Let's travel the right way: what documents are needed for a car to travel abroad

Freedom of movement, independence and mobility - this is what distinguishes traveling by car from traveling by any other means of transport. Lack of own wheels with availability of car leasing service is not a problem. But the lack of appropriate papers can spoil the trip. We analyze what documents are needed for a car to travel abroad, as well as to whom and in what cases leasing is suitable.

What types of cars can cross the border

Ukraine shares a land border with seven countries. Among them, four - Slovakia, Poland, Romania and Hungary - are members of the European Community. Although Moldova is not a member of the EU, it has the same requirements for transport that crosses its border. We do not consider Belarus and the Russian Federation as countries for safe travel.

In 2022, with the beginning of the Russian-Ukrainian war, many families used cars to escape the aggression of their northern neighbor. Then the rules for traveling abroad by car were relaxed. But in 2023, the civil insurance policy was returned and new requirements were added.

From September 1, 2023, passenger cars with an unspecified environmental class or Euro-1 level will not be produced outside the country. This applies to vehicles that work with internal combustion engines (petrol, gas, diesel). General rules for all cars – without external damage, tinted windows, technically sound and with a complete package of documents for the vehicle, driver and passengers.

Documents that guarantee safe international travel on four wheels

The rules for entering the territory of other states may be regulated by the Road Traffic Convention, which recognizes a plastic Ukrainian driver's license. There are countries that have not ratified the Vienna Convention. An international driver's license (according to the Geneva Convention) is required to move through their territories.

The first thing that must be presented at the border are documents confirming the right to own and drive the car:

• national driver's license with an indication of the validity period of the document;
• vehicle registration certificate with number plate (official) and identification mark of Ukraine (UA sticker);
• an insurance policy valid for the country of visit ("Green Card").

Persons who are not car owners should additionally provide a vehicle registration certificate issued in the name of the driver for the period of the trip (at the request of the vehicle owner).

If you plan to drive on toll roads, you will need a vignette - proof of toll payment. It can be purchased for periods from 7-10 days to 1 year. Depending on the country, the cost of the vignette will vary. For example, for Hungary, the "corridor" is 13.90 - 123.90 euros, and for traveling on the roads of Romania - from 3 euros for seven days to 28 euros for 12 months.

How to go abroad in someone else's car

If you do not have your own transport, you will have to find someone who will allow you to use his car. One option is to lease a car. The service appeared in Ukraine in 1997. Since then, numerous advantages of leasing have been noted:

• no need to deposit collateral;
• lower monthly payments and lower tax burden;
• pleasant prices for the sale of cars after leasing, which is allowed to be carried out at least every year;
• the possibility to write the terms of insurance, maintenance, repair, etc. in the leasing contract.

Скористатися послугою лізингу можуть не лише фізичні особи для власних потреб, але й представники бізнесу. Останнім у цьому випадку простіше сформувати рухомий парк і врахувати найдрібніші його нюанси, особливо коли планується велика кількість закордонних мандрівок. Приміром, можна повністю перейти на електрокари (у планах ЄС із 2035 року пускати на свої дороги лише кліматично нейтральні автівки).