In the early afternoon of August 26, 2020 Ukrainian media outlets warned Ukraine-bound foreign travelers about the governmental decision to close Ukrainian borders to foreigners from midnight August 29, 2020 and until midnight September 28, 2020.
In the late evening of August 27, 2020 the Government decided to enforce this rule a day earlier than planned, namely from midnight of August 28, 2020.
Unfortunately, the Ukrainian Government did not publish their decision and the above information could only be taken from the Prime Minister public statement.
As of the publishing of this article the decision had still not been announced.
The rule stipulates that all foreigners are banned from entering Ukraine during the above period due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Nonetheless, there are quite a few exceptions to this rule:
- Foreign holders of Ukrainian residence permits will be allowed to enter the country without restrictions. The information currently available does not specify whether a foreign traveller needs to have a temporary or permanent residence permit to be allowed to enter the country during this special period. However, judging from the well-established international practices, we can almost certainly presume that the holders of both types of residence permits will be allowed to enter Ukraine.
- Foreign nationals who are grandparents, parents, children or spouses of Ukrainian citizens.
- Foreigners with work permits in Ukraine.
- Foreigners in transit travel through Ukraine in possession of documents proving their departure from Ukraine within two days upon arrival.
- Foreign nationals arriving in Ukraine to study.
- Foreigners on military duty in Ukraine.
- Foreigners with refugee status or in need of special protection.
- Diplomatic missions, consulates, representatives and employees of official international missions and organizations accredited in Ukraine, and their family members.
- Foreigners and members of official delegations for foreign countries, co-workers of international organizations and individuals accompanying them that enter Ukraine upon invitation of the President of Ukraine, Parliament or Government.
- Foreigners invited to enter Ukraine by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
- Foreigner drivers or crew members of vehicles carrying out regular cargo trips, airplanes, vessels and trains.
- Armed Forces Instructors preparing Ukraine Armed Forces of NATO member states or invited by the Ministry of Defense.
- Foreigner professionals in the field of culture arriving in Ukraine upon invitation of cultural establishments and one person accompanying each of them.
- Foreigners arriving in Ukraine to participate in sports competitions taking place in Ukraine and the persons accompanying them.
- Foreigner technical specialists arriving in Ukraine upon invitation of Ukrainian companies.
- Foreigners transporting stem cells for transplantation.
- Foreigners arriving in Ukraine for medical treatment.
It is important to note that this list is not exhaustive. The State Border Control senior management can grant access to Ukraine for any foreigners if they have humanitarian grounds for their arrival.
All the above foreigners, except those mentioned in paragraph 1, 7, 8, and 12, must have valid COVID-19 insurance covering COVID-19 treatment and observation in Ukraine issued by a Ukrainan insurance company.
Speaking from years of experience, Ukrainan Border Control prefers seeing documents in Ukrainian. Insurance policies in any other language might be difficult for officials understand. For this reason we recommend purchasing a local insurance policy to secure immediate and unhindered entry to Ukraine. As far as governmental regulations are concerned, there are no specific requirements, apart from the above, to these insurance policies. The Ukrainian insurance companies currently offer insurance policies with COVID-19 coverage included and frequently the cost for such insurance is triple or quadruple that of a regular policy. If you are unsure you will be allowed to enter Ukraine with your current insurance, or you want to buy a local policy, please do not hesitate to reach out to us at info@immigrateua.com or call us at +380931953055 for complimentary advice.
Regrettably, the Ukraine Government overlooked foreigners who departed from Ukraine several days before the ban was introduced to obtain a D type long term visa, which is a prerequisite to obtain a residence permit in Ukraine. From the information currently available to the general public it is impossible to conclude if such foreigners will be allowed to enter Ukraine during this special period. The Border Control representative’s informally informed us that such individuals will not be allowed to enter.
Another unfortunate aspect of this newly-introduced ban is that the foreigners who planned to come to Ukraine were given two days notice. Many of them will lose their airfares, accommodation reservations and their private and family lives will be disrupted for at least one month.
To sum up, the new rules have just been introduced and we will need to see how the Border Control implements them. At Zalizniak and Associates Ukraine Immigration Consulting we always keep track of the newest regulations and administrative practises. We encourage you to reach out to us at info@immigrateua.com or call us at +380931953055 for complimentary advice in case you have any questions about traveling to Ukraine.
