The Cabinet of Ministers has changed entry rules for foreigners for the COVID-19 quarantine period.
Yesterday, September 28, Government Decree No. 888 amended Decree No. 641 of July 22, 2020, which establishes quarantine and introduces enhanced anti-epidemic measures, as reported by the Interior Ministry.
New requirements at border
Foreigners may enter Ukraine only if they have a valid health insurance, "issued by an insurance company registered in Ukraine, or a foreign insurance company that has a representative office in Ukraine or a contractual relationship with an insurance company – its partner in Ukraine (assistance), and covers the costs of COVID-19 treatment, observation, and is valid for the period of stay in Ukraine."
Read alsoGov't updates quarantine zoning mapWho's not subject to the requirement
- Foreigners and stateless persons who permanently reside in Ukraine;
- Persons recognized as refugees and in need of additional protection;
- Employees of diplomatic and consulate missions, representative offices of international missions and organizations accredited in Ukraine, and their family members; and
- Military of NATO member states and countries participating in the NATO Partnership for Peace program who are engaged in training Ukrainian Army units.
Where the rules also apply
Without health insurance, foreigners and stateless persons are also banned from crossing in and out of the temporarily occupied territories in Donetsk and Luhansk regions, the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, and Sevastopol.
Who must go for self-isolation
People who cross the state border, arriving from the country with a wide spread of COVID-19 are subject to self-isolation.
Who doesn't need self-isolation
- Children under 12 years of age;
- Those arriving in Ukraine for studying in higher education facilities;
- Citizens of states with a wide spread of COVID-19, who have not stayed in these countries within the last 14 days or proceed transit through the territory of Ukraine with documents confirming their future exit from Ukraine within two days;
- Employees of diplomatic missions and consular offices of foreign states, representative offices of international missions, organizations accredited in Ukraine, and their family members;
- Drivers and crew members of trucks and buses on regular lines, crew members of planes, sea and river vessels, as well as train and locomotive crews;
- Instructors of the armed forces of NATO member states and countries participating in the NATO Partnership for Peace program who take part in training the units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine;
- Art professionals arriving at the invitation of a cultural institution along with an accompanying person;
- Persons transporting hematopoietic stem cells for transplantation; and
- Persons carrying negative COVID-19 PCR tests run no earlier than 48 hours prior to arrival.
Temporary entry ban for foreigners: Background
On August 26, 2020, the Cabinet of Ministers extended the adaptive quarantine across Ukraine until November 1.
Then the government imposed a temporary entry ban for foreigners from August 29 until September 28, with a number of exceptions for certain categories of foreign nationals.
Read alsoCOVID-19: Over 3,600 new cases reported as of Sept 29One of such exceptions was reportedly made for Belarusian citizens fleeing amid unrest in their country.
Late on Thursday, August 27, the Cabinet declared that the borders would be shut a day earlier, from midnight on August 28.
It was reported on September 25 that Ukraine's government does not plan to extend an entry ban for foreign nationals.
An entry ban for foreign nationals lost its effect on September 28.
