The new regulation aims to simplify and streamline the process of opening and managing international bus routes — both for carriers and for the state. The central focus is an updated procedure and revised timelines for opening or renewing routes, making it easier for businesses to operate.
The document also covers baseline technical standards for buses operating on international services. In addition, the changes account for the alignment of Ukrainian standards with EU norms, improved transport safety, and greater competitiveness of Ukrainian carriers in the international market.
Among the key changes:
1. Updated application review timelines for international routes:
30 calendar days are set for reviewing a route application submitted via the online portal (opening, closing, modifying, or renewing). Once a route is agreed with a foreign country, a decision is taken within 10 calendar days, and a permit is issued to carriers within 5 working days. Carriers are given up to 20 calendar days to correct deficiencies in submitted applications and documents in the online portal.
The updated procedure also includes information on the number of slots at border crossing points for opening routes — reflecting the capacity to process buses at specific hours. This information has been confirmed on the basis of data from the State Border Guard Service on border crossing capacity.
2. New rules for coordinating routes with foreign countries:
For neighbouring countries, the coordination period will be up to 6 months; for other countries — up to 12 months.
3. New approaches to route verification:
The Ministry of Infrastructure will conduct verification of international route performance every 12 months (previously every 4 months). During that period, a carrier must complete at least 30% of the services provided for under the permit. This requirement, on the one hand, ensures services are actually operated and, on the other, prevents the cancellation of routes that are being run. Failure to meet this threshold means the permit will not be renewed and the international route will be closed. Verification is carried out on the basis of data from the eQueue (єЧерга) system.
4. New timeline for launching an international route:
A carrier must begin operating a route within 90 calendar days from the date the last permit is loaded into the carrier’s electronic portal. The previous deadline was shorter; the Ministry of Infrastructure has now set a longer one to ensure carriers have sufficient time to prepare for launch.
The changes also introduce provisions accounting for the combined total number of buses when an international route is jointly operated by several Ukrainian carriers.
The new procedure also includes sample documents: a driver rest and driving period schedule, a passenger list form, and a fare schedule. These will help avoid common errors when submitting applications and the refusals that follow.
The regulation prohibits the use of buses converted from freight vehicles on international routes, as such vehicles were not designed for passenger transport. In practice, this is a way of circumventing safety standards and significantly increases risks to the life and health of road users.
The procedure governing international passenger transport was first updated in November 2024 — for the first time in 20 years — as part of a broader reform of international bus services. The key change at that time was the digitalisation of route management procedures through an online portal.
