The Ministry for Development of Communities and Territories of Ukraine and the European Union have agreed to jointly advance the eQueue project, a digital system for booking time to cross the border for trucks and buses. The EU provides its support through the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in Ukraine. 

Within the initiative, the EU will provide funding for the technical maintenance of the system, as well as engage experts to further enhance its performance. 

“eQueue is an innovative solution to address the problem of queues at border crossing points, which arose due to the disruption of logistics routes caused by the war. Today, it’s hard to imagine crossing the border without this system — just as it is hard to imagine returning to physical waiting lines of trucks and buses. eQueue allows drivers to plan their border crossing and ensures decent working conditions without weeks of waiting on the road. At the same time, we have an ambitious plan for further improvement. We deeply thank the European Union and IOM for supporting the project. This will allow us to implement some technical solutions to make border crossings more predictable,” said Serhii Derkach, Deputy Minister for Development of Communities and Territories of Ukraine.

“The e-Queue is a great example of how Ukraine turned challenges caused by Russia’s war of aggression into smart, digital solutions,” said Katarína Mathernová, the EU Ambassador to Ukraine. “With EU support, this tool has made border crossings faster and more predictable. It is a model many EU countries want to follow.” 

The Ministry’s team has prepared a roadmap for the eQueue system further development. It includes deeper integration with other registries, ensuring priority crossing for certain vehicle categories as defined by legislation, and other technical improvements.  

“Supporting integrated border management in Ukraine is a priority for the International Organization for Migration,” said David Womble, Acting Chief of Mission at IOM Ukraine. “Process automation and improved predictability of border crossing time benefit people and facilitate trade connections during this challenging time of full-scale war and forced displacement. We are honoured to support the Government of Ukraine in strengthening the country’s resilience.” 

eQueue is a Ukrainian digital tool that enables drivers and carriers to manage their time, avoiding long physical queues at border crossing points. The system operates at all border points for outbound trucks and buses from Ukraine. Registration in eQueue is mandatory for all licensed transport. Since 12 December 2022, the system has enabled over 2 million border crossings via online booking.

The eQueue project is implemented by the Ministry for Communities and Territories Development in cooperation with the Ministry of Digital Transformation, the State Service for Transport Safety, the State Agency for Reconstruction and Development of Infrastructure, the State Customs Service, and the State Border Guard Service. It is supported by the EU-funded project “EU for Solidarity Lanes and IBM” implemented by the International Organization for Migration, Mission in Ukraine, and “Digitalisation for Growth, Integrity and Transparency Project (UK DIGIT)”, implemented by Eurasia Foundation and funded by UK Dev.