The Institute for Economic Research and Policy Consulting (IER) conducted an online survey of Ukrainians about their experience of crossing the state border when entering Ukraine in the spring of 2025.
The purpose of the study was to find out how much time citizens spend on border procedures, as well as to assess the level of organization of the process of crossing through Ukrainian and foreign checkpoints.
The results(http://tfdialogue.ier.com.ua/archives/7810) show that most respondents crossed the border quite quickly. In particular, 64.7% reported that waiting in front of a Ukrainian checkpoint lasted no more than 30 minutes. It took about the same amount of time to get to the checkpoint.
At foreign checkpoints, there was a wide variation in the experience of crossing the border. Thus, 49% of respondents said they had waited in line for up to 30 minutes, but at the same time, almost one in five respondents (19.6%) had been in line for more than three hours.
The organization of the state border crossing process on the Ukrainian side received higher marks than on the foreign side. The average level of satisfaction with the actions of Ukrainian services was 3.9 points on a five-point scale, with 43% of respondents giving their experience the highest rating.
By comparison, foreign checkpoints received an average score of 3.5 points, with only 21% of respondents giving the maximum 5 points.
This result is largely due to the systematic modernization of customs control procedures and the introduction of modern technological solutions.
In particular, Ukrainian customs officers are increasingly using the latest scanners and other modern control tools. This allows not only to speed up the inspection process, but also to maintain its effectiveness even in the face of existing security challenges.
Please note that due to the seasonal increase in the number of travelers, waiting times at checkpoints in the summer may exceed the figures recorded in the spring of 2025. For our part, we are doing everything possible to ensure that the border crossing process remains fast, convenient and comfortable for citizens – regardless of the circumstances.
