1. What is a visa?
2. What types of visas are regulated by the legislation of Ukraine?
3. What kind of visa is granted to foreigners passing through Ukraine to other countries?
4. What is the procedure for obtaining a visa?
5. What are the grounds for visa refusal?
The first step for foreigners wishing to visit Ukraine is to obtain an entry visa. Its type, cost and procedure for obtaining it depend on which country you came from, for what purpose you are going to Ukraine and for what period. These moments are determined by the legislation of our country.
Visa to Ukraine. What it is?
A visa is a special document that gives the right to cross borders. So it is a permit for a foreigner to enter (rarely - exit) the territory of another country.
In Ukrainian legislation, a visa can be in electronic form - e-Visa and in the form of a visa label pasted into the passport of a foreigner or stateless person
Depending on the purpose of the trip, the visa can be issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the embassy or consulate, or the border service. To obtain a visa to Ukraine, you need to follow a rather delicate procedure of collecting the necessary package of documents, prove with documents and facts the purpose of the trip, the financial ability to pay all expenses related to the trip and stay in Ukraine during the time specified in the visa, and if you are from the country migration risk, then undergo an interview and possibly provide additional evidence of the purpose of stay.
Types of visas to Ukraine. What are the types of visas to Ukraine?
Like visas of most countries, Ukrainian visas are of three types:
A transit visa is issued for a short period of time - up to 5 days. Processing of documents is done by those who are going to be in Ukraine transiting or moving to another country.
A short-term visa allows a person to stay in Ukraine for 90 days within 180 days from the moment of first entry. These visas are used for tourist, private, business trips, for participation in cultural, sports, humanitarian events, for treatment and other trips of an urgent nature. A short-term visa can be single-entry or multiple-entry.
A long-term visa is issued to foreigners and stateless persons to enter Ukraine for the purpose of processing documents giving the right to reside in Ukraine for a period exceeding 90 days. This visa is issued by a foreign diplomatic mission of Ukraine (Embassy) or a foreign consular institution (Consulate) in the vast majority of countries. In countries where Ukraine does not have foreign diplomatic missions or foreign consular institutions, foreigners or stateless persons can apply to the nearest country where diplomatic missions or consular institutions of Ukraine are represented and provide such services to these countries.
The visa is issued for a period of 90 calendar days. In general, this visa is issued to those who plan to live in Ukraine for study, work, permanent residence or for other reasons defined by the legislation of Ukraine.
Different reasons and documents are required for each type of visa to Ukraine, which should be submitted together with the application form when applying for a visa.
Different reasons and documents are required for each type of visa to Ukraine, which should be submitted together with the application form when applying for a visa.
Documents. What documents are required to obtain a visa to Ukraine?
In order to obtain a visa for entering Ukraine, foreign citizens must provide a package of documents, which includes:
1. visa application form, filled out and signed according to the requirements;
2. passport;
3. two photos 3×4 cm;
4. a document confirming the payment of the consular fee, in the case if foreigner is not exempt from paying it;
5. when issuing a visa for minor children - a document certifying the consent of one or both parents or a representative;
6. a health insurance policy that is valid on the relevant dates;
7. documents confirming the stated purpose of the foreigner's stay in Ukraine.
Documents confirming the purpose of stay in Ukraine differ for different types of visas. Below is a list of these documents required for each type of visa to Ukraine.
B (transit visa):
• documents confirming transit stay in Ukraine. It can be a travel ticket with a date within 5 days after the person's entry into Ukraine, a visa to a third country, or something else;
• a document confirming the transit format of the transportation of goods or passengers, if foreigners enter Ukraine by car;
• license for international transportation.
C (short-term visa) or short-term e-Visa (type C):
• an invitation from the receiving part, processing according to the requirements. It can be an invitation from an individual, an executive authority, a state institution, a religious organization, a medical institution, or others;
• in the case when it is a tourist trip - a document certifying the tourist format of the trip;
• other documents that may differ depending on the purpose of the foreigner's visit to Ukraine.
D (long-term visa):
• employment permit for foreigners and stateless persons, issued to the applicant;
• a person's invitation to study or internship, processing in accordance with the requirements;
• an invitation from a state institution; religious organization; foreign media; the government agency responsible for the implementation of cultural, educational, scientific or other programs and other institutions;
• a document certifying the marriage of a person with a citizen of Ukraine;
• a document confirming that the person belongs to the family members of a foreigner who received a temporary residence permit in Ukraine;
• other documents that may differ depending on the purpose of the foreigner's visit to Ukraine.
There may be many more documents required to obtain a visa - it all depends on the specific case and the purpose of coming to Ukraine. In some cases, the person who applied for a visa to Ukraine may be invited to an interview to clarify the purpose of the trip.
Visa processing period. How long does it take to process a visa?
Depending on citizenship, the country of permanent residence of a foreigner or stateless person, the purpose of the trip, the general terms for issuing a visa last up to 10 days, and urgently from 1 hour to 5 days from the date of submission of all necessary documents. For countries with migratory risk, the general terms for issuing a visa last up to 30 days, and if additional verification is necessary, processing can take another 30 days.
Refusal. What are the grounds for refusing a visa?
Foreigners from different parts of the world come to Ukraine to apply for a visa. Unfortunately, not everyone manages to get it. One of the most popular reasons for refusal is the inability to confirm the purpose of the visit, but it is important to pay attention to all the following possible aspects that may cause doubts about the issuance of a visa:
1. If the stay of foreigners in Ukraine threatens national security, public order, health, rights and legitimate interests of citizens living in Ukraine;
2. If there is information that the person applying for a visa is prohibited from entering Ukraine for some reasons.
3. The person's desire to terminate the consideration of the visa issue;
4. Absence of documents confirming the foreigner's intention to leave Ukraine before the visa expires;
5. If the person cannot confirm the purpose of stay in Ukraine;
6. If the person does not have the necessary financial support to stay in Ukraine;
7. In the absence of a health insurance policy;
8. In case of mistakes, inaccurate information or false/invalid/damaged documents;
9. If the documents do not belong to the person applying for a visa
If you are denied a visa, the reasons for this decision must be provided in writing. You can appeal it. To do this, you need to submit a special appeal letter to the head of the institution where you applied for a visa. The letter must indicate the reason for the appeal. In the case that the appeal request is accepted, you can try to apply for a visa again. The deadline for submitting a letter is two months from the date the visa to Ukraine was refused.
