Hundreds of thousands of foreign nationals continue to visit Ukraine every month for various purposes. Find out how many foreigners and from which countries came to Ukraine from January to July 2024 and what their purpose was

Take care of reliable insurance for safe entry and stay in Ukraine

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Although the flow of foreigners to Ukraine has decreased since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, it has not stopped. Today, hundreds of thousands of foreign nationals come to the country for private or business purposes, as well as for tourism and education. Both citizens of neighboring countries and tourists from remote parts of the world visit Ukraine. The article below describes the number of foreigners who entered Ukraine in the first half of 2024, the countries they came from most often, and their purpose.

How many foreigners entered Ukraine in 2024 and for what purpose?

According to the official statistics provided by the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine at the request of Visit Ukraine, 1,188,466 foreigners entered Ukraine between January 1 and July 1, 2024. It is worth noting that almost 2.5 million foreign citizens visited the country in 2023.

The vast majority, namely 1,142,036 people (96.09%), visited Ukraine for private purposes. Another 44,503 people (3.74%) were servicing vehicles, and 1,041 people (0.09%) traveled to transit through Ukraine. Interestingly, 680 foreigners (0.06%) stated that they were leaving for tourism, 198 citizens (0.02%) stated that they were leaving for business purposes, and 8 foreigners (0.001%) stated that they were leaving for study. It should be noted that all 8 students came to Ukraine from the same country, namely Poland.

Remember! Regardless of the purpose of entering Ukraine, it is mandatory for every foreign citizen to obtain an appropriate insurance policy. Given the existing threats, we recommend taking out insurance covering military risks, which will guarantee the protection and provision of medical care to foreign nationals in unforeseen situations. You can get such insurance from a licensed and trusted insurance agent on the Visit Ukraine portal.

What countries do citizens of most often come to Ukraine? Top 30

The absolute leader in this ranking was and remains citizens of Moldova, as 519,906 people entered Ukraine in the first half of 2024, which is 43.75% of the total number of foreigners who came to Ukraine in 2024. It should be noted that in 2023, the number of citizens from neighboring Moldova who visited Ukraine exceeded 1 million.

In addition, the top three countries were Romania, with 208,969 citizens, and Poland, with 108,080.

Thus, the ranking of the 10 countries whose citizens came to Ukraine most often in the first half of 2024 is as follows:

1. Moldova - 519,906 citizens
2. Romania - 208,969
3. Poland - 108,080

4. Hungary - 60,442

5. Slovakia - 31,715

6. Turkey - 24,194

7. Israel - 23,918

8. USA - 21,925

9. Germany - 20,788

10. Syria - 14,859

The top twenty leaders are:

11. Great Britain - 14,857

12. Italy - 9,854

13. Azerbaijan - 9,390

14. Czech Republic - 9 351

15. russia - 7,591

16. Georgia - 6,359

17. Lithuania - 6,260

18. France - 6,229

19. Bulgaria - 5,342

20. Latvia - 4,659

And the top 30 countries are closed:

21. Canada - 4,268

22. Philippines - 4,215

23. Netherlands - 4,053

24. Egypt - 3,614

25. India - 3,328

26. China - 3,280

27. Armenia - 3,094

28. Sweden - 2,911

29. Austria - 2,530

30. Portugal - 2,403

However, it should be noted that this is only a small part of the countries whose citizens visited Ukraine in 2024, as the full statistical report provided by the State Border Guard Service at the request of VU includes 172 countries.

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How a foreigner can enter Ukraine in 2024: rules, necessary documents and convenient routes

The rules for crossing the Ukrainian border for foreigners have not changed. However, when planning such a trip, foreign citizens should familiarize themselves with the basic safety rules to avoid unwanted risks. This especially applies to the rules of conduct during air raid and missile alerts, as well as curfews.

Rules for entering Ukraine and required documents

Ukraine has a visa-free regime with the countries of the European Union, as well as some other countries, so citizens of these countries do not need to apply for a visa if they are planning a short trip for personal business or travel. To cross the border, they need to have

– a valid passport (citizens of Turkey and Georgia can enter Ukraine on the basis of an ID card)
– insurance,
– proof of the purpose of entry and sufficient financial security.

For the rest of the citizens, a visa is required. You can check whether you need a visa to enter Ukraine on the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine. We described in detail the types of visas to Ukraine and how to obtain them in our previous article.

How to get to Ukraine when there are no flights and all airports are closed?

For obvious reasons, the airspace over Ukraine remains closed. However, you can still get to the country by train, bus, or any other convenient land route. The most popular option among foreigners is to fly to the country closest to Ukraine and then continue the route by land.

For the convenience of travelers, the Visit Ukraine team has already collected the most convenient routes to get to Ukraine from around the world. To find out more, select the country of interest and follow the link:

UK — Canada — USA — Poland — Moldova — Romania — Netherlands — Italy — Slovakia 

Spain — Lithuania — Estonia — France — Germany — Austria — Belgium — Sweden 

Portugal — Turkey — Hungary.

If you do not find the option you are looking for in the list, enter the country you are interested in in the "search" field on the blog page.

Remember that on Visit Ukraine portal you can conveniently and quickly buy bus and train tickets from/to Ukraine and between cities around the world.

We remind you! In times of war, there are some restrictions on visiting certain places in Ukraine. Read our previous article to find out where you are allowed to go on vacation and what places you cannot visit.

Photo: Freepik

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

We recommend purchasing it for a safe and comfortable trip to Ukraine: 

Visit Ukraine Insurance – insurance covering military risks for entry and travel in Ukraine;

Visit Ukraine Car Insurance – car insurance with extended coverage in Ukraine;

Visit Ukraine Legal Advice – comprehensive legal support on entry to Ukraine;

Visit Ukraine Tickets – bus and train tickets to/from Ukraine;

Visit Ukraine Tours – the largest online database of tours to Ukraine for every taste;

Visit Ukraine Hotels – hotels for a comfortable stay in Ukraine;

Visit Ukraine Merch – patriotic clothing and accessories with worldwide delivery.

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