Foreigners who want a Ukrainian driving license but whose Ukrainian is not up to speed now have another route – taking a English version of Ukraine’s driving test.
The service center of the Interior Ministry has now published a list of the questions used in the written part of the test that have been translated into English. This driving theory part of the test covers road rules and regulations – there is also a practical test.
The European Union Advisory Mission Ukraine helped to translate the list of questions and answers for the written exam. The whole list is available for download on the website of the Head Service Center of the Interior Ministry. They also plan to launch an English version of the online exam simulator by the end of the year.
According to the Interior Ministry press service, in 2017, 3,620 foreigners in Ukraine passed the driving license exam in Ukrainian. The test has been offered in English since the beginning of March.
Sean Almeida from Massachusetts has been working in Kyiv and was glad to hear the news.
“I will probably go take the test very soon in that case,” he said.
The rules for registering to take exam are the same for Ukrainian citizens and foreigners. One has to provide:
– ID (passport);
– a copy of one’s tax reference number;
– a 086/o health certificate;
– a completion certificate from a driving school;
– a fee of Hr 227.
In Kyiv, most driving schools do not regularly provide driving lessons in English. As the exam used to be available only in Ukrainian, there was no point in teaching the highway code in English. Although there is no translation of the Ukrainian highway code, some schools have English-speaking instructors who help foreigners to learn the rules and how to drive.
Evans McDonald is one foreigner learning how to drive who wants to take a driving test exam in Kyiv. He is having practical lessons at a driving school in Kyiv, and studies theory by himself.
However, to pass the exam one has to provide a completion certificate of a driving school, which is only awarded after the completion of both the theoretical and practical exams at the school. As most schools provide only practical lessons in English and do not check theoretical tests taken in English, this effectively means that most schools cannot provide a completion certificate for English-speaking learners.
However, it is expected that more schools will offer theoretical testing in English as demand for the service picks up.
Schools that provide practical lessons in English:
– “Intensive” – Hr 900 for two hours
4A Krymskoho St., Mon. – Sun. 9 a.m. – 9 p.m., +380 67 5642 334
– “Virtuoz” – Hr 1,200-1,450 for 90 minutes
23 Bandery Av., Mon. – Fr. 9 a.m. – 6 p.m., +380 67 4424 804
– “Indycar” – Hr 4,900 for a standard course (includes theoretical and practical lessons)
52A Artema St., Mon. – Sun. 8 a.m. – 10 p.m., [email protected]
