Ukrainian visa. How to get a visa to enter Ukraine

As with many other countries, to get to Ukraine you must first apply for a visa. The type, cost and procedure for obtaining depends on the county of your origin, purpose and duration of your trip. These points are determined by the legislation of Ukraine.

The procedure for issuing a Ukrainian visa for foreigners requires a certain amount of time, collection of many documents and is associated with numerous troubles. We offer a brief overview of the rules of entry to Ukraine.

Ukrainian visa types

As visa of other countries, Ukrainian visas are of three types:

• Transit (type B);
• Short-term (type C);
• Long-term (type D);

A transit visa allows a person to stay in the territory of Ukraine for up to 5 days. It is issued for those who are going to pass through Ukraine moving to other countries.

A short-term visa allows a person to stay in Ukraine for ninety days within one hundred and eighty days from the date of the first entry. These visas that are used for tourist trips.

Long-term visa, which allows its owner to stay in Ukraine for more than ninety days, is mostly issued to those who are planning to settle here for a certain period of time – for study, work, or permanent residence.

Each type of visa to Ukraine requires different reasons and documents. The latter must be submitted together with the application form when you apply for a visa.

Documents required for a visa to Ukraine

To get a visa to enter Ukraine you must provide a list of documents. It includes:

1. visa application form, completed and signed in accordance with the requirements;
2. passport;
3. two photos 3 × 4 cm;
4. a document confirming the payment of a consular fee;
5. with visa for minors – a document certifying the consent of one or both parents or a representative;
6. a health insurance which is valid during the dates of staying in Ukraine;
7. documents confirming the declared purpose of staying in Ukraine.

Documents confirming the purpose of stay in Ukraine are different for different types of visas. Below is a list of documents required for each type of visas to Ukraine.

В (transit visa):

• documents confirming that the stay in Ukraine is transit. This can be a travel ticket with a date within 5 days after the entry of a person into Ukraine, a visa to a third country etc.;
• document certifying the transit nature of the carriage of goods or passengers if foreigners enter Ukraine by car;
• license for international transportation.

C (short-term visa):

• invitation from the accepting party prepared according to the requirements. This may be an invitation from an individual, an executive body, a state institution, a religious organization, a medical institution or others;
• if this is a tourist trip – a document certifying the tourist nature of the trip;
• інші документи, які можуть відрізнятися в залежності від мети приїзду іноземця в Україну.

D (long-term visa):

• a permit for the employment of foreigners and stateless persons (a work permit) issued to the applicant;
• invitation to study or internship, issued in accordance with the requirements;
• invitation from a government agency; religious organization; foreign media; governmental body that is responsible for the implementation of cultural, educational, scientific, or other programs and other institutions;
• document certifying marriage of a person with a citizen of Ukraine;
• document confirming the identity of the person to the family members of a foreigner who has received a temporary residence permit in Ukraine;
• other documents that may vary depending on the purpose of the arrival of a foreigner in Ukraine.

There can be much more documents required when applying for a visa. It depends on on the specific case and the purpose of coming to Ukraine. If necessary, the person who applied for a visa to Ukraine may be invited for an interview at the diplomatic and consular missions of Ukraine to clarify the purpose of the trip.

Invitation to apply for a visa to Ukraine

The list of documents for the invitation letter to obtain Ukrainian visa (from the host party):

1. statement made according to requirements;
2. a copy of the passport of Ukraine (pages 1 and 2) of a person who invites a foreigner;
3. if invites a foreigner who lives in Ukraine, a copy of the residence permit for permanent or temporary residence;
4. copy of the passport of a foreigner (pages 1 and 2). A certified translation of the pages of the passport is also required;
5. document certifying that the host party is financially capable of providing a foreigner’s stay in Ukraine.

All documents, drawn up according to the requirements, should be submitted to the Department of the State Migration Service of Ukraine.

Visa to Ukraine. Terms of issuance

Usually, a visa is issued in 15 calendar days from the date of filing all the required documents.

It may take up to 30 days to complete if the submitted documents or information require verification.

In urgent case, if a person that applying for a visa requests, it can be done in less than 15 days.

The visa refusal and deportation of foreigners

You may have a  refusal to issue a visa if there is one or more of the following grounds:

1. if stay of a foreigner in Ukraine could in some way threaten national security, public order, health or rights and legitimate interests of citizens of Ukraine or other people who are legally residents in Ukraine;
2. if there’s information that a person who applies for a visa, for some reason, is forbidden to enter Ukraine;
3. if it was discovered that the passport of the person applying for a visa was forged,if provided passport is damaged or if this passport belongs to another person;
4. in case of providing false information or false documents;
5. in the person applying for a visa has no health insurance;
6. in case of no financial support necessary for staying in Ukraine;
7. if the person can not confirm the purpose of his stay in Ukraine;
8. if foreigner has no documents confirming the intention of to leave Ukraine before the expiration of the visa;
9. if the person requested to discontinue consideration of application for visa.

If you are denied in a visa, the reasons for this should be given in writing. You can appeal this decision by submitting a special appeal letter to the head of the institution to which you applied for a visa. In the letter, you must provide the reasons for the appeal. If a request for an appeal is granted, you will be able to submit another application for a visa. The deadline for filing a letter is two months from the date of the visa refusal to Ukraine.

In recent years, more and more foreigners are being deported from the Ukrainian border – many people with tourist invitations do not cross the border and send to a country from which they have arrived.

The reasons for deportation may be as follows:

• type of visa that person received does not match the real purpose of his stay in Ukraine;
• person generally can not explain the purpose of his visit to Ukraine;
• person doesn’t know his tourist route;
• the person does not know how to contact the travel agency that allegedly invited him.

Such questions without a clear answer, allow the Border Guard to prohibit a foreigner entering Ukraine. Border guards are particularly suspicious of foreigners from countries with so-called “high migration risks.”

Usually a video is being recorded, so in the future, such a person will not even be able to file an appeal for a deportation.

Therefore, if you plan to go to Ukraine, you must be ready to answer the questions of the Border Guard, and therefore – clearly understand why you are going to Ukraine and what you are going to do here, as well as have a precise plan while staying in the country.

Citizens of African countries, as well as some Asian countries, are advised to refuse to issue tourist vouchers and to arrange an official guest or working invitation to obtain a visa to Ukraine. Such invitation must be issued and certified by the State Migration Service of Ukraine.

Consular fee

Consular fees for visa to Ukraine:

• one-time visa – 85 USD;
• double-entry visa – 130 USD;
• multiple entry visa – 200 USD.

If a person needs an urgent visa, a double consular fee is charged.

If a person is denied a visa, the consular fee will not be refunded.

If a foreign state charges a consular fee when issuing visas to citizens of Ukraine in a larger amount than the above amounts, the consular fee for the citizens of these countries is determined on the basis of the principle of reciprocity.

The rates for these cases are listed in the table below.

Rates of consular fees for visas to enter Ukraine on the principle of reciprocity

Notes:

1 – to enter Ukraine for employment.

2 – to enter Ukraine for permanent residence.

3 – to enter Ukraine for study purposes.

4 – to enter Ukraine for religious activities.

5 – to enter Ukraine under the invitation representative organizations of foreign states.

6 – for entry into Ukraine for the purpose of reuniting a family with persons who are citizens of Ukraine or with foreigners who have received a certificate for temporary residence in Ukraine.

7 – to enter Ukraine with the purpose of the proceedings cultural, educational, scientific, sports activities, participation in international and regional volunteer programs or in the work of volunteer organizations.

FOC – free of charge.

* – From US citizens, double payment for the urgent registration of visa documents is not charged.

If the table does not contain information on the payment of certain types of visas, it means the application of basic tariffs for their registration.

As you can see, a visa to Ukraine is not a simple matter, especially if it concerns a long-term visa. To issue such a visa, you need to provide a large number of documents, and it is not always easy to understand what exactly is required in a particular case.