IMPACT – MEDIUM

What is the change? Ukraine is ending its visa-on-arrival program for foreign nationals traveling as tourist or business visitors starting Jan. 1.

What does the change mean? Those planning travel to Ukraine for business or tourism starting Jan. 1 will not be able to use the visa-on-arrival program. If they are eligible, they are encouraged to use Ukraine’s e-visa program instead.

  • Implementation time frame: Jan. 1.
  • Visas/permits affected: Visas on arrival for business or tourism/e-visas.
  • Who is affected: Anyone who had intended to travel to Ukraine for business or tourism through its visa-on-arrival program on or after Jan. 1.
  • Next steps: Eligible applicants may apply for an e-visa at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ website. Beginning Jan. 1, the e-visa fee will increase from US$65 to US$85.

Background: Visas on arrival are currently available at select airports for nationals of 33 countries. Nationals of 31 of the 33 countries who are eligible for visas on arrival are also eligible for e-visas, but Chinese and Indian nationals (both currently eligible for visas on arrival) are not eligible for e-visas. Nationals of the following countries are currently eligible for e-visas:

Countries Eligible for E-visas
Australia Antigua and Barbuda Bahamas Bahrain Barbados Bhutan
Bolivia Cambodia Costa Rica Dominica Dominican Republic El Salvador
Fiji Grenada Guatemala Haiti Honduras Indonesia
Jamaica Kuwait Laos Malaysia Maldives Mauritius
Mexico Micronesia Myanmar Nepal New Zealand Nicaragua
Oman Palau Peru Qatar Samoa Saudi Arabia
Seychelles Singapore St. Vincent and the Grenadines St. Lucia Suriname Thailand
Timor-Leste Trinidad and Tobago Tuvalu Vanuatu United Arab Emirates

Visa-required nationals of countries that are not eligible for e-visas, including Chinese and Indian nationals travelling as a tourist or business visitor, must apply for a consular visa prior to travel.

Comments & Analysis: The change will add to the time it takes to plan travel to Ukraine for those who would otherwise use the visa-on-arrival program because e-visas can take up to nine business days to process. Travelers should take note of the change and plan accordingly.

Source: Deloitte LLP. Deloitte LLP is a limited liability partnership registered in England and Wales with registered number OC303675 and its registered office at 1 New Street Square, London EC4A 3HQ, United Kingdom.