Replacing a Ukrainian driver's license in Crimea with a Russian one

Does everyone need to change their driver's license?

In 1968, an international convention on road traffic was adopted in Vienna. Countries party to this convention have undertaken to recognize driver's licenses issued by other member states without any additional documents. Both Russia and Ukraine are parties to the Vienna Convention and are obliged to recognize rights issued in the neighboring country. That is, theoretically, a Ukrainian driver’s license is valid in Russia for the entire period of its validity.

The maximum period of stay in Russia for a Ukrainian is 90 days within six months. It is during this time that he can drive a vehicle on the territory of the Russian Federation according to his national rights.

If a Ukrainian decides to live in Russia, he is obliged to legalize his stay by obtaining a temporary residence permit, residence permit or acquiring Russian citizenship.

From the moment he receives the relevant documents, he is given 60 days to replace his driver’s license (VL). Such rules apply to all foreigners throughout Russia; in particular, they were used to replace driving licenses for Crimean residents in Moscow.

In 2021, you cannot work as a driver in Russia without obtaining a Russian driver's license. Persons who work for hire or are engaged in transportation as a private entrepreneur simply need to acquire Russian-style rights.

State fee for obtaining a Russian driver's license

After the annexation of the Autonomous Republic, it is not necessary to change the identity card. Drivers with Russian licenses have the opportunity to move freely throughout the territory of Crimea. The main requirement is that the document is not expired. You should also take into account a number of exceptions that apply to certain categories of the population.

To obtain a Russian driver's license, a foreign driver will need the following documents:

• a civil passport or other identity document that is listed in the country of the foreign person and is recognized as an identity document of a citizen of another state;
• foreign driver's license;
• a migration certificate confirming that the presence on the territory of Russia of a person arriving from abroad is legal;
• medical certificate of permission to drive vehicles;
• MTPL policy confirming the availability of compulsory motor insurance for foreigners;
• receipt of payment of state duty;
• photographs (except for those cases when the photograph is taken directly at the traffic police department)

All these papers are copied and, together with the originals, submitted for verification and registration to a traffic police specialist.

Training and obtaining a license in many CIS countries follows the same standard, adopted since Soviet times. In this regard, it was decided that when replacing a foreign license with a Russian license, there is no need to undergo repeated training. In addition, many drivers have considerable experience, and they do not need repeated training.

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The prices indicated above refer to the issuance of plastic cards that are resistant to damage.

Paper licenses cost much less, only 500 rubles. Unfortunately, recently, traffic police officers have been very reluctant to issue a paper version of your license; you usually have to argue that you need just such a license.

Yes, the law allows citizens of Ukraine to drive in the Russian Federation with a driver’s license.

If Ukrainians living/staying in the Russian Federation do not have Russian licenses, they may be allowed to drive a car or other vehicle on the basis of national or international driver’s licenses issued in Ukraine (Clause 12, Article 25 of Federal Law No. 196 “On Road Safety”) .

But not everything is so simple: the form of the country’s certificates has changed several times, and therefore the law allows you to travel with them (Clause 15, Article 25 of Federal Law No. 196) in 3 cases:

• if Ukrainian rights comply with the requirements of the Vienna Convention, that is, all entries are duplicated in documents in Latin transliteration; this is what they look like:
• if the rights are compiled or all entries in them are duplicated in Russian, for example, Soviet-style rights;
• if the certificate, written only in Ukrainian, is presented together with a notarized translation into Russian.

That is, there should be no problems and the replacement of Ukrainian rights with Russian ones in 2021 is not required? But don’t rush to rejoice!

1. Firstly, the Ministry of Internal Affairs has prepared amendments to the law, and if they are adopted, it will be possible to drive in Russia with a Ukrainian license only for six months after receiving a residence permit or Russian citizenship. After this period, the certificate is considered invalid and you will have to obtain a Russian-style driver's license. This rule will not affect Ukrainians staying in the Russian Federation on a visa-free basis or living with a temporary residence permit.
2. Secondly, the right to use foreign military equipment in Russia applies only to foreigners. Citizens of the Russian Federation will not be able to use them, and if presented to an inspector, they risk being prosecuted under Article 12.7 of the Administrative Code. This is confirmed by judicial practice, in particular, by Resolution of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation No. 38-AD18-8 of December 27, 2018.
3. Thirdly, you can use Ukrainian rights in Russia only for personal purposes. For labor, entrepreneurial and other activities related to generating income - in other words, a certificate issued in Ukraine cannot be used for work. To work as a driver, a Ukrainian will have to exchange a foreign driver’s license for a Russian one.

Note! If an employer engages a Ukrainian without a Russian license to work in transport, the official responsible for this may be subject to a fine of 50 thousand rubles (Article 12.32.1 of the Administrative Code).

If necessary, a new document can be obtained at your place of residence or temporary registration. The local traffic police department will explain in detail what the requirements for applicants are. In particular, the current procedure for replacing a driver’s license in Crimea with a Russian equivalent involves retraining or retaking exams.

Addresses at which you can apply for the provision of services, the work schedule of departments, as well as details for paying the federal fee can be found on the traffic police website.

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Registration for the service is made through an electronic terminal, which starts working at 8:00. Thanks to this, those waiting will not have to languish in line - each applicant is allocated a certain time slot during the working day. In this case, the maximum number of entries during the day is no more than one.

Since the number of citizens who resort to the services of the traffic police is still large, the State Traffic Inspectorate recommends not neglecting the possibility of pre-registration through the State Services portal - a special information resource “Electronic Government”. This will significantly reduce the time spent on carrying out the necessary actions.

To sign up to submit documents and fill out an electronic application, you must create a personal account on the Unified Portal of State and Municipal Services. The presence of an office provides access to search for any information on state/municipal services, makes it possible to observe the stages of consideration of a case and choose a convenient time to visit institutions.

Replacement timing

In 2014, the official website of the State Traffic Safety Inspectorate mentioned the conditions and deadlines for replacing a driver’s license in Crimea with a Russian one. Applicants could replace the required document without any additional confirmation of its authenticity - State Traffic Inspectorate employees accepted all rights, and their exchange was carried out without passing exams.

Since the above-mentioned resolution does not determine the deadline for carrying out activities for the exchange of documents, many car owners have decided that the replacement of driver’s licenses in Crimea with Russian ones has been extended indefinitely.

Currently, ordinary motorists do not have an urgent need to change their licenses. However, it is possible that the situation will be revised over time. Although no one has yet said how long it will take to change a driver’s license in Crimea, it is possible that the ability to drive a vehicle with a Ukrainian license may be abolished. However, if desired, the document can be exchanged right now, without waiting for the relevant order from the federal authorities.

Any registration activities begin with finding out the list of documents. In our case, we need to figure out what documents are needed to replace a driver’s license in Crimea. This list includes:

1. Statement.
2. Passport of a citizen of the Russian Federation.
3. A medical certificate confirming that there are no restrictions on driving a vehicle (although in the Russian Federation there is an order to cancel medical certificates when replacing a driver’s license, Crimeans still submit this document when replacing a Ukrainian driver’s license with a Russian one. This was stated by the press service of the Interdistrict Registration and Examination Department of the State Traffic Safety Inspectorate of the Russian Federation for Republic of Crimea).
4. Old ID.
5. Examination sheet (for those who received their license outside the Republic of Crimea).
6. Receipt of payment of the duty. Until 01/01/2015, the exchange was carried out free of charge, but now Crimean drivers, like other citizens of the Russian Federation, will have to pay a federal fee of 2 or 3 thousand rubles (from 08/3/18 for a new license with a chip).

For detailed explanations regarding the above list, we recommend that you refer to the separate material “Documents for replacing a driver’s license.” From it you can also learn about the features of filling out an application.

Possibility of early exchange of driver's license

Sometimes you have to change your driver's license before it expires. There may be several reasons - a change in passport data, damage to the document itself. For drivers from Crimea driving vehicles on the territory of the continental part of Russia, the early exchange of driving license was more relevant than ever: the traffic police in other regions of the Russian Federation do not think too much about the problems with the exchange of licenses in Crimea and require strict compliance with the law.

In addition, in Ukraine, rights of different types with very different validity periods are valid at the same time, many of them do not contain information in Russian. Accordingly, the preconditions are being created for traffic police officers working “on the mainland” to refuse to understand what is written in a document in a foreign language.

Specifics of the procedure

For those who are faced with the need to change their driver’s document, the relevant question is how to change a Ukrainian license to a Russian one in Crimea. To obtain an international certificate, you must contact your local traffic police department. There you should request a sample application, which must be filled out in your own hand.

Services are provided on a paid basis. The average cost of state duty is 800 rubles. It is important to note that the price may vary depending on the region, type of transport, and reasons for replacing a driver’s license in Crimea. Payment of the specified amount is made at the bank, less often through payment terminals located directly in the branch.

You can also make an exchange using the State Services portal. The procedure is performed in several successive stages. This method eliminates the need to visit the traffic police.

To do this, you need to register, select the appropriate section of the site, and enter your personal data. In some cases, you may need copies of personal documents and a medical certificate indicating your ability to drive vehicles.

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When visiting the traffic police, it is recommended to have your old license with you. A Russian citizen passport is also required. If it has not been received at the time of replacement, any other identification documents may be used. In such a case, it is recommended to take a military ID or international passport. To facilitate the procedure, it is advised to present the examination sheet that was issued when obtaining a Ukrainian driver’s license.

Sometimes a re-examination may be required. It is necessary if you have recently moved to the territory of the republic. In such situations, the driver is required to attend theoretical classes, pass a test on knowledge of traffic rules, and confirm the ability to drive a vehicle on a race track and in urban conditions.

You can get a driver's license in Crimea without retaking the exam, but only if the license was issued before March 18, 2014. A simplified option for exchanging documents is provided for persons who obtained Russian citizenship after the annexation of the republic. In such cases, all you need is a passport and a hand-filled application. In this case, payment of state duty is not required.

Receipt times

The collected documents must be submitted to the traffic police along with the application. In most cases, verification is carried out within 1 day, and you can get a new certificate very quickly. The exception is situations in which the authenticity of the documents provided is questioned. Then an additional check is carried out, and the time frame for replacing a driver’s license with a Russian one in Crimea increases.

What documents will you need?

About what documents are needed to replace a driver's license:

1. Application – filled out on a standard form.
2. Russian passport or Ukrainian passport/TRP/residence permit – for those who have renounced Russian citizenship.
3. Previous VU.
4. Receipt for payment of state duty - 2 thousand rubles.
5. Medical certificate.

Exchange of DP using the State Services portal

In our age of rapid development of information technology, it is a shame to waste time visiting various public places, including the traffic police department. The State Services portal created by the state can resolve this problem. However, to fully use the portal, you need to register a personal account on it, which will take some time. But then you will be able to resolve many issues with various government authorities.

To replace the VU, you need to follow the link https://www.gosuslugi.ru/10056/19 and proceed further in full accordance with the simple and understandable instructions. An additional bonus when applying to State Services is a 30% discount on the payment of state duty.

Is it possible to keep my Ukrainian license?

Residents of Crimea have the opportunity to move freely by personal transport without having a Russian license. It is necessary to replace the license if the driver wants to engage in commercial activities related to the transportation of passengers or goods.

Many drivers are faced with the question of whether it is necessary to change their Ukrainian license to a Russian one in Crimea. The procedure is not mandatory if the vehicle is used for personal and not commercial purposes. The certificate can be replaced at the State Traffic Safety Inspectorate or through the State Services portal, which can be used by all citizens of the Russian Federation.

List of Crimean traffic police MREOs

Sevastopol has its own MREO, and 8 more such units are located in the Republic of Crimea. You can apply for a replacement ID at the one that serves the territory of your residence.

List of MREOs located in Crimea:

1. MREO of Sevastopol. Address: 299040, st. Promyshlennaya, 1A. Phone: +7 8692 656660.
2. Branch No. 1 of the MREO of the State Traffic Safety Inspectorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs for the Republic of Crimea. Address: 295043, Simferopol, st. Kyiv, 158. Telephone: 8 (3652) 550146.
3. Branch No. 2 of the MREO of the State Traffic Safety Inspectorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs for the Republic of Crimea. Address: 298302, Kerch, st. Dmitry Glukhov, 5A. Phone: 8 (36561) 22443.
4. Branch No. 3 of the MREO of the State Traffic Safety Inspectorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs for the Republic of Crimea. Address: 298607, Yalta, st. Sechenova, 25A. Phone: 8 (3654) 314612.
5. Branch No. 4 of the MREO of the State Traffic Safety Inspectorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs for the Republic of Crimea. Address: 296100, Dzhankoy, st. Tolstogo, 52.
6. Branch No. 5 of the MREO of the State Traffic Safety Inspectorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs for the Republic of Crimea. Address: 297402, Evpatoria, Razdolnenskoe highway, 19. Telephone: 8 (06569) 26221, 8 (06569) 45343.
7. Branch No. 6 of the MREO of the State Traffic Safety Inspectorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs for the Republic of Crimea. Address: 298100, Feodosia, st. Kochmarskogo, 17.
8. Branch No. 7 of the MREO of the State Traffic Safety Inspectorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs for the Republic of Crimea. Address: 297600, Belogorsky district, Belogorsk, st. Nizhnegorskaya, 51A.
9. Branch No. 8 of the MREO of the State Traffic Safety Inspectorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs for the Republic of Crimea. Address: 296000, Krasnoperekopsk, st. Severnaya, 1. Phone: 8 (06565) 21122.