What happened
From 1 January 2026, Ukraine introduced a single ticket format for all types of public transport. The press service of the Ministry of Development of Communities and Territories reported this. The changes are anchored by Ministry order No. 1066 dated 2 July 2025.
"For the first time we have unified requirements for tickets for all types of public transport — from buses to the metro — and laid the groundwork for implementing a single Smart Ticket in Ukraine"
— Serhii Derkach, Deputy Minister of Development of Communities and Territories
What exactly is changing
The order establishes uniform requirements for:
- urban and suburban bus routes;
- intercity and international bus routes;
- trams, trolleybuses and the metro;
The requirements apply to paper and electronic tickets — both formats are now considered equivalent and official documents. An electronic ticket must confirm the trip and may be delivered via smartphone, email or a personal account.
All tickets must contain key data: fare (including information on concessions, VAT and commission), registration number (serial, fiscal or a unique identifier), date and time or validity period, carrier details (name, EDRPOU/RNOKPP code, contacts), information about the insurance policy, and, if necessary — a QR code on the front.
Specific requirements:
- for intercity services — full information about transfers and waiting time between services;
- for international transport — ticket personalization according to the passport and a ban on transferring the ticket to another person;
- for suburban routes — issuance of a baggage receipt when transporting luggage.
Context and consequences
This is not a cosmetic change. The unification creates the legal and technical foundation for interoperability of electronic fare payment systems (АСООП), which is important for servicing concessionary categories and centralized accounting. In December the Cabinet also approved a resolution to launch an electronic register of electric transport from 2027 — a step meant to complement the new ticket requirements.
Practical effects: increased transparency of settlements, reduced opportunities for abuse, more accurate passenger flow statistics and simplified oversight. For passengers this means greater protection of rights: the ticket becomes an official document, not just a record of a bank debit.
Risks and implementation issues
A technical standard is one thing, implementation another. Synchronization between operators, investment in equipment, adaptation by local carriers and staff training are needed. There is also the issue of personal data protection when personalizing tickets for international and certain domestic services.
What’s next
The key now is to turn the regulation into practical benefit. Local authorities, ticket system operators and carriers must agree on technical solutions and an implementation schedule. By 2027, with the launch of the electric transport register, this mechanism could become part of a larger digital transport platform.
How will your trip change in practice? In the coming years expect more transparent fares, the ability to have an electronic ticket as a document and more convenient services for concession holders. The outcome will depend on implementation details, and it is there that it will be decided whether the new rule will work to the benefit of citizens and the economy.
