Getting a driver's license in Ukraine: new rules for photography and digital identification of drivers

For all citizens of Ukraine planning to obtain a driver's license, important changes to the exam procedure are coming into force. The main innovation is the mandatory presence of a digitized facial image of the candidate in the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) database. This requirement aims to increase the transparency of the process and prevent attempts to take the exam through proxies.

Photography on the day of the exam

According to the Main Service Center (MSC) of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine, candidates no longer need to visit offices in advance to update their photos. If a current digitized facial image is missing from the Unified State Register of the Ministry of Internal Affairs (USR MIA), the procedure will be carried out directly on the day of the theoretical or practical exam.

The service center administrator will take a photo before the testing begins. This data will immediately be entered into the register and linked to the candidate's file. Thus, a separate visit to the service center solely to update the photo has become redundant.

Technical control during the test

New rules, enshrined in Ministry of Internal Affairs Order No. 515, provide for enhanced control over the theoretical exam process. The monitors of automated workstations are now equipped with technical means for periodic photography.

During the test, the camera will take photos of the candidate, which are automatically compared with the digitized image stored in the Unified State Register. This allows the system to confirm in real-time that the person taking the exam is indeed the individual whose data is entered in the database.

What future drivers need to know

The MSC of the Ministry of Internal Affairs emphasizes that the procedure is fully automated and does not require additional actions from citizens. The main thing is to be prepared for the fact that the identification process will become part of the standard exam protocol. This innovation closes loopholes for the use of "test-takers" and makes the process of obtaining a license more transparent.