Ukraine: tractor drivers will be able to get new categories without a year of experience and without risking their licence
Ukraine's Cabinet of Ministers has adopted a resolution that simplifies advanced training for tractor operators and the way their licences are issued, the Ministry of Agrarian Policy reported on November 5. Machine operators will be able to master new categories of farm machinery without the mandatory year of experience, and if they fail the exam, they will keep their current licence. The changes amend Cabinet Resolution No. 217 of April 2, 1994, on issuing tractor operator licences.
Key figures
- No year of experience needed
- From A1 to 11 other categories
- Exam failed: licence kept
- Old licence taken on issue
- Temporary measure
- Age: same requirements
What changed
The resolution introduces two innovations.
- Advanced training. Tractor operators holding a category A1 licence will be able to upgrade to categories A2, B1, B2, B3, C, D1, E1, E2, G1, G2 and H without the requirement of at least one year of work experience.
- Keeping the licence. Previously, if a candidate failed the theory or practical exam for a new category, the existing licence was taken away, and the person temporarily lost the right to work even on machinery they already operated. Now the previous licence will be taken only at the same time as the new one is issued. If a candidate fails the exam, the licence stays with them, and they continue to work in the categories they already hold.
Timing and limits
The simplified procedure will apply for the duration of martial law and for 90 days after it ends or is lifted. The requirements of Ukraine's law “On Road Traffic” on age and the right to drive vehicles remain in force: the changes concern only the advanced training procedure and do not cancel other requirements for drivers.
Why this was done
The ministry explains the decision by a shortage of qualified personnel in the agricultural sector. The previous restrictions made retraining workers harder, and taking licences away when new categories were obtained could lead to forced breaks in work. As Minister of Agrarian Policy and Food Taras Vysotskyi noted, farms will be able to retrain specialists faster and put them to work on different types of machinery, while workers will upgrade their skills without the risk of losing the right to operate the machinery they are already licensed for. The ministry expects the changes to reduce the shortage of tractor operators and widen employment opportunities, in particular for women and young people.
What it means for buyers
For a farm that is renewing its fleet, the staffing question becomes simpler: an operator with category A1 can now be trained on other types of machinery faster, without waiting for a year of experience. A failed exam no longer leaves machinery without an operator, because the person keeps working in the previous categories. The ministry directly links this to avoiding forced machinery downtime and carrying out field work on time.
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