To avoid leaving purchased gifts, souvenirs, or other items at the border due to import restrictions, when traveling abroad, especially for tourist purposes, it is advisable to carefully read the Customs Code of Ukraine and familiarize yourself with the Ukrainian Customs Rules.
If you are traveling to EU countries, it is also necessary to acquaint yourself with the Customs Code of the European Community. All export operations from these states are carried out in accordance with the code. You may need accompanying documentation in the form of a European Union export declaration.
Returning to Ukrainian Customs Rules, it’s worth noting that they provide a list of goods that tourists can bring into the country without declaration and taxation, as well as with a special permit for import.
Ukrainian Customs Rules. The first category:
- Money;
- Personal and valuable items;
- Food products;
- Tobacco and alcoholic beverages.
Regarding money, you can bring into Ukraine without written declaration an amount equivalent to a maximum of 10,000 euros. If the amount exceeds this limit, a bank certificate confirming the withdrawal from the account is required.
Personal and valuable items:
- Items for personal use;
- Souvenirs and gifts;
- Works of art and valuable books.
If you are flying, gifts, souvenirs, etc., can be imported into Ukraine without taxation up to a value not exceeding a thousand euros. The maximum weight is determined by each airline. By car, you can bring such goods into Ukraine for free up to an amount equivalent to 500 euros. The cargo weight should not exceed 50 kg.
No duty is required for personal items:
- Individual cosmetic products and personal hygiene items;
- 100 ml of perfume and/or 0.5 liters of toilet water;
- Shoes and clothing, including underwear;
- Photography equipment and accessories;
- Computer and television;
- Calculator and binoculars;
- Dictaphone and phone;
- Musical instruments;
- Wheelchair for people with disabilities;
- Baby stroller;
- Sports equipment.
According to the Customs Code of Ukraine, tems with traces of use are also exempt from taxation. Artworks and rare books with cultural or historical value must be declared, and duty must be paid for them.
Food products intended for consumption are allowed to be imported in an amount not exceeding 200 euros per person. Their weight should not exceed 2 kg.
Without customs payments and written declaration, you can also bring into Ukraine:
- 200 cigarettes and 50 cigars;
- 2 liters of wine;
- 5 liters of beer;
- One liter of strong alcoholic beverages containing 22 percent or more alcohol.
This permission is granted only to individuals who have reached the age of 18. If the tourist’s stay abroad was less than a day, customs duty must be paid for any amount of tobacco and alcohol.
Special permission is required for importing into Ukraine:
- Firearms and cold weapons;
- Self-defense devices like gas sprays;
- Explosive substances;
- Domestic animals.
Medications can be imported in no more than 5 packages of one name. For narcotic or psychotropic substances, import is allowed only with the permission of the Ministry of Health.
What is prohibited from importing into Ukraine
A complete ban on importing into our country is imposed on explosive and poisonous substances, food products without the appropriate certificate, pornography, as well as videos and printed materials that promote war, violence, and racism.
Export from the territory of Ukraine.
Ukrainian Customs Rules
The Customs Rules not only specify goods allowed and prohibited for import into Ukraine but also the legal norms for exporting products from our country. An important requirement for exporting goods without written declaration is that their total value should not exceed 10,000 euros. In addition, they should not:
- Exceed the established norms in volume;
- Be included in the list of prohibited products for export.
If the total value of the goods exceeds 10,000 euros, but they are not prohibited for export, written declaration and payment of export duty are required. The rule of paying tax for exporting goods worth more than 10,000 euros does not apply if they are exported due to the person’s departure to another country for permanent residence.
Import into the territory of Ukraine
As mentioned above, for importing goods into Ukraine by air up to a thousand euros, and by other means of transportation up to 500 euros, neither a written declaration nor customs duty is required. In the second case, the weight of the cargo is limited to 50 kg, and in the first case, it is determined by the airline.
