The National Bank of Ukraine recommends that Ukrainians planning to go abroad deposit their hryvnia cash into their card accounts in Ukraine rather than moving it out of the country as they leave.
This can be done:
- at a bank branch by presenting a passport
- through self-service payment devices and ATMs that accept cash.
While abroad, Ukrainians can make cashless payments for goods and services using payment cards issued by Ukrainian banks. Withdrawing cash in the currency of the host country is also an option. When making such payments and/or withdrawals, conversion is conducted on the basis of a conversion rate set by the Ukrainian issuing bank (not the cash exchange rate).
“Since the war broke out, many Ukrainians have been forced to leave their homes and flee to neighboring countries. Those who have crossed the border with hryvnias in their pockets have found themselves unable to exchange them for local currency or have had to accept exchange rates that make such transactions worthless.
The NBU is aware of this problem and is already working with central banks of neighboring countries to resolve it. But this will take time. If you plan on leaving Ukraine, we recommend that you deposit all of your hryvnias into your bank account in Ukraine and safely use your payment card while abroad. In cashless payments, conversion rates are much better than the black market exchange rate for cash,” said NBU Deputy Governor Oleksii Shaban.
The NBU has not imposed any restrictions on cashless payments and has not put any caps on transactions made with payment cards abroad.