The Ministry of Internal Affairs wants to tighten controls on driver’s license exams: what exactly will change
23 April 15:22
The Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine has published a draft order proposing changes to the procedure for taking driving tests. The document has already been submitted for public discussion, according to "Komersant Ukrainian"
According to the published description of the draft, the Ministry of Internal Affairs proposes several significant changes to the driver’s license exam procedure. The most notable of these is the official right for foreigners and stateless persons to choose English as the language for the written exam. Until now, testing at Ministry of Internal Affairs service centers has been conducted only in the state language.
“For the most part, foreigners and stateless persons residing in Ukraine legally do not possess sufficient proficiency in the state language to pass the written exam, which complicates the process of exchanging a driver’s license and limits the rights of foreigners and stateless persons to receive this administrative service,” the explanatory note states.
Another set of changes concerns the identification of candidates. Before the start of both the written and practical exams, each participant will be photographed.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs believes this should help verify the candidate’s identity and prevent potential fraud.
How photo verification will work during driver’s exams
The draft stipulates that if there is no digitized image of a person’s face in the Ministry of Internal Affairs’ Unified State Register, a photograph will be taken on-site immediately before the exam.
The image will then be immediately uploaded to the system.
This mechanism is intended to close gaps in identification and reduce the risks associated with attempts to take exams on behalf of others.
Why the Ministry of Internal Affairs is initiating these changes
First and foremost, the new rules are intended to simplify access to the service for foreigners and stateless persons who wish to obtain a driver’s license in Ukraine. It is specifically for them that the Ministry of Internal Affairs is offering an English-language theory exam.
At the same time, the new rules will affect all candidates, as photo documentation will apply to both the theoretical and practical parts of the exam.
The explanatory note to the draft emphasizes that the goal of the changes is to improve the accessibility of services and make the testing procedure more transparent. Publications about the document also note that the introduction of an English-language theory exam and enhanced identification is part of a broader reform of the Ministry of Internal Affairs’ service centers, linked to digitalization and the reduction of corruption risks.
As of now, the draft order has not yet entered into force. It has only been released for public discussion.
After this stage is completed, the document must be approved by the relevant authorities and only then can it be finalized.
In other words, this is currently just an initiative by the Ministry of Internal Affairs, not rules that have already been implemented.
