The standard Ukraine abbreviation is UA, the two letter code used on shipping forms, in data and in web addresses. The three letter version is UKR, which you will see on passports, at international sports events and in many databases. In ordinary writing, older style guides also list Ukr. with a period.
The right pick changes with the setting. A customs label wants UA, a scoreboard shows UKR, and a sentence in an essay is best with the full name, Ukraine, spelled out. The sections below sort out each case and point out the one mix up that catches many people: UK is not Ukraine.
Quick facts
Two letter code
UAThree letter code
UKRNumber code
804In running text
Ukr., though the full name is usually betterCurrency
Hryvnia, code UAHWeb ending
.uaPhone code
+380Not to be confused with
UK, the United Kingdom
Every Ukraine abbreviation in one table
Different systems settled on different short forms. This table lines them up so you can grab the one your form or style asks for.
| Form | System | Where you see it |
|---|---|---|
| UA | Two letter international country code | Shipping labels, online checkout lists, data files, car stickers |
| UKR | Three letter international country code | Passports, travel documents, Olympic and soccer scoreboards |
| 804 | Number code | Statistics tables and some trade records |
| UAH | Currency code | Exchange rate lists and bank transfers |
| .ua | Country web ending | Addresses of websites based in the country |
| Ukr. | Traditional written abbreviation | Older reference books, maps and tight tables |
UA and UKR both come from one international standard for country names, which is why they look so similar. You can compare how other nations handle this on the country abbreviations page.
Why the code is UA and not UK
People often guess that the abbreviation for Ukraine would be UK, since those are its first two letters. That pair was already taken. UK is the familiar short name of the United Kingdom, so the international list gave Ukraine UA instead. The different code keeps Ukrainian mail and data clear of anything meant for Britain.
Online checkout: A shopper sending a gift to Lviv scrolls a country menu that stores codes behind the names. Picking "Ukraine" saves UA in the order. If someone typed UK by hand, the package would be routed toward Britain.
A second trap: the language code for Ukrainian is uk, in lowercase. Translation tools and website language menus use it, so you may see "uk" on a page written in Ukrainian. That is a language tag, not a country code.
The abbreviation for Ukraine in sports and travel
At the Olympics, world championships and international soccer matches, scoreboards and athlete bibs show UKR. Three letter forms are easier to read on a screen and less likely to clash with other teams. Travel papers use the same three letters in the line that machines scan at border checks.
On cars, the oval sticker that marks the country where a vehicle is registered reads UA. Airline baggage tags and airport codes are a separate system: they name a city's airport, not the country, so do not expect to see UA or UKR there.
Writing Ukraine in sentences and addresses
In normal sentences, spell the name out. Short forms belong in tables, forms and labels, where space is tight. A few writing points come up often:
- No "the": modern English uses "Ukraine," not "the Ukraine." The older form with "the" has mostly dropped out of news and government writing.
- The capital: Kyiv is the spelling now standard in most American writing. Kiev is an older spelling you will still find in older books.
- The adjective: Ukrainian, as in Ukrainian food or the Ukrainian language.
- On an envelope: write the country name in full capital letters on the last line, UKRAINE, so mail sorters in every country can read it.
Mailing address, last two lines: "01001 Kyiv" and then "UKRAINE." The postal code and city go above, and the country name stands alone at the bottom.
A few facts behind the codes
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It declared independence in 1991. Its money, the hryvnia, uses the currency code UAH, built from the two letter country code plus a letter for the currency. The phone country code is +380, which you dial before a local number when calling from abroad.
These numbers and letters are maintained by international groups so that banks, mail services and computer systems all agree. That shared list is the reason one label printed in Ohio can be read the same way in Odesa.
Ukraine abbreviation mix ups and look alikes
- UA vs UK: UA is Ukraine. UK is the United Kingdom.
- UA vs UAE: the United Arab Emirates uses AE as its two letter code, but people often shorten its name to UAE in writing. Neither is Ukraine.
- UA in other places: the letters also carry meanings unrelated to the country, such as a brand name. See what UA stands for for those.
- UKR vs UK: UKR always points to Ukraine. It is the safest short form when readers might confuse the two.
Country codes are read letter by letter, never as words. The acronym vs abbreviation guide lays out that split.
Questions people ask
How do you abbreviate Ukraine?
The two letter code is UA and the three letter code is UKR. In older writing you may also see Ukr. with a period. For everyday sentences, the full name is the better choice.
Is Ukraine abbreviated as UK?
No. UK means the United Kingdom. Ukraine uses UA or UKR, so it never gets mixed up with Britain on forms or in data.
What does UKR mean on a scoreboard?
UKR marks an athlete or team from Ukraine. International sports events use three letter country codes so names fit on screens and bibs.
What is the currency code for Ukraine?
It is UAH, for the hryvnia. The first two letters match the country code UA, and the H stands for the name of the money.
Should I write Ukraine or the Ukraine?
Write Ukraine. The form with "the" is older and is rarely used in modern news, school or government writing.