Ukraine has a non-visa regime with many countries, but very often before visiting Ukraine a foreigner needs to get the visa. Its type, cost and the procedure of obtaining depend upon your purpose and expected duration of your stay.
The procedure of getting Ukrainian visa is not time-consuming, but may seem a bit difficult and bureaucratic for those who face it for the first time. We will try to explain everything to make things easier for you.
There are three types of visa to Ukraine:
- Transit visa (type B);
- Short-term visa (type C);
- Long-term visa (type D).
Transit visa allows foreigner to stay in Ukraine for no more than 5 days while travelling to another country.
Short-term visa is usually given to tourists. Visa C gives you a possibility to stay in Ukraine for 90 days during 180-day window.
Long-term visa (type D) is issued for 45 days. It may seem paradoxical that the long-term visa is issued for a shorter period than a short-term one. But the point is that visa D may be given only for those who are going to stay in Ukraine for more than 90 days (i.e. those, who is going to study or work in Ukraine, for example). It is possible to get a 2-year or 5-year visa in many countries, but not in Ukraine. If you want to stay in Ukraine for more than 90 days without crossing the border, you need to get a temporary residence permit. This is a kind of Ukrainian analogue of 1-year visa with a possibility of annual prolongation. And temporary residence permit is issued only for those who had got a reason for stay and a visa D on the ground of this reason.
Documents for visa
The list of documents depends upon the ground and may differ in every separate case.
General package of documents id the following:
- Application form;
- passport;
- two photos (3 × 4 cm);
- document confirming payment of fee (if the foreigner is not released from its payment);
- for minors – a document certifying the consent of one or both parents or a representative;
- valid health insurance;
- document confirming the legal purpose of foreigner’s stay in Ukraine.
And what kind of document confirms the legal purpose of your stay in Ukraine?
For visa B:
- any document confirming your stay in Ukraine will not last more than 5 days: tickets, license for international transport, etc.)
For visa C:
- usually applicant has an invitation (from an individual or legal entity) received in advance;
- a document certifying the tourist character of the trip;
- other documents that may vary depending on the purpose of the foreigner’s visit to Ukraine.
For visa D:
- work permit;
- invitation for study from a university (or other educational institution);
- invitation from a government agency, religious organizations, foreign media, governmental bodies responsible for the implementation of cultural, educational, scientific, or other institutions;
- document certifying marriage to a citizen of Ukraine;
- document confirming relations with persons who have temporary residence permit in Ukraine;
Documents may vary depending on the ground for getting visa. Embassy and consular officers will also invite you for an interview. As well they are entitled to require additional documents, confirming the purpose of your trip.
Invitation for visa to Ukraine
In order to get such an invitation, inviting party should submit:
- application form;
- copy of inviting party’s passport or residence permit (only pages containing personal data);
- copy of a foreigner’s passport (translated into Ukrainian and verified);
- document confirming inviting party’s financial ability to support foreigner’s stay in Ukraine.
Package of the documents is to be submitted to the territorial department of the State Migration Service of Ukraine.
Terms of visa issuing
Usually visa is issued in 15 days after application. Sometimes this term may be prolonged by the embassy up to 30 days. Urgent visa is issued in less than 15 days and requires double fee payment.
The visa refusal and deportation of foreigners
There are following grounds for refusal:
- applicant is dangerous for Ukraine or its citizens, their health, rights and interests, national safety, and public order;
- there is information that applicant is barred from entering Ukraine;
- applicant submits fraud passport or other documents;
- absence of medical insurance;
- absence of financial maintenance;
- applicant cannot confirm the purpose of his stay in Ukraine;
- applicant submits a motion on stopping visa issuing.
In case of refusal you have a right of appeal against the decision to the head of the consular office during 2 months from the date of refusal.
Deportation from Ukraine has become an often phenomenon recently. The reasons for deportation of foreigners with a tourist visa are usually the following:
- the type of your does not correspond to real purpose of your stay in Ukraine;
- the person cannot explain the purpose of their visit to Ukraine;
- the tourist route is unknown to the person;
- people don’t know how to contact the travel agency, which they are invited by.
That’s why tourist vouchers may be unreliable for the citizens of countries with so-called “high migration risk” (African and some Asian countries). Thus, we recommend citizens of such countries take care about obtaining official invitations issued by the State Migration Service of Ukraine and make theirselves safe from any potential risks of deportation.
Consular fee tariffs depend on the type of visa фтв term of its issuing. Urgent visa requires double fee payment. Usual fee is:
1) Single entry visa: $ 85
2) Double-entry visa: $ 130
3) Multiple visa: $ 200
In case of refusal the fee is not refundable.
Types of visas and tariff rate, set on the basis of reciprocity
(US dollars)
Country |
Notes |
|||||||
Single entry (В) | Double entry
(В) |
Multiple entry
(В) |
Single entry (С) | Double entry
(С) |
Multiple entry
(С) |
Single entry
(D) |
||
Australia | 112 | – | – | 112 | – | – | 385 | 1 – to enter Ukraine for employment
2 – to enter Ukraine for permanent residence
3 – to enter Ukraine with the purpose of studying
4 – to enter Ukraine with the purpose of preaching religious beliefs, perform religious rites or other canonical activities
5 – to enter Ukraine on the basis of invitation provided by offices of foreign entity, branch or representative office of a foreign bank, branch, branches, representative offices or other structural units of the public (nongovernmental) organization of a foreign state
6 – to enter Ukraine with the purpose of family reunion with persons who are citizens of Ukraine, or foreigners who have received a temporary or permanent residence in Ukraine
7 – to enter Ukraine with the purpose of the cultural, scientific, educational activities, participation in the international and regional volunteer programs or volunteer organizations
8 – to enter Ukraine with the purpose of the correspondent or representatives of the foreign mass media
*** – free of charge.
* – US citizens will not be charged double for urgent processing of their visas
ATTENTION! If a specific tariff rate is not indicated in the chart, the standard tariff rate applies |
Austria | Visa is not required | 130 | ||||||
Algeria | 100 | – | – | 100 | – | – | – | |
Angola | – | – | – | 100 | – | – | 100 | |
Belgium | Visa is not required | 2611 | ||||||
Denmark | Visa is not required | 5781
3053 4054 |
||||||
Germany | Visa is not required | *** | ||||||
Israel | Visa is not required | 1892 | ||||||
Ireland | Visa is not required | 101 | ||||||
Italy | Visa is not required | 152 | ||||||
Canada | Visa is not required | 1501
4752 1253 |
||||||
Republic of Korea | Visa is not required | *** | ||||||
Côte d’Ivoire | 110 | 110 | 110 | |||||
Latvia | Visa is not required | *** | ||||||
Lithuania | Visa is not required | *** | ||||||
Netherlands | Visa is not required | 4051,3,4
5412 |
||||||
Norway | Visa is not required | 1832 | ||||||
Pakistan | 100 | 155 | 370 | 165 | 255 | 395 | 165 | |
Poland | Visa is not required | *** | ||||||
Portugal | Visa is not required | 119 | ||||||
Romania | Visa is not required | *** | ||||||
Saudi Arabia | – | – | – | 533 | 600 | 800 (6 months)
1333 (1 year) 2133 (2 years) |
533 | |
Serbia | *** | *** | *** | *** | *** | *** | *** | |
Slovakia | Visa is not required | *** | ||||||
Slovenia | Visa is not required | 104 | ||||||
Sultanate of Oman | – | – | – | 90 | – | – | – | |
South Sudan | 100 | – | – | 100 | – | – | 100 | |
USA* | Visa is not required | 3451
3252,6 1603,8 1904,5,7 |
||||||
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland | Visa is not required | 12081
12232 4293 7514 15636 |
||||||
Finland | Visa is not required | 5761
5042 3603 4746 |
||||||
France | Visa is not required | 108 | ||||||
Czech Republic | Visa is not required | 139 | ||||||
Montenegro | Visa is not required | *** | ||||||
Japan | Visa is not required | *** |