Car Rental in Ukraine: How the Market Has Changed and Where It Stands Today

The car rental market in Ukraine has never developed along a simple or predictable path. Unlike tourist countries, where renting a car is almost an essential part of leisure travel, in Ukraine this service has always been closely tied to practical needs: business trips, relocations, and complex logistics between cities and regions.

For this reason, car rental remained a niche service for a long time, and its development directly depended on the economic situation, infrastructure, and in recent years — military realities.

The First Steps of the Market: 1990s and Early 2000s

In the 1990s, car rental in Ukraine existed mainly as a supplementary service for foreigners. The main clients were diplomats, representatives of international organizations, and business visitors. Vehicle fleets consisted of only a few cars, and rental terms were set individually — without unified standards or clear logic for mass customers.

For Ukrainians, renting a car during that period was hardly considered. Owning a personal vehicle was a value in itself, and the idea of taking a car “temporarily” felt unusual and unnecessary.

The situation began to change in the early 2000s, when international rental brands entered the market. Along with them came contracts, deposits, insurance, and formalized liability rules. Car rental in Kyiv is highly developed, as business travel, international flights, and corporate clients are concentrated there.

Expansion and Growth of Local Players

After the global financial crisis of 2008, the car rental market gradually shifted toward local companies. They proved to be more flexible and better adapted to Ukrainian realities: road conditions, long distances between cities, and travel seasonality.

Car rental stopped being an exclusively capital-based service. Stable rental locations appeared in Lviv, Dnipro, Odesa, Kharkiv, and other regional centers. Each city had its own specifics: corporate demand, seasonal travel, or interregional logistics.

Gradually, the understanding formed that car rental in Ukraine is not about spontaneous decisions, but about planned routes and specific tasks.

Why Renting a Car in Ukraine Became an Important Tool

Ukraine is a large country with unevenly developed public transportation. Traveling between cities often requires transfers, schedule adjustments, and time loss. In this context, a car offers the key advantage — control over the route.

As a result, car rental became especially in demand:

• for business trips between regions,
• for temporary residence in another city,
• for family travel,
• in situations where a personal vehicle is unavailable.

Over time, long-term car rental began to play an increasingly important role, where a vehicle is rented not for a day or two, but for weeks or months.

Car Sharing as a Turning Point for the Market

A separate stage in the development of mobility was the emergence of car sharing. Getmancar became the first service to offer the Ukrainian market a fundamentally different model: a car as a service, accessible via a mobile app, without offices or paperwork.

Car sharing quickly took root in large cities and changed attitudes toward car ownership. However, it soon became clear that this format works well for urban trips, but poorly for interregional travel, trips with luggage, and long-term use.

The Return of Classic Car Rental in a New Form

This is where classic car rental gained a second wind. The market began seeking a balance between digital services and traditional rental. A notable step was the merger of the rental brands Race and AutoProkat with the Getmancar ecosystem.

This merger showed that the future of the market lies not in competition between formats, but in their combination. Car sharing solves short-trip needs, while classic rental handles long routes and complex scenarios. Together, they form a more sustainable mobility model.

Rental Geography in Real Conditions

Even today, the Ukrainian car rental market remains strongly tied to geography. Kyiv remains the key demand center, concentrating business, international organizations, and logistics. Lviv has strengthened its position as a western hub, especially in recent years. Dnipro maintains its role as an industrial and corporate center. Odesa traditionally had seasonal demand. Kharkiv was one of the largest markets before the war, but its activity is now limited.

In smaller cities, car rental more often operates by prior arrangement and without permanent offices.

Car Rental Formats in Ukraine and Their Evolution

To illustrate how demand has changed, it is useful to review the main rental formats:

In recent years, long-term rental has become the most stable segment.

Rental Conditions: What Matters in Practice

The Ukrainian market is gradually moving toward transparency, but it remains important for clients to carefully read the terms. Deposits, insurance deductibles, and territorial usage restrictions all directly affect the real cost of rental.

During wartime, new factors have been added: curfews, checkpoints, and movement restrictions. This has made the market stricter, but also increased discipline and responsibility on both sides.

How the War Changed Car Rental in Ukraine

After 2022, the Ukrainian car rental market shrank in size but became more focused. Mass tourist demand disappeared, fleets were reduced, and the number of players declined. At the same time, rental services did not disappear — they adapted to new realities.

For many, renting a car became not an alternative, but a necessity: a way to maintain mobility, continue working, and travel between regions.

Where the Ukrainian Car Rental Market Is Heading

Car rental in Ukraine has never been about excessive comfort. It has always been about tasks, routes, and control over movement. Today, the market is becoming more mature, more digital, and more pragmatic.

And speaking frankly, renting a car in Ukraine is not about “convenience” — it is about the ability to live and work with greater mobility in difficult conditions.