[Kyiv, Ukraine – July 31, 2019]   Lately, Ukraine has been going through a wide range of reforms aimed at making the country a better place to live, including for foreigners. Ever since Ukraine signed Association Agreement with the European Union on March 21, 2014, and once the Agreement was in force on September 1, 2017, Ukrainian immigration legislation started changing from the old Soviet styled system to a new and more modern system. Naturally, such comprehensive and sweeping reforms is a complex matter and would take years to fully implement.

On March 6, 2019 the Ukrainian government amended its Rules on Obtaining Visas with several important provisions.

First and foremost, since July 26, 2019 foreigners from the countries of visa-free status with Ukraine (the US, the UK, Canada, the EU countries and others) can apply for type D, long-term visa in Ukraine though Ministry of Foreign Affairs, without leaving the country to apply for visa at a Ukrainian Consulate. This provision means that:

a) foreigners from the countries who can come to Ukraine for tourism purposes for up  to 90 days without visa; and

b) wishing to apply for a long-term type D visa,

may apply for the visa without leaving Ukraine under this newest immigration reform. This however, does not apply to any other foreigners of differing visa statuses with Ukraine, and/or those foreigners wishing to apply for any other type of visa other than that of long-term type D visas. The application should be made through the Consular Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

This new regulation will have a tremendous positive impact on foreign would-be residents of Ukraine. If you are familiar with the process of obtaining a type D long-term visa followed by a residency permit, you know that this required from you to fly out of Ukraine, find the closest Consulate and apply for a visa. This meant spending money on flights, hotels, and staying out of Ukraine from several days up to two weeks. Now, that we have this new change in law, all of the above expenses of time and money are no longer necessary. Simply stated—you no longer need to do it.

The Ukrainian legal system is known for its bureaucracy and its inherent delays when it comes to implementing new regulations. Unfortunately, this is the case in this particular law as well. Despite the fact this avenue to apply for visa via the Ministry of Foreign Affairs should have been in place since June 26, 2019, it has not yet been introduced.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed that they are doing their very best to offer this opportunity for foreign applicants and put in place all infrastructure needed to effect these changes. However, as of this writing, it is not yet ready. Also, it is not possible to predict when these new regulations will start taking effect.

In summation, if you are considering applying for a long-term, type D visa for the purpose of obtaining a residency permit in Ukraine, our advice is to stay the course and use the current system of visas via the foreign Ukrainian Consulates located outside of Ukraine. Up until the law finally takes full effect.

Introducing this new legislation of applying for visas through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is a complex task which requires time. Especially, in a system plagued by antiquated Soviet-style thinking this makes the task even that much more daunting. At Zalizniak & Associates we hope the authorities enact and implement this sweeping and beneficial change as soon as possible so we can make our smooth services – even that much smoother and efficient for you our valued clients. We trust you have found this article interesting. We will keep you in the loop as to any new changes as they occur. Should you have any questions concerning the legal process described above, feel free to contact us at info@immigrateua.com .