Yes, you can go to Ukraine now: land borders are open, Italian citizens enter visa-free for 90 days and trains from Poland and Moldova run every day. The Italian Foreign Ministry advises against travel but does not forbid it. You need a passport, a health policy that covers Ukraine and the awareness that the country is at war: air-raid alerts, curfew and checkpoints are part of daily life.
What exactly does Viaggiare Sicuri say?
The Farnesina's portal lists Ukraine as a country where travel «is advised against for any reason». It is not a ban: no Italian law prevents you from leaving and nobody is stopped at the Italian or Polish border. It is an advisory with three practical effects: standard travel policies exclude Ukraine, consular assistance may be limited if something goes wrong, and in case of evacuation the State may ask for reimbursement of costs. That is why the Farnesina itself recommends that those who go anyway register on «Dove siamo nel mondo» and hold adequate health coverage.
Who is going to Ukraine right now?
- Volunteers and aid workers with Italian and international NGOs.
- Entrepreneurs and technicians: energy, reconstruction, agri-food, IT.
- Journalists, photographers, documentary makers.
- Italian-Ukrainian families and Ukrainian citizens living in Italy visiting relatives.
- Tourists, few but growing: Lviv and Kyiv are open, with museums, restaurants and hotels working.
Which areas are accessible and which are not?
| Area | Situation |
|---|---|
| Lviv, Uzhhorod, Ivano-Frankivsk (west) | Relatively calm, occasional air-raid alerts, normal life |
| Kyiv | Open and active, periodic missile and drone attacks, shelters everywhere |
| Odesa | Open, frequent attacks on the port, beaches partly closed |
| Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhia, Dnipro | Near the front, daily attacks, not advised without a work reason |
| Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson (parts), Crimea | Occupied or combat zone: entry banned or impossible |
Entering the territories occupied by Russia is a crime under Ukrainian law and leads to a multi-year entry ban to Ukraine.
How do you deal with air-raid alerts and curfew?
- Install the «Повітряна тривога» app and select your region: it warns you when an alert starts and ends.
- During an alert follow the locals: metro stations, underground garages and the shelters marked «Укриття».
- Respect the curfew: in Kyiv from midnight to 5 a.m., different hours elsewhere. Anyone on the street without a permit is stopped by the police.
- Do not photograph soldiers, checkpoints, bridges, power plants or the aftermath of attacks: it is forbidden and checks are strict.
What do you need to leave?
- Valid passport, ID cards are not accepted.
- Health policy for Ukraine with war risk: the border guard asks for it and the Italian policy is not enough. The Complete package costs €24.75 for 14 days and arrives as a PDF in 15 minutes.
- Registration on dovesiamonelmondo.it and the contacts of the Embassy in Kyiv and the Crisis Unit (+39 06 36225) saved on your phone.
- Train tickets from Przemyśl or Warsaw booked in advance on booking.uz.gov.ua.
Is it safe?
It depends on where you go and how you behave. In the western cities and the capital the main risk is air attacks, which mostly hit infrastructure: following the alerts reduces the danger in a concrete way. Near the front the risk is high and without an organisation behind you there is no reason to go. The policy does not remove the risk, but it guarantees that in case of injury or illness treatment, evacuation and repatriation are paid for: that is why the Farnesina recommends it.