The war has forced many Ukrainians to travel the world in search of refuge from Russian terror. Most of our compatriots have traveled to European countries, some as refugees and some under the standard procedure. Find out how visa-free travel and biometric passports help Ukrainians travel freely across Europe

An insurance policy is a guarantee of your safety and peaceful stay outside of Ukraine

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Even during the martial law in Ukraine, many Ukrainians continue to travel abroad not as refugees: on business trips, for study, medical treatment, to visit relatives, or simply to travel. We are talking about the rules for entering and staying in Europe under standard procedures.

What is visa-free travel and why is the EU not equal to Schengen?

Since 2017, Ukrainian citizens have been able to enter the EU without a visa. Visa-free travel must last no more than 90 days within six months.

Important! The visa-free regime is valid with the European Union, not with the Schengen area. These are 2 different concepts.

The Schengen area and the duration of stay within its borders

The Schengen area is the territory of certain European countries that have agreed to abolish internal borders. This zone includes both EU member states and some other countries that do not belong to this economic and political union.

There are a few key principles of visa-free travel worth remembering:

1. First day of stay = day of entry;

2. Last day of stay = day of departure from the Schengen area;

3. If you have not crossed the border with a Schengen country within the last 90 days, you are granted a new 90-day period of stay in the respective countries;

4. If you have been in the country with a visa or a temporary residence permit, your 90 days will not be considered as exhausted;

5. It is forbidden to stay in the EU countries without a visa or residence permit after the expiration of the 90-day period;

6. It is possible to stay in the EU without a visa after the 90-day period has expired. To do this, you need to leave the Schengen area and then return with a biometric passport after the expiration of your national visa or residence permit.

You can cross the border with countries with which Ukraine has a visa-free regime with one of the following documents:

- Biometric passport of a citizen of Ukraine for traveling abroad.

- Diplomatic passport of Ukraine.

- Biometric service passport of Ukraine.

Please note that Ukrainians with non-biometric passports still need to apply for a visa.

How to calculate the number of unused days of stay in the EU?

As Ukrainians may cross the border with European countries more than once, they need to keep track of the remaining unused days. Special "calculators" have been developed to help with this. In particular, there is a migration calculator from the State Migration Service of Ukraine.

Countries that Ukrainians can visit without a visa

According to the Global Passport Index Internet portal, as of March 01, 2024, Ukrainian citizens can visit 148 countries without a visa or with a visa upon arrival. Of these, Ukrainians can travel to about 100 countries without a visa. As for the EU, visa-free travel applies to all its members, as well as to other countries on the European continent:

Visa-free countries for Ukrainians in the EU and the Schengen area (non-EU countries are highlighted in bold):

Austria

Andorra

Belgium

Bulgaria

Vatican City

Greece

Denmark

Estonia

Ireland

Iceland

Spain

Italy

Cyprus

Latvia

Lithuania

Liechtenstein

Luxembourg

Malta

Monaco

Netherlands

Germany

Norway

Poland

Portugal

Romania

San Marino

Slovakia

Slovenia

Hungary

Finland

France

Croatia

Czech Republic

Switzerland

Sweden

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Where else can Ukrainians travel without a visa besides Europe?

There are many countries in the world that keep their doors open to Ukrainians and accept them without a visa. We have compiled an up-to-date list of countries outside of Europe that Ukrainians can visit without a visa in 2024:

Azerbaijan

Albania

Belarus

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Armenia

Georgia (entry is allowed with a passport of a citizen of Ukraine in the form of an ID-card)

Israel

Kazakhstan

Qatar

Kyrgyzstan

Malaysia

Marshall Islands

Moldova

Mongolia

New Caledonia

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

Oman

North Macedonia

Republic of Seychelles

Serbia

Tajikistan

Thailand

Turkey (entry with a passport of a citizen of Ukraine in the form of an ID-card is allowed)

Uzbekistan

Fiji

Montenegro

Mauritius

The conditions for entering these countries are very similar to visa-free travel to the EU. The above countries also have an authorized period of stay, and the necessary documents for crossing the border are generally the same, but may differ depending on the country.

Basic rules for preparing for a trip abroad

1. Prepare your documents

Ukrainians often perceive the visa-free regime as a guarantee of entry into the country of destination. However, any state has the right to refuse a citizen to stay on its territory. To avoid being refused, you should meet the following conditions:

- Have a valid travel document - a biometric passport;

- Documentary evidence of the purpose of the trip, sufficient money and tickets to return to your home country;

- Not being on the list of persons banned from entering the Schengen/EU

When crossing the border, you must first show your biometric passport.

You may also be asked to provide confirmation of your accommodation reservation, availability of money both in cash and on accounts, return flight tickets, etc.

If you have minor children traveling with you, you must confirm the right of paternity or custody over them; if it is someone else's children, you must show the parents' consent to travel abroad.

2. Check the validity of your passport

A biometric passport gives you the right to cross the border with EU countries if it is valid for three months after the planned date of return from the Schengen area.

Make sure that your document is truly biometric - this is evidenced by the chip on the identification pages of the passport. Passports issued since 2017, as well as documents of the FB, FE, FF, FG, FH, FJ, PU, SU, DU series are biometric.

Please note! If you have been denied a visa once, you can check the reason for it. To do this, border guards put special letters next to the stamp in the passport. Read about what they mean in our article.

3. Take out travel insurance

Remember that to enter the territory of another country, Ukrainians must have a travel insurance policy with them. You can get insurance online from trusted insurers on our website.

4. Take the necessary amount of money

The daily spending rate for EU countries differs or does not exist at all, as, for example, in Germany. It is recommended to focus on the amount of 45 euros per day per person.

5. Formulate the purpose of the trip

Visa-free travel is allowed for tourist purposes, to participate in contests or competitions, for medical treatment or education, to go on a business trip, to visit relatives, etc.

At the same time, the visa-free regime does not apply to persons traveling for employment, even if it is shorter than 90 days. Therefore, if you plan to work legally, you need to obtain a special permit in advance. This can be done at the embassy or consulate of the country where you are going to be employed.

You can read more about employment of Ukrainians in Europe here.

Remember. Any information regarding the rules of leaving and returning to Ukraine is available in full on our website. Also, our migration lawyers accept applications for consultations and professional support on any migration issues 24/7: traveling abroad for men of military age, returning to Ukraine, collecting and processing documents, etc.     

Want to know more? Read the latest news and useful materials about Ukraine and the world in the News section.

Ihor Usyk is the Head of Legal Department at Visit Ukraine

In order to organize a trip, ensure a safe move and successful employment in a new country, I advise you to contact a specialist. My colleagues, qualified specialists with legal education, will help you avoid unpleasant situations when traveling abroad.

Do you have additional questions? Contact the Visit Ukraine hotline (Telegram | WhatsApp).

Our recommendation for a safe and comfortable trip: 

Visit Ukraine Insurance - insurance for a safe stay abroad without unnecessary expenses;

Green Card - compulsory car insurance for traveling abroad;

Visit Ukraine Tickets - book tickets for buses, trains, and airplanes to/from Ukraine and between cities around the world;

Private Lawyer service - professional legal support on visa and migration issues;

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