Ukraine has become a popular destination thanks to its vivid nightlife, friendly citizens, unique traditions, and beautiful landscapes. For this reason, millions of tourists travel to Ukraine to see what it has to offer. In the meantime, almost everyone is wondering if they need a Ukraine visa and how to make their Ukraine visa application properly with respect to Ukraine visa requirements. Today, we will answer all of your questions about Ukrainian visa and you will be traveling to Ukraine in no time!
Guidelines for Ukraine visa
Ukraine is well known as a welcoming country for tourists. Therefore, Ukraine visa application is easier than other countries nearby such as Schengen countries. However, this does not mean you do not have to worry about the Ukraine visa application at all! Depending on your nationality, the purpose of your visit you may be obliged to get a Ukraine visa. Therefore, it is highly recommended to understand what are the requirements for you before you travel to Ukraine.
Do you need a Ukraine visa?
Some foreign citizens are not obliged to get a Ukraine visa, whilst other foreign citizens have options like applying for a Ukraine visa online. As we have mentioned above, you should check all the given information regarding your nationality and see where you fit in the Ukraine visa policy.
If you are a citizen of Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Moldova, and Uzbekistan, you can travel to Ukraine without a visa and stay in Ukraine for an indefinite period of time. All you are going to need will be just a valid passport and you do not have to worry about anything else! However, Ukraine’s visa-exemptions do not only apply to these countries. There are some other countries that can benefit from Ukraine’s visa exemption and those foreign citizens can travel to Ukraine visa free for a limited period of time.
Ukraine visa-exemptions
If you are a citizen of the following countries you can travel to Ukraine without getting a visa for up to 90 days: European Union countries, Albania, Andorra, Antigua and Barbuda, Belarus, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Iceland, Israel, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Mongolia, Montenegro, Norway, Paraguay, Panama, Qatar, Russia, Saint Kitts and Nevis, San Marino, South Korea, Switzerland, Tajikistan, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, United States, Uruguay, Vatican City, and Grenada.
In addition to the list of countries above, there are some other visa-exempt countries for a Ukraine visa:
- If you are a citizen of Brunei, you do not need to get a Ukraine visa for up to 30 days within a 60-day period)
- If you are a citizen of Serbia, you can travel to Ukraine without getting a visa for up to 30 days within a 60-day period.
- If you are a citizen of North Macedonia, you do not need to get a Ukraine visa for up to 14 days.
- If you are a citizen of Argentina, you can travel to Ukraine without getting a visa for up to 90 days within a 365-day period.
- If you are a citizen of Bosnia and Herzegovina, you do not need to get a Ukraine visa for up to 30 days within a 60-day period.
- If you are a citizen of Hong Kong, you can travel to Ukraine without getting a visa for up to 14 days.
Some foreign citizens do not need to apply for Ukraine visa and they also do not need to get a Passport. For example, Turkish citizens can travel to Ukraine for up to 90 days just with their national ID card.
Ukraine visa types
So, if you are certain that you will need a Ukrainian visa for your trip, you should also know which type of Ukraine visa you need to apply for. According to the Ukraine visa policy, there are types of Ukrainian visa you can apply for:
- Short-Term Ukraine Visa, also known as a Ukraine Tourist Visa (C Type)
- Long-Term Ukraine Visa (D Type)
- Ukraine Transit Visa (B Type)
The most common type of Ukraine visa is the C type Ukrainian visa. This visa type allows you to enter Ukraine and stay in Ukraine for 90 days within 180 days. This Ukraine visa type can be given for single, multiple, or double entry. Although the most popular subtype of this Ukraine visa is the tourist visa, you can apply for it for different purposes such as:
- Ukraine Business Visa
- Ukraine Visitor Visa
- Ukraine Medical Treatment Visa
- Ukraine Media Visa
If you are traveling to Ukraine for business purposes such as attending a business meeting or conference, and negotiations, then you should be applying for a Ukraine Business Visa.
If you are traveling to Ukraine for a private visit to a Ukrainian friend or family member then you should be applying for a Ukraine visa for visitors.
If you are seeking to get medical treatment in a Ukrainian medical institution, you should state this in your Ukraine visa application form and then apply for a Ukraine medical treatment visa.
Lastly, if you are a foreign journalist traveling for your work, then you should be applying for a Ukraine visa for media purposes.
Also, a Ukraine transit visa is issued to foreigners who have to transit through Ukraine while on their way to another country. The transit visa for Ukraine can be issued for a single-entry up to five days, as double-entry, or multiple-entry provided that each entry does not exceed 5 days.
Of course, your trip may have to last longer than 90 days in Ukraine. For such situations, the Ukrainian government allows you to apply for a long-term Ukraine visa. Nevertheless, you should be well aware of Ukraine visa requirements when you are applying for a long-term Ukraine visa. So, if you are wondering how to get Ukraine visa, you should know that for the long-term Ukraine visa, the required documents can be different, so can the process of getting a Ukrainian visa.
Basically, there are three types of long-term Ukrainian visas you can apply for:
- Ukraine Work Visa
- Ukraine Study Visa
- Ukraine Family Visa
If you have found a job and gotten a Ukrainian employment permit, you can apply for a Ukraine work visa to work and live in Ukraine.
If you have been accepted into a Ukrainian institution of higher education for a bachelor’s, master’s, or Ph.D. degree, then you can apply for a Ukraine Study Visa and you can stay in Ukraine for a longer period of time.
Lastly, if you are a foreign family member of Ukrainian citizens or legal residents, then you can apply for a Ukraine family visa to stay in Ukraine for a longer period of time
Bear in mind that these long-term Ukraine visas are issued for 90 days. However, unlike the short-term Ukraine visa, you can apply for a residence permit as soon as you land in Ukraine with your long-term visa.
Ukraine visa application steps
Ukraine visa application steps are made clear by the Ukrainian authorities. You are required to go through these steps below:
- Print and fill in the Ukraine visa form.
- Collect the necessary documents.
- Pay the Ukraine visa fee that is specified for the type of visa you are applying for.
- Ask for an appointment in the Ukrainian consulate and present the required documents to the consulate.
It is recommended to ask for further assistance regarding your Ukraine visa application. Depending on your nationality, duration of your visit, and the type of Ukrainian visa you are applying for, the required documents can be different. Make sure you get your appointment at the Ukrainian embassy or consulate as soon as possible and be there on time on your scheduled appointment day. If you miss your appointment, you may have to go through this process all over again.
How long does it take to get a Ukraine visa?
Since the application process depends on many factors, there is no definite amount of time for your Ukrainian visa application to be processed. However, Ukraine visa processing time usually takes up to 10 working days. If you need a Ukraine visa as soon as possible, you can always apply for expedited processing but this will increase the costs of the Ukraine visa fee. However, in this way you can expect to get your Ukrainian visa in 5 working days. Bear in mind that these are approximate numbers and if there are too many applicants at that time, you may have to wait longer. That is why we advise you to apply for Ukraine visa as soon as possible.
Ukraine visa requirements
There are some strict Ukraine visa requirements that you should know of. Any failure with providing the necessary documents may result in the rejection of your Ukraine visa application. To prevent any situation from happening to you, we have listed all of the Ukraine visa requirements below:
- The first thing you should do is to download the Ukraine visa application form and fill it correctly. Make sure you arrange this application form digitally and also get a printed copy of your form.
- You should submit 2 Ukraine visa photos.
- Your passport and its copy should involve your previous visas and your passport should be valid for at least 3 months after your visa expires. Additionally, your visa must have at least 2 blank pages.
- You should be getting travel health insurance that covers expenses up to €30.000 to get a Ukrainian visa.
- You should attach your flight ticket and hotel reservations to your Ukraine visa form. If you are not going to stay at a hotel, you are still required to prove your accommodation information during your stay in Ukraine. So, you may be asked to provide a host letter, if you are not going to stay at a hotel.
- Last but not least, do not forget to attach some documents that substitute as proof of financial sufficiencies such as bank statements, payslips, tax returns, pension, and sponsorship. A Ukraine visa requires you to prove your financial sufficiency throughout your stay in Ukraine.
Ukraine visa on arrival
Since June 2019, Ukraine is no longer issuing Ukraine visa on arrival. You can either apply for a Ukraine eVisa or apply for Ukraine visa via the Ukrainian embassy. Instead of a Ukraine visa on arrival, now you can apply for Ukraine eVisa. If there is an emergency that you have to go to Ukraine and you want to get the visa at the border, the following purposes can get you a Ukraine visa on arrival:
- An urgent medical treatment
- Participating in the funeral of a close relative
- Entering Ukraine for diplomatic reasons after an invitation from the Ukrainian government
- Humanitarian reasons like the aftermath of an accident or emergency in Ukraine
- Flight Crew Member Certificate issued in line with the Convention on International Civil Aviation for pilots
Ukraine eVisa
As Ukraine has suspended Ukraine visa on arrival, a new visa type called the Ukraine eVisa was launched in 2019. Thanks to the Ukraine eVisa program, you can apply for a Ukraine visa online and you do not need to go to the Ukrainian embassy. If you are planning to travel to Ukraine for the purposes of tourism, business, private visit, medical treatment, journalism; cultural, sports, educational, or scientific events or activities, then you can apply for a Ukraine eVisa. Bear in mind that Ukraine eVisa is only valid for 30 days and it is given as a single-entry type of visa.
So, if you are a citizen of the following countries, you can apply for a Ukraine eVisa: Australia, Bahamas, Bahrain, Barbados, Belize, Bolivia, Bhutan, Cambodia, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Fiji, Grenada, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Indonesia, Jamaica, Kiribati, Kuwait, Laos, Macau, Malaysia, Maldives, Marshall Islands, Mauritius, Mexico, Micronesia, Myanmar, Nauru, Nepal, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Oman, Palau, Peru, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, Saudi Arabia, Seychelles, Singapore, Solomon Islands, Suriname, Taiwan, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Trinidad and Tobago, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu.
If you would like to apply for Ukraine eVisa, you have to go through these steps below:
- Register to the Ukraine eVisa platform
- Complete the Ukraine visa form.
- Upload electronic copies of all the required documents
- Pay the Ukraine visa fee with your credit/debit card. The Ukraine eVisa fee is $85.
- Wait for your Ukraine visa to be processed. Generally, the processing time for a Ukraine visa is around 10 working days.
- If your Ukraine visa is approved, you will receive an electronic copy of your Ukraine eVisa. You are required to print it and show it to the immigration officers when you land in Ukraine.
Ukraine visa fees
Ukraine visa fees may vary depending on your nationality and the type of visa you are applying for.
So, we have made a list of Ukraine visa fees according to all these factors below:
Country — Transit Visa Cost — Short-Term Visa — Long-term visa
- Afghanistan – $100 – $ 85 – $100
- Algeria – $80 – $80 – $80
- Angola – $100 – $100 – $100
- Argentina – N/A – $250
- Australia – $100 – $100 – $385
- Austria – N/A – $176
- Belgium– N/A – $211 – $622
- Burundi – $65 – $90 -120 – $65 – 90
- Canada – N/A – $65 – $125
- Chile – N/A – $85 – $200
- Columbia – $65 – $65 – $65 – 282
- Cote d’Ivoire – $65 – $110 – $110
- Czech Republic – N/A – $115
- Denmark – N/A – $65 – $1000+
- Djibouti – $95 – 135 – $135 – $135
- Ecuador – $65 – $65 – $65 – 450
- Estonia – N/A – Free of charge
- Ethiopia – $65 – 80 – $80 – 125 – $80 – 120
- France – N/A – $65 – $107
- Germany– N/A – Free of charge
- Hungary – N/A – $Free of charge
- India – $85– $85 – 250 – $85 -120
- Iraq – $85 – $65 – 85 – $65 – 85
- Ireland – N/A – $108
- Israel – N/A – $ 65 – $203
- Italy – N/A – $ 65 – $139
- Japan– N/A – Free of charge
- Jordan – $84 -254 – $84 – 254 – $254
- Kosovo – $65 – $65 – $91
- Kyrgyzstan – N/A – $65 – $195
- South Korea– N/A – Free of charge
- Latvia – N/A – Free of charge
- Lithuania – N/A – Free of charge
- Libya – $65 – $65 – 130 – $65 – 130
- Malawi – $75 – $100 – 300 – $65 – 100
- Montenegro – N/A– Free of charge
- Myanmar – $65 – $65 – 600 – $65 – 200
- Netherlands – N/A – $65 – $339
- Nigeria – $72 – 176 – $72 – 176 – $176
- Norway – N/A – $65 – $690
- Oman – $65 – $90 – 130 – $65
- Pakistan – $165 – 395 – $65 – 593 – $65 – 593
- Poland – N/A – Free of charge
- Portugal – N/A – $97
- Romania – N/A – Free of charge
- Saudi Arabia – $100 – 200 – $100 -2000+ – $427
- Serbia – Free of charge – Free of charge – Free of charge
- Slovakia – N/A – Free of charge
- Slovenia – N/A – $83
- South Sudan – $100 – 300 – $100 – 300 – $300
- Tanzania – $65 – $65 – $65 – 250
- Tunisia – $65 – $65 – 140 – $65 – 140
- Turkey – N/A – $65 – $85
- Uganda – $65 – $65 – 100 – $100
- United Kingdom – N/A – $65 – $2000+
- The United States – N/A – $65 -152
- Vietnam – $65 – $65 – 100 – $65 – 95
