Ukraine will stop issuing visas at airports from Jan. 1, but some foreigners coming to the country will be able to buy an electronic visa in advance through the e-visa system, according to a new decree issued by the government.
Currently, nationals of 31 countries can buy 15-day tourist and business visas on arrival in Ukraine. They, as well as citizens of 13 more countries (44 in total), can also get an electronic visa beforehand using Ukraine’s e-visa system launched in April 2018.
The countries are: Australia, the Bahamas, Barbados, Bahrain, Bolivia, Bhutan, Vanuatu, Haiti, Guatemala, Honduras, Grenada, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Indonesia, Cambodia, Costa Rica, Kuwait, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Mauritius, Malaysia, Maldives, Mexico, Micronesia, Myanmar, Nepal, Nicaragua, New Zealand, Oman, Palau, Peru, El Salvador, Samoa, Saudi Arabia, Seychelles, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Saint Lucia, Singapore, Suriname, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Trinidad and Tobago, Tuvalu, Fiji, and Jamaica.
Travelers from these countries will no longer be able to purchase visas at border checkpoints in Kyiv Boryspil airport, Kyiv Ihor Sikorsky airport (former Zhulyany), and Odesa airport after Jan. 1, 2019.
The government extended the list of types of e-visas to cover a wider range of purposes of visit to Ukraine. In addition to tourism and business, there are now visas for those who are coming for medical treatment, journalists, athletes, and people working in culture, education, and science.
The fee for a 30-day e-visa will be raised from $65 to $85, according to the new government decree.
In comparison, a 90-day e-visa to Turkey costs $20, and it is possible to get a visa upon arrival. A short-term visa to Moldova costs 60 euros.
Georgia, which can be visited visa-free by nationals of most countries of the world, offers an e-visa for $20 to those from the few countries that don’t have visa-free entry.
Visitors from 65 jurisdictions, including the EU countries, the former Soviet republics, some Asian countries and North America, do not require a visa to Ukraine, if their stay does not exceed 90 days.
