Entering Ukraine from Slovakia: The Rules and What You Can Bring

The three crossings at a glance

• Vyšné Nemecké – Uzhhorod — the main crossing, open around the clock, for cars, buses and trucks. Not for pedestrians.
• Ubľa – Malyi Bereznyi — the smaller road crossing to the north: cars, minibuses, light vans and pedestrians.
• Veľké Slemence – Mali Selmentsi — pedestrians and cyclists only, daytime hours. The border here runs through what was once a single village.

By rail, Slovak trains cross at Čierna nad Tisou – Chop. Details for each route are in the guides linked below.

Two checks, and one hour

You leave the European Union and the Schengen area first — Slovak border guards and customs — and then go through Ukrainian border control and customs.

Slovakia is one hour behind Ukraine. Daytime crossing hours are usually given in Central European Time, and timetables on the two sides of the border use different clocks.

Cash of €10,000 or more must be declared in writing on both sides — leaving the EU and entering Ukraine.

Documents for the Ukrainian side

• Passport valid for your stay, plus a visa if your nationality needs one.
• Medical insurance for the whole stay — foreign nationals are expected to hold it, and officers may ask.
• A clear purpose of travel, with an invitation or letter for work, study or volunteering.
• Means to support yourself for the stay.

Full checklist: entry requirements.

Get your medical insurance before you travel →

Customs: what you can bring

• Goods for personal use — up to €500 and 50 kg per person duty-free by road or rail. Personal belongings in use are not counted.
• Cash — no upper limit; €10,000 or more must be declared in writing.
• Medicines — up to 5 packages of each product for personal use. Medicines with narcotic or psychotropic substances must be declared, with a prescription or doctor's certificate.
• Food for your own consumption — up to the equivalent of €200.
• Alcohol (adults) — 1 litre of spirits or 2 litres of wine duty-free. Tobacco — a limited personal quantity; check the current figure with the State Customs Service.
• Pets — microchip, rabies vaccination, pet passport or veterinary certificate.

Ukrainian customs applies the same rules on every border; they are explained in more detail in our guide to entering from Poland.

Zakarpattia under martial law

Zakarpattia is far from the front, but not outside the war: in May 2026 drones struck the region, including Uzhhorod for the first time since 2022. Air-raid alerts apply here as everywhere in Ukraine — install an official alert app and see how yellow and red alerts work. Curfew is set regionally; check it for your destination.

Choose how to cross

• By car or on foot — two road crossings and one pedestrian one.
• By bus — all buses use Vyšné Nemecké – Uzhhorod.
• By train — direct Slovak trains Košice – Chop – Mukachevo, and through carriages from Bratislava.

Sources

Customs Code of Ukraine (Articles 370, 374, 376, 378); State Customs Service of Ukraine guidance; EU rules on declaring cash at the external border; State Border Guard Service of Ukraine; Slovak guidance for travellers crossing to Ukraine. Rules change — check official sources before travelling. General information, not legal advice.