Ukraine visa. The information on entrance (departure) regulations for foreigners

Diplomatic and business visas
The grounds for visa registration
Passports which are not released from the registration in law-enforcement bodies of Ukraine
The list of the countries the citizens of which do not need visas for entering Ukraine

For today the Ukrainian legislation defines both visa, and the visa-free order of entrance to Ukraine for foreigners (foreign citizens and stateless persons).

Entrance (departure) of foreigners to (from) Ukraine is regulated by the Law of Ukraine on the Legal Status of Foreigners from February, 4, 1994, the Entrance, Departure and Transit Regulations for Foreigners, (the decree of the Cabinet of Ministers from December, 29, 1995 #1074) and Rules of Visa Documents Registration For entrance to Ukraine (the decree of the Cabinet Of Ministers from February, 20, 1999 #227).

Foreigners who enter (leave) Ukraine must pass check points on frontier and present their national passport and the visa (if other order of entrance is not established by the legislation of Ukraine).

The visas of all categories are issued by Ukrainian embassies and consulates abroad. On the territory of Ukraine the Department of Consular Service of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs issues diplomatic visas for the accreditation terms of diplomatic agents, business visas for the representatives of foreign departments of foreign states who have a service passport, foreign mass media representatives and also the members of their families for the term of validity of their service cards (Appendix 1).

The duration of the visa may be extended on the territory of Ukraine. Diplomatic and the business visas are issued for the staff of embassies, consular establishments, international and other organizations accredited in Ukraine are extended by the Department of Consular Service of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine. Other visa types are extended by the bodies of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine.

According to the decree of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine from February, 20, 1999 #227, registration of visas for foreigners is realized on the basis of the purpose of their trip to Ukraine and the presence of the documents appropriate for this purpose. Depending on their validity term the visas are divided into of a on short-term visas which are issued for the period of six months, and long-term visas which are issued for the period from six months to one year. The visas are also divided in one-time, two-times, reusable, and collective.

During their temporary stay in Ukraine the foreigners or stateless persons do not have the right to change the status of their stay and apply for the permanent residence in Ukraine.

Since July, 1, 2001 according to the Decree of the President of Ukraine "About Supplementary Measures Concerning Realization of the Human Rights for the Freedom of Movement and the Free Choice of the Commorancy " #435 from 15.06.01 the registration of foreigners who enter Ukraine in accordance with established procedure and the registration of their passport documents is realized only in check points at the frontier of Ukraine by the bodies of the State Committee on Affairs of Protection of the Frontier of Ukraine. Any further registration of foreigners who temporally and on legal grounds reside on territory of Ukraine, and the registration of their passport documents in law-enforcement bodies is not conducted. The registration of foreigners who enter Ukraine for permanent residence, studying, training and working is realized by law-enforcement bodies in accordance with established procedure (Appendix 3).

In case of losing his (her) national passport on the territory of Ukraine the foreigner must inform about this his (her) organization and the law-enforcement bodies which will issue the certificate of loss at his (her) request. After foreigner's receiving the national passport on the basis of his (her) personal application and the application of his (her) organization in the embassy or consular establishment of his (her) country the law-enforcement body solves the question of issuing visa for departing from Ukraine or registration of the national passport of the foreigner.

Departure of foreigners and stateless persons from Ukraine

Foreigners and stateless persons who temporarily reside in Ukraine leave the country in the same order as they have entered Ukraine.

According to the decree of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine from June, 5, 2000 #910 the foreigners and the stateless persons who permanently reside in Ukraine, stay in Ukraine with the purpose of employment, or study in higher educational establishments of Ukraine may go abroad in accordance with their passport documents with the appropriate marks and residence permits.

Transit visas are issued provided your passport has valid visa for the next country of your destination, or if visa to that country is not required then tickets for transportation via Ukraine to the country of your destination are to be presented.

Citizens of the states with which Ukraine have concluded international agreements about visa-free trips may enter Ukraine with the valid national passport, the insurance policy and properly registered invitation (in the original) from legal or physical persons in Ukraine (if other procedure is not provided by the international treaty). The visa-free movement has also remained across the CIS countries (according to the Agreement on visa-free movement of citizens of the CIS countries from October, 9, 1992) and with Russia and Byelorussia (according to the concluded Agreements).

Diplomatic and business visas

The diplomatic visa is issued for persons who have diplomatic passports:

• the diplomatic staff of foreign embassies and consular establishments in Ukraine and the members of their families;
• the foreigners who enter Ukraine with missions of diplomatic character;
• the diplomatic couriers;
• the members of governments, parliaments, and international organizations;
• the prominent political figures whose entrance to Ukraine has diplomatic character.

The business visa is divided in three categories and is issued for:

C-1

• the clerical personnel of foreign embassies and consular establishments in Ukraine and members of their families;
• the representatives of international organizations in Ukraine;
• the representatives of public authorities of the foreign countries who enter Ukraine on official business.

C-2

• the representatives of military formations and establishments who visit Ukraine on official business at the invitation of the appropriate state bodies.

C-3

• the representatives of industrial, trade, financial and political circles who enter Ukraine on official business at the invitation of the official bodies registered in Ukraine in due order.

The grounds for the visa registration

P-1 (the private visa) - the invitation of the standard pattern which has been properly registered by the bodies of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, or the invitation of medical establishment in Ukraine and other documents which confirm the private character of trip.

P-2 (the private visa) - personal application, results of the interview with the official of Ukrainian embassy or consular establishment who is authorized to make decision concerning issuing of the visa, and the documents which confirm the Ukrainian origin of the foreigner or the stateless person.

B (the business visa) - the invitation of the standard pattern which has been properly registered by the bodies of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

� (the tourist visa) - documents which confirm the tourist character of the trip.

H (the visa for the representatives of humanitarian missions) - confirmation of the Commission of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine on questions of coordination, reception, transportation, protection and distributions of the humanitarian help which comes from the foreign states.

L (the visa for the members of rescue services) - the confirmation issued by the Ministry of Emergency Situations.

O (the student's visa) - the invitation of the standard pattern for the studies issued by the Ministry of Education.

M (the visa for the mass media representatives) - the order of the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine concerning the registration of the visa.

R (the visa for the representatives of religious missions) - the invitation of the religious organization certificated by the State Religion Committee

TR-1 (the transit visa) - the document which confirms the transit character of the trip, the visa to the third country, the ticket etc.

TR-2 (the transit visa) - documents which confirm the transit character of the cargo transportation by motor transport and passenger bus transport through the territory of Ukraine.

IM-1 (the immigration visa) - the work permit, issued by the Ministry of Labor.

IM-2 (the immigration visa) - the permission of local executive power authority for permanent residence in Ukraine.

OP (the visa to the international connection vehicles maintenance staff) - the license for the execution of the international carriages issued by the appropriate competent body of the state of sojourn.

Visas of other types are issued on the basis of the requests of public authorities of foreign states, international organizations, the invitations of the ministries, other central executive authorities, and also the standard invitations of physical and legal persons in Ukraine.

The invitation is not required for issuing visas of types S, B, N, K, P for the citizens of the following countries: the European Union countries, Canada, Slovakia, USA, Turkey, Switzerland and Japan (the decree of the Cabinet Ministers of Ukraine from May, 05 2000 #750, from September, 01, 2000 #1376, from February, 07, 2001 #113, from February, 28, 2001 #192).

In case of need the official of embassy or consular establishment of Ukraine may claim other documents which specify the purpose of the trip or invite the person for an additional interview.

The passports the following categories are not released from registration in the law-enforcement bodies of Ukraine:

• the foreigners who reside in Ukraine for more than 6 months;
• the foreigners who go for studying and working to Ukraine according to the contract.

The list of the countries with which the Ukraine has visa-free order of trips and document needed for entering Ukraine (for October, 2001)

• The Argentina Republic - diplomatic, service or official passports;
• The Azerbaijan Republic - documents which attest the personality and confirm the citizenship;
• Byelorussia - documents which attest the personality and confirm the citizenship;
• Republic Bulgaria - diplomatic, service passports;
• Federative Republic Brazil - diplomatic, service passports;
• Republic Armenia - documents which attest the personality and confirm the citizenship;
• Socialist Republic Vietnam - diplomatic, service passports;
• Republic Guinea - diplomatic, service passports;
• Georgia - the documents of the appropriate validity for the trip abroad;
• The Estonian Republic - diplomatic passports;
• The state Israel - diplomatic passports;
• Islamic Republic Iran - diplomatic, service passports;
• Republic of Kazakhstan - documents which attest the personality and confirm the citizenship;
• Chinese People's Republic - diplomatic, service passports, national passports with marks about the business purpose of the trip;
• The Kirghiz Republic - documents which attest the personality and confirm the citizenship;
• The Korean People's Democratic Republic - diplomatic, service passports;
• Republic Cuba - diplomatic, service passports;
• Laotian People's Democratic Republic - diplomatic, service passports;
• The Latvian Republic - diplomatic passports, service passports for the officials of embassies and consular establishments for the accreditation term ;
• The Lithuanian Republic - diplomatic, service passports;
• The Mexican United States - diplomatic passports;
• Moldova - documents which attest the personality and confirm the citizenship;
• Mongolia - the documents of the appropriate validity for the trip abroad;
• Republic Poland - the documents of the appropriate validity for the trip abroad;
• The Russian Federation - documents which attest the personality and confirm the citizenship;
• Romania - the documents of the appropriate validity for the trip abroad;
• Slovak Republic - diplomatic, service passports;
• United Federative Republic of Yugoslavia - diplomatic, service passports;
• Tajikistan - documents which attest the personality and confirm the citizenship;
• Turkish Republic - diplomatic, service or special passports;
• Turkmenistan - diplomatic, service passports;
• The Hungarian Republic - the documents of the appropriate validity for the trip abroad;
• Republic of Uzbekistan - documents which attest the personality and confirm the citizenship;
• Republic Croatia - diplomatic, service passports;
• Republic of Chile - diplomatic, service or official passports

Where you can obtain Ukrainian visa: