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Part 1: General Information
According to the Ukrainian law On Legal Status of Foreigners, of February
4, 1994, all foreigners shall enter and exit Ukraine through official crossing points
on its State frontier.
Ukraine’s foreign diplomatic missions and consular offices currently issue all classes
of visas. Additionally, all visa types are issued via the Department of Consular
Service of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs within Ukraine to diplomats for their
term of accreditation. Service visas are issued to officers of foreign affairs institutions
of foreign states when accompanied by a service passport—as well as to foreign mass
media staff and their family members. These visas are issued for the duration of
their service card’s validity. (Part 2 below).
Within Ukraine, the duration of a visa may be prolonged. Diplomatic and service
visas—which are issued to diplomatic personnel; officers of diplomatic institutions,
consular institutions, international and other organizations accredited in Ukraine—may
be prolonged by the Department of Consular Service, Ministry of Foreign Affairs
of Ukraine.
Other visa types are prolonged by their respective departments of the Ministry
of Internal Affairs of Ukraine. (See Part 3 below.)
The following types of visas exist:
- Short-term visas (up to 6 months)
- Long-term visas
(6-12 months)
- And by frequency of their use, all visas are divided into
single-, multiple- and collective-use.
Please note: during their temporary stay in Ukraine, foreigners
MAY NOT change their visa status. However, they may apply for permission for a permanent
residence in Ukraine.
Since July 1, 2001, foreigners entering Ukraine according to the country’s laws
and in accordance with their passport and visa documents, must enter and exit via
only at official crossing points. These crossing points are overseen by divisions
of the State Committee for the Protection of the National Frontier of Ukraine. Further
registration of foreigners visiting Ukraine is not carried out by the internal affairs
agencies.
If a foreigner loses their national passport within Ukraine: the
passport owner must inform their hosting organization and an internal affairs agency,
immediately. The internal affairs agency, per the foreigner’s request, will issue
a substitute document. For foreigners obtaining national passports at their respective
diplomatic mission or consular department, via application and a petition by their
hosting organization, the internal affairs agency will issue an exit visa and/or
register the foreigner's national passport.
Exit of foreigners from Ukraine: Foreign citizens and non-citizens
who have visited Ukraine must exit the country according to the same rules as an
entry to Ukraine.
According to Ukraine’s Cabinet of Ministers, in a June 5, 2000 decree, foreign citizens
and non-citizens who also have permanent Ukrainian residence OR are staying in Ukraine
to be placed in a job via the Centre of Employment confirmation OR are studying
at an accredited Ukraine high school, must exit Ukraine according to their passport
documents, and make sure to have the appropriate residency marks and certificates.
Foreigners may travel throughout Ukraine: when the foreigner has
a valid Ukrainian transit visa, a destination country visa and tickets or other
documents proving that the trip within Ukraine is in fact a transit.
Citizens of countries which DO NOT need a visa to enter Ukraine (See Part 5
below) enter into Ukraine with a valid national passport, provided
they have an insurance policy and an original copy of a duly-arranged invitation
by a corporation or individual Ukrainian citizen.
There is currently (as of November 2009) still a visa-free agreement with all CIS
countries, per the Agreement on Visa-Free Migration of the CIS Countries’ Citizens
of October 9, 1992. This includes Russia and Belarus.
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