Ukraine's Ministry of Foreign Affairs is to start issuing electronic visas (e-visa) to nationals of India, South Africa, and the Philippines from August 14, 2020.
"Ukrainian e-visas are issued for the following extended list of travel purposes: business; private; tourism; medical treatment; cultural/scientific/educational/sports activities; foreign mass media staff," the ministry said on its website.
Read alsoZelensky lifts visa requirements for citizens of six countries
To apply for a Ukrainian e-visa, an applicant should register at the MFA web platform http://evisa.mfa.gov.ua and fill in online application form and upload scanned copies of required documents (photo, passport, document confirming the purpose of the visit etc.). Once an online fee is paid with a MasterCard/Visa card, an e-visa is sent to the applicant's e-mail in pdf. format.
Prior to travel, all applicants should print out their e-visas and later present them (along with their valid passport) to Ukraine's State Border Guard Service officers on entry to Ukraine.
According to the ministry, e-visa advantages are the following: application may be submitted remotely at any convenient time; e-visa can be obtained without visiting a consular post, e-visa application status can be tracked online; all e-visas are issued by the MFA of Ukraine; help & additional information are available at evisa@mfa.gov.ua.
Nationals of the mentioned states may still submit their regular visa applications via standard procedure to Ukraine's foreign diplomatic missions, the ministry said.
So far, there are 45 e-visa eligible countries now: Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bolivia, Bhutan, Cambodia, China (except for August 1, 2020 through January 31, 2021), Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Fiji, Grenada, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, India, Indonesia, Jamaica, Kiribati, Laos, Malaysia, Maldives, Mauritius, Mexico, Micronesia, Myanmar, Nauru, Nepal, Nicaragua, Palau, Peru, Philippines, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, Seychelles, Singapore, Solomon Islands, South Africa, Suriname, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Trinidad and Tobago, Tuvalu, Vanuatu.
Recent visa liberalization introduced by Ukraine
- President Volodymyr Zelensky approved a visa-free regime for entry into Ukraine for citizens of six countries from August 1, 2020. Citizens of Australia, New Zealand, the Kingdom of Bahrain, the State of Kuwait, the Sultanate of Oman, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia do not need visas in Ukraine if their stay in Ukraine does not exceed 90 days during a 180-day period.
- President Zelensky signed a decree on a temporary visa-free regime for Chinese citizens who enter Ukraine for tourist purposes. The new regime will be in effect for the period from August 1, 2020 to January 31, 2021.
