The Cabinet of Ministers has approved a new procedure for certifying customs officials. All employees of the State Customs Service — approximately 10 thousand people — must undergo the test. The Ministry of Finance explains: this is a one-time, universal certification designed to confirm the compliance of personnel with high professional and ethical standards, without which effective work of customs is impossible.
The process will consist of three consecutive stages. First, testing knowledge of the Constitution of Ukraine, customs and anti-corruption legislation. Next, testing logical thinking and the ability to work with information. The final stage is an interview, where professional competencies will be assessed along with integrity. The format itself should reduce the space for formalities and show the real level of training of each employee.
Transparency has been identified as an important safeguard: all stages, including tests and interviews, will be recorded on video and audio, and the results will be published on the official website of the State Customs Service. Journalists will also be allowed to participate in the process - after accreditation and signing a non-disclosure agreement; at least two media representatives will be able to be present at any stage.
The consequences for staff are clearly spelled out. Refusal to participate or failure to pass the certification will be grounds for termination of civil service. The government aims to “reload” the staff and remove from the system employees who do not meet professional requirements or standards of integrity. At the same time, successful completion of all stages should strengthen trust in those who provide customs procedures on a daily basis.
The context is also telling. As of July 2025, the actual number of customs employees was 9,538 people, of which 632 were in the central office; the average salary in the office was about UAH 79.3 thousand per month. The scale of the certification means that in the coming months the system will undergo a serious stress test: a combination of legal knowledge, analytical skills, and ethical assessment should provide answers as to who will stay and who will not.
As a result, the new procedure is designed to make customs more open and manageable: clear standards, publicity of each step, and personal responsibility for the result should become the basis for further changes in the field. The results of the certification will be officially published - and will become an indicator of how one of the key state institutions is being updated.
