The Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine published an official clarification of the new rules, according to which the validity period of a driver's license is now determined by the open vehicle category. The agency answered questions about the procedure and terms for exchanging documents.
First license and exchange conditions
As before, those who get a license for the first time are issued a document for a period of 2 years. When this probationary period ends, the license can be renewed without retaking exams – provided that the driver has no more than two administrative traffic violations.
If a driver opens a new category, the license is subject to mandatory exchange. The new document is issued taking into account the current validity periods corresponding to each of the existing categories.
Drivers with multiple categories
The Ministry of Internal Affairs clarified: the presence of a professional category in the license – for example, category C for trucks – does not require replacing the document every 5 years if a vehicle of that category is not actually used.
In such a case, the driver may continue to drive a vehicle of another category until the expiration of its full validity period, the agency noted.
If later there is a need to drive a truck again, it is sufficient to carry out a scheduled exchange of the license – at any convenient time. In this case, there is no need to retake theoretical or practical exams. The only mandatory condition is a valid medical certificate.
Where to exchange the document
The Ministry of Internal Affairs offers two options for processing the service:
Offline – at any territorial service center of the Ministry of Internal Affairs with a prior E-appointment.
Online – through the driver's electronic cabinet or the mobile application “Diia”.
During the exchange, drivers can choose a plastic form or an exclusively digital version of the document, which is displayed on a smartphone.
