Kyiv Smart Card

Introduced in February 2019, a new smart card system has been installed in Kyiv and is currently operational on buses, trolleybuses, trams, metro system and the funicular. You can buy a smart card and then add money online or at kiosks so you can pay for transport without cash. No more fumbling about for change, just tap your card and done.

Whilst it's not recommended for short stays due to the cost of the card, if you are staying an extended time it will make things easier for you and save you some money if you travel lots by public transport.

A predecessor to the Kyiv Smart Card was the green metro card which worked in a similar way, but only on the metro system.

How & Where to Buy

The metro closed its last ticket offices in April 2026, so you can't just go to the window and ask for one any more. The easiest option now is the virtual card in the Kyiv Digital (Київ Цифровий) app, which is cheaper than the plastic one. The plastic card went up to 96 UAH in July 2025, so check in the app where's selling it near you.

Prices, Discounts & Adding Money

A standard trip on most transport in Kyiv is 30 UAH, up from 8 UAH on 15 July 2026. However, if you bulk buy trips in advance this can be just 25 UAH:

• 1-9 trips - 30 UAH
• 10-19 trips - 28.90 UAH
• 20-29 trips - 27.80 UAH
• 30-39 trips - 26.60 UAH
• 40-49 trips - 25.50 UAH
• 50 trips - 25 UAH

The way to do this is go online to the Kyiv City Portal, register for an account and:

• Attach your Smart Card by entering the card number and pin code on the back
• Click on Одноразові поїздки / One Time Trips
• Choose the number of trips and as you increase the discount will be reflected
• Pay by debit/credit card

Unfortunately this portal is not in English and does not work well on mobile.

You can also just top up money using electronic kiosks in the city and any fares will be deducted from your balance, but you won't get any discounts.

Trips bought at the old 8 UAH price stopped working after 14 September 2026. They didn't just vanish though, as whatever was left was turned back into money on the card's balance at the price you paid for them.

There's also a 60 UAH transfer ticket, launched on 1 August 2026, which gives you unlimited changes between the metro and everything on the surface for 90 minutes from when you first scan it. It's a QR ticket you buy in the Kyiv Digital app or from a self-service terminal rather than something you load onto the card, and as it costs the same as two singles it only saves you money if you make three or more trips in that time.

Then there's the Kyiv Digital app itself (it started life in May 2019 as Kyiv Smart City), which you can use to manage your account including topping up, journey history and buying single use QR tickets, available here. It has had an English version since October 2022, and you can sign in with a foreign phone number.

How to Use

Simply tap on the orange validators in buses and trams and the validator will flash green and show you how many trips you have remaining.

On the metro and funicular, there are special gates marked with Kyiv Smart Card in blue and often a large arrow on the floor. Just tap and walk through.

You can view the history of your trips on the Kyiv City Portal under Історія поїздок / Trip History.

Limitations

As a new technology in the city, it's still being developed and evolving. There were plans to bring the payments to marshrutkas back in 2019, but don't count on being able to use the card on one. Pricing needs to be standardised as this currently varies between routes.

On the metro you can tap in multiple times so you can pay for other people at the same time, but on buses and trams you can only tap in once and subsequent taps within a short period will be ignored.

We used to argue here that the city should forgo the smart card altogether and let you tap in with a contactless bank card or Apple Pay/Google Pay like on London Transport. Since October 2022 you can, on the metro, the funicular and every city bus, trolleybus and tram, and for a short stay that's the simplest way to pay.