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Information on the procedure of foreigners entry to (exit from) Ukraine

At present, the Ukrainian legislation provides for both visa and visa-free entry procedure for foreigners (foreign citizens and non-citizens).

The rules of foreigners entry to (exit from) Ukraine are regulated by Ukrainian law On Legal Status of Foreigners, of February 4, 1994, by the Rules of foreigners entry to Ukraine, their exit from Ukraine and transit through its territory (under the Decree N 1074 by Ukraine's Cabinet of Ministers of December 29, 1995) and by the Rules of obtaining visa documents for entry to Ukraine(under the Decree N 227 by Ukraine's Cabinet of Ministers of February 20, 1999).

Foreigners shall enter/exit Ukraine through the crossing points on the State frontier, in case of presence of a national passport and a visa, if otherwise is not specified by the Ukrainian legislation.

All categories of visas are issued by Ukraine 's diplomatic missions and consular offices abroad. The Department of Consular Service of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine issues diplomatic visas in the territory of Ukraine to diplomats for the term of their accreditation. Service visas are issuing to officers of foreign affairs institutions of foreign states in case of presence of a service passport, to foreign mass media staff as well as to the members of their families for the period of service card validity (Appendix 1).

At the territory of Ukraine the period of visas validity could be prolonged. Diplomatic and service visas, issued to diplomatic personal, officers of diplomatic institutions, consular institutions, international and other organizations, accredited in Ukraine are prolonged by the Department of Consular Service of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine.

Other visa types are prolonged by the organs of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine .

In accordance with a Decree N 227 by Ukraine 's Cabinet of Ministers of February 20, 1999 , visas for foreigners are issued on the basis of their entry purpose, provided they have the appropriate documents (Appendix 2). Depending on validity, there exist the following types of visas: short-term visas (issued for up to 6 months) and long-term visas (6-12 months); by frequency of use the visas are divided into single, multiple and collective.

Transit of foreigners through the territory of Ukraine is allowed, in case if the foreigner has a transit Ukrainian visa, a destination country visa and tickets or other documents proving that the intended trip is really a transit.

Citizens of the States which have concluded international agreements with Ukraine on visa-free travelling of citizens (Appendix 4) enter into Ukraine with a valid national passport, provided they have an insurance policy and a duly arranged invitation (original) by a legal or private person from Ukraine, if otherwise is not envisaged by an international agreement. There still exists a visa-free regime with the CIS countries (according to the Agreement on Visa-Free Migration of the CIS Countries Citizens of October 9, 1992 ), including Russia and Belarus (according to the concluded agreements).

Appendix 1

Diplomatic and service visas

Diplomatic visas are issued to the following categories of persons having diplomatic passports:

•  diplomatic members of foreign missions and consular posts in Ukraine and to members of their families;

•  foreigners, entering Ukraine with diplomatic missions;

•  diplomatic couriers;

•  members of governments, parliaments, international organizations;

•  prominent politicians whose entry into Ukraine is a diplomatic issue.

Service visas are divided into three categories and are issued to:

Ñ-1

•  service staff of foreign diplomatic missions and consular offices in Ukraine and to members of their families;

•  members of Ukraine-based international organizations;

•  State power bodies officials of foreign countries who enter into Ukraine on business.

Ñ-2

•  members of military formations and institutions who enter into Ukraine on business by invitation of related State bodies.

Ñ-3

•  representatives of manufacturing, trade, financial and political circles who enter into Ukraine on business by invitation of State institutions registered in Ukraine in the established order.

Appendix 2

Grounds for issuing visas

P-1 (private visa) - invitation of an established type duly arranged by the internal affairs agencies or an invitation of a Ukrainian medical institution and other documents proving the private nature of the trip .

P-2 (private visa) - personal application, results of a personal interview with an employee of a Ukrainian diplomatic mission or consular post which is in charge of deciding whether a visa can be issued, and documents proving Ukrainian background of an foreigner or a non-citizen.

B ( business visa) - invitation of an established type duly arranged by the internal affairs agencies.

T (tourist visa) - documents proving the tourist nature of the trip.

H (visa for members of humanitarian missions) - approval by the Commission at the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine for coordination, acceptance, transportation, security and distribution of humanitarian aid rendered by foreign States.

E (visa for members of rescue services) - approval by the Ministry of Emergency Issues of Ukraine.

O (student visa) - invitation of an established type issued by the Ministry of Education of Ukraine .

M (visa for mass media staff) - Instruction by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine on issuing the visa.

R (visa for members of religious missions) - invitation by a religious organization, certified by the State Committee of Religions.

TP-1 (transit visa) - document proving the transit nature of the trip, visa to a third country, ticket, etc.

TP-2 (transit visa) - documents proving the transit nature of cargo transportation and public bus transportation through the territory of Ukraine .

EI-1 (immigration visa) - work permit issued by the Ministry of Labour.

EI-2 ( immigration visa) - permit by a local executive body for permanent residence in Ukraine .

OI (visa for international transport service staff) - license for international transportations issued by the corresponding agency of the host country.

Visas of other types are issued on the request by the State authorities of foreign countries, international organizations, invitation cards issued by ministries, by other central executive power bodies, as well as invitation cards of the type established by the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine from Ukrainian legal and natural persons.

There is no need in invitation for issuing visas (types C, B, M, K, P) for the citizens of states - members of the European Union, Canada, Slovak Republic, United States, Turkey, Switzerland and Japan (in accordance with a Decrees by Ukraine's Cabinet of Ministers N 750 of May 5, 2000, N 1376 of September 01, 2000, N 192 of February 28, 2001).

In case of need, an employee of a Ukrainian diplomatic mission or a consular office may request additional documents which would in a better way specify the aim of the foreigner's/non-resident's trip or invite a certain person for an additional interview.

Appendix 3

Category of passports that should be registered in Ukraine 's internal affairs organs.

•  Foreigners who have arrived in Ukraine for a period of more than 6 month;

•  Foreigners who have arrived in Ukraine for education or employment within the contract.

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