: dpsu.gov.ua/ua

• News section - latest decisions
• FAQ section - frequently asked questions

Social media:

• Facebook: DPSU
• Telegram: @official_dpsu (fastest updates)

Hotlines:

• General: +38 (440) 2000
• Emergency: 112
• On-duty: +38 (044) 5045000

Queue information: Check on the UA-PL statistics page.

Data sources:

• DPSU (State Border Guard Service of Ukraine)
• Straz Graniczna (Polish Border Guard)

Reliability:

• Data is updated every 15 minutes
• 95%+ accurate during quiet times
• 70-85% accurate during mid-day

Important: Actual queues may differ - the website shows the queue at the time of last update.

Recommendation: Check data 1-2 hours before departure.

Poland uses a MIXED system: only 3 motorways are tolled for cars.

Tolled sections (cars <3.5t):

• A1 Gdańsk–Toruń: 50–160 PLN (€12–38)
• A2 Świecko–Konin: 40–100 PLN (€10–24)
• A4 Katowice–Kraków: 34 PLN (€8) — most expensive!

FREE sections:

• A2 Konin–Stryków (since July 2023!)
• A4 Wrocław–Katowice (since July 2023!)
• A4 Kraków–Ukraine — always free!
• ALL S-roads (expressways) — free!

Trucks (>3.5t): eTOLL GNSS system, 51,000 km of tolled roads, €0.05–0.15/km.

Poland has 7 land borders — key transit country!

Waiting times (December 2025):

⚠️ Notes:

• 🔴 Ukraine: Highest traffic — 27,000/day!
• 🔴 Germany: Symmetric controls from July 7, 2025
• 🔴 Kaliningrad: WORST BORDER — up to 20 hours!

The distance from Lviv to Krakovets border crossing is approximately 80 kilometers. The Krakovets - Korczowa border crossing is located on the border between Ukraine and Poland, and is one of the busiest border crossings between these two countries.

For vehicle customs clearance at the Medyka border crossing, you should typically take the third lane on the right, as that is where such procedures are carried out.

The shuttle bus fare from Medyka to Przemyśl is 6 zlotys.

⚠️ CRITICAL: Poland–Belarus border is effectively CLOSED for most travelers!

Situation (December 2025):

• 🔴 25,000 illegal crossing attempts (January–August 2025)
• 🔴 Steel fence built along entire border
• 🔴 Closed to tourists — only local and freight traffic
• 🔴 Migration crisis — orchestrated by Lukashenko regime

What's allowed:

• ✅ Freight traffic (limited, long queues)
• ✅ Local border zone residents
• ❌ Tourist traffic — CLOSED!

Recommendation: Do NOT plan routes via this border. Use alternatives through Lithuania or Ukraine.

🔴 WORST QUEUES IN THE PROJECT: Up to 20 hours waiting!

Poland–Kaliningrad (Russia) crossings:

Reasons for such queues:

• 🔍 Visa checks: Up to 30 minutes per car
• 📱 Device searches: Phone and laptop checks
• 🗣️ Political interrogations: Questions about Ukraine, political views
• 🧬 Fingerprints + DNA: Biometrics mandatory since December 2024

💡 Recommendations:

• 🟢 Tuesday morning — best time (1–3 hours)
• 🔴 Avoid weekends and holidays — queues +5–10 hours!
• 📱 "Clean" phone — minimal personal data
• ⚠️ Nothing about Ukraine in conversations/photos/documents

Ukraine–Poland: HIGHEST TRAFFIC in Europe — 27,000 crossings/day!

Crossing rankings for cars:

1. 🥇 Yahodyn–Dorohusk — 15–80 min, 24/7, cars+buses only
2. 🥈 Ustyluh–Zosin — 20–90 min, 07:00–21:00, cars+buses only
3. 🥉 Rava-Ruska–Hrebenne — 20–90 min, 24/7, universal

⚠️ AVOID Shehyni–Medyka if possible — main freight corridor (up to 48 hours for trucks!).

Best crossing times:

• 🟢 Tuesday–Wednesday, 05:00–07:00 — minimum queues
• 🟢 Night hours 22:00–00:00 — less traffic
• 🔴 Avoid: Friday 16:00–20:00, Sunday 16:00–20:00

🔴 From July 7, 2025 to April 4, 2026 Poland has symmetric controls at borders with Germany and Lithuania!

Reasons:

• ⚠️ Response to Germany: Germany refuses migrants at border
• ⚠️ Lithuanian migration: 500 illegals detained in 2025
• ⚠️ Symmetry: Poland protects Schengen equally

Impact on Germany–Poland:

• 🔴 Double checks (both sides!)
• ⚠️ +10–30 minutes at each border
• ⚠️ 120,000 daily commuters affected

Impact on Lithuania–Poland:

• ⚠️ +10–25 minutes at each border
• ⚠️ Stricter checks

Main crossings under control:

• 🇩🇪 Świecko–Frankfurt (Oder) — A2
• 🇩🇪 Olszyna–Görlitz — A4
• 🇩🇪 Kołbaskowo–Pomellen — A11
• 🇱🇹 Budzisko–Kalvarija — S61

⚠️ ALWAYS CARRY PASSPORT/ID — even EU citizens!