Driver's licenses of Ukrainians will be recognized in the EU until March 4, 2023

There are quite a lot of drivers among Ukrainian refugees in the EU, in particular, those who arrived in their own cars. At the same time, the period of six months, during which it was possible to use Ukrainian rights in Europe, ends. To prevent problems, the European Commission has found a solution: Ukrainians' driving licenses will be recognized in the European Union as long as temporary protection is in effect. On July 18, the European Parliament and the Council of the EU adopted the corresponding Regulations.

Operation of the Regulation

After the adoption, Regulation (EU) 2022/1280 was published on 22 July 2022 in the Official Journal of the European Union and entered into force on the fifth day after publication. The regulation is binding on all EU member states.

Key points:

• the ability to use a Ukrainian driver's license is tied to the length of stay of Ukrainians in the EU countries under temporary protection - it is not necessary to exchange a Ukrainian license for a European one;
• old-style driver's licenses (in Cyrillic) are recognized without a notarized translation;
• Ukrainians can continue to use expired certificates issued for the first time with a validity period of 2 years;
• in case of loss or theft of a Ukrainian driver's license in the EU, you can get a temporary license without passing exams and medical checks;
• truck and bus drivers can confirm their certificates of professional competence in the EU through a simplified procedure - after a short training course and an exam.

Interaction between the competent authorities of Ukraine and the EU

To avoid fraud and forgery of documents, the Regulation provides for the transfer of information from the Ukrainian competent authorities. The validity of the Ukrainian driver's license will be checked through the Diya portal and through the online document verification service on the website of the Main Service Center of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, which has an English version.

Background of the adoption of the Regulations

There are strict requirements for drivers from third countries when driving within the EU. However, due to the exceptional situation for Ukrainian refugees, it was decided to reduce the administrative requirements.

The EU authorities pursue a dual goal: on the one hand, this is a desire to promote the social and economic integration of Ukrainian refugees in the receiving state, on the other hand, the desire to ease the burden on the competent authorities of the EU member states. Otherwise, they would potentially have to exchange millions of Ukrainian driver's licenses. The adoption of the Regulation facilitates the access of professional drivers from Ukraine to the labor market in the European Union, contributes to the strengthening of logistics links between the EU and Ukraine.