Entering Ukraine from Moldova: Crossings, Safety, Bus and Train

Read this first: the south is under attack

The crossings on the Odesa side of the border sit close to targets Russia strikes regularly, and that has reached the border itself:

• In December 2025, strikes destroyed a bridge near Maiaky, making the road toward Odesa from the Palanca crossing practically impassable for a time.
• On 5 October 2026, an explosion near the Palanca – Maiaky-Udobne crossing on Moldovan territory damaged a bus and injured a Moldovan border officer; the crossing was closed. Two days earlier, missiles and drones had fallen on Moldovan territory during a massive attack on Ukraine.
• The same crossing has also stopped working for technical failures, most recently in September 2026.

Our advice is simple: unless your destination is in the south of the Odesa region, use the northern crossings, and check the status of any crossing on the day you travel. This page is reviewed monthly, but closures here happen at a few hours' notice.

Which crossings to use

Moldovan name first, Ukrainian second. Opening hours and status change — confirm on the State Border Guard Service website, dpsu.gov.ua, before you set off.

Southern crossings — Palanca – Maiaky-Udobne, Tudora – Starokozache and Giurgiulești – Reni in the Odesa region — carry heavy traffic but have been hit by strikes and repeatedly closed in 2025–2026. Use them only if your destination requires it, and only after checking their status that day.

Transnistria: crossings on the section of the border along the Transnistrian region, including Kuchurhan, have been closed since February 2022. Do not plan a route through it.

Moldova is outside the EU

Unlike Poland, Hungary or Slovakia, Moldova is not in the European Union. There is no Schengen exit check: you leave through Moldovan border police and customs, which apply Moldova's own rules — check them if you are carrying large sums of cash or goods.

On the Ukrainian side the rules are the same as on every other border:

• Goods for personal use — up to €500 and 50 kg per person duty-free by road or rail.
• Cash — €10,000 or more must be declared in writing.
• Medicines — up to 5 packages of each product; narcotic and psychotropic medicines declared, with a prescription.
• Alcohol — 1 litre of spirits or 2 litres of wine duty-free.

More detail: our customs guide. Moldova and Ukraine are in the same time zone.

By train: Chișinău – Kyiv

A direct Ukrainian Railways train runs between Kyiv and Chișinău via Vinnytsia, Zhmerynka, Mohyliv-Podilskyi, Vălcineț and Bălți. The journey takes roughly 17–18 hours, overnight.

• No wheel change: Moldova uses the same 1,520 mm broad gauge as Ukraine, so the train runs straight through — unlike every border with an EU country.
• Border control on board: Ukrainian control takes place during a long stop at Mohyliv-Podilskyi, Moldovan control at Vălcineț. Stay in the carriage until checks are finished.
• The running pattern has varied between daily and every other day — check the current schedule in the Ukrainian Railways app before planning.

This route uses the northern crossing, away from the struck southern section. Ukrainian air-raid rules for trains apply: see what happens to trains during alerts.

By bus

• Chișinău – Kyiv — about 480 km via Bălți, Otaci – Mohyliv-Podilskyi, Vinnytsia and Zhytomyr; typically 9–13 hours, with several daily departures.
• Chișinău – Mohyliv-Podilskyi — roughly 3.5–4 hours, useful for connecting to Ukrainian trains.
• Chișinău – Odesa — runs through the southern crossings, so it is the route most affected by closures. Check the day before, and have a plan B via the north.

As on every border, passengers usually leave the bus for customs, and the bus waits for everyone. Never carry packages for anyone else.

Insurance on this route

Foreign nationals are expected to hold medical insurance for their stay in Ukraine. The policy sold here covers emergency treatment, including injuries caused by military action as a named insured risk — throughout Ukraine except areas of active hostilities, temporarily occupied territories, a 50 km band around them and special access regime territories. Check your route against those limits, particularly if you are heading east of Odesa.

What war-risk insurance does and does not include in general: medical & travel war risk insurance.

Get medical cover with military-risk protection →

Sources

State Border Guard Service of Ukraine and Border Police of the Republic of Moldova announcements on crossing closures (December 2025 – October 2026); State Customs Service of Ukraine recommendations on alternative crossings; Ukrainian Railways timetable for the Kyiv – Chișinău service; Customs Code of Ukraine. Status checked 2 November 2026. Conditions on this border change quickly — always check official sources on the day of travel.