The queue to get into Ukraine has just got a little bit slower. In mid-March, the State Border Service of Ukraine has started to enforce a Dec. 4 Cabinet of Ministers decree that requires certain categories of foreign travelers to have proof of sufficient funds upon entry.
The State Migration Service was not available
for comment on this story.
The decree stipulates that foreign travelers
need to prove that they have enough money to support themselves for the entire
duration of their stay in Ukraine, which should equal the subsistence level
amount multiplied by 20. At the moment, this number is Hr 1,176 per month, so
for a one-month stay a visitor would need to prove that they had access to Hr
23,520.
The formula becomes more complicated for a
shorter or longer period. The monthly amount is divided by 30 and multiplied by
the actual number of days the traveler is planning to stay, plus five
days.
Some foreign visitors should rest easy,
however, since the exemption list includes diplomats and employees of
international organizations on official business, and foreigners who have
residency status in Ukraine. People who might have trouble at the border are
casual tourists, since Ukraine has a 90-day visa-free regime with most European
and North American countries, and citizens of the former Soviet bloc, as
Ukraine has a visa-free regime period with these countries.
Many countries, particularly the wealthy
nations of the West, have long placed this extra barrier to entry to a certain
profile of travelers, such as students and tourists. Ostensibly, the purpose is
to ensure that foreign visitors do not apply to the state for financial support
at any time during their stay, although it is also a weapon to combat illegal
immigration. In the case of Ukraine, the new decree appears to be another stage
in immigration reform, says Scott Brown of the law firm Frishberg &
Partners.
The State Border Service will accept an
impressive range of documentation to serve as proof of sufficient funds,
including bank statements, ATM receipts, credit card limits, cash, or a letter
of support from an inviting party. However, certification of these documents is
not required, explains Brown. Refusal to comply is grounds for non-admission.
In other words, the tightening of the
border-crossing means that cash-light tourists will need more than just a
passport to get in. They will need hotel vouchers, letters of invitation,
guarantee letters from the inviting party, or transit documents.
Brown says that foreign employees working in
Ukraine and others planning long-term stays should not encounter difficulties
crossing the border because they would have had to supply proof of sufficient
funds anyway when applying for a visa or work permit in their home countries.
Former President Viktor Yanukovych initiated
administrative reform in the area of migration by establishing the State
Migration Service in 2011.
Kyiv Post business journalist Evan Ostryzniuk
can be reached at [email protected].
