Ukraine - The Council of the European Union yesterday (11/05) approved visa-free travel for Ukrainians. It is expected that the visa-free scheme between the EU and Ukraine will enter into force in early June.

Ukrainians holding a biometric passport will be able to enter most EU countries without a visa for 90 days in any 180-day period, for tourism, to visit relatives or friends, or for business purposes. Visa-free travel for Ukrainians applies to all EU countries, except Ireland and the United Kingdom. Travel to non-EU countries – Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland – will also be possible without a visa.

“This is a major achievement for Ukraine whose citizens have long been waiting for this opportunity,” noted IOM Ukraine Chief of Mission, Manfred Profazi.

“Now we are standing by to help Ukraine get the best from visa liberalization that will primarily encourage regular, temporary and circular migration, strengthen people-to-people contacts, including with diaspora communities in the EU, enhance business opportunities and cultural exchanges, and enable Ukrainians to get to know the EU better,” he added.

IOM has been supporting Ukraine since the start of the EU-Ukraine dialogue in 2008. IOM assistance provided to Ukraine in the implementation of its Visa Liberalization Action Plan (VLAP) included analysis and recommendations for upgrading the migration-related legislation, procedures and institutional base.

IOM provided training for officials dealing with document security and identity management. The UN Migration Agency has also helped Ukrainian law enforcement agencies and social institutions in countering trafficking in human beings. Representatives of Ukrainian law enforcement agencies were trained by IOM on identification, documentation and prosecution of hate crimes which was one of the VLAP requirements.

According to the State Migration Service of Ukraine, as of April 2017, some 3 million Ukrainians possess biometric passports, a prerequisite for visa-free travel to the EU.

A poll by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology shows that almost one in ten adult Ukrainians have visited the EU over the last two years, mainly for vacation (29 percent), business (28 percent) or work (18 percent). When visa-free travel is granted, Ukrainians polled by the National Academy of Sciences said they will use it mainly for tourism (27 percent), searching for employment opportunities (20 percent), and visiting family or friends (13 percent). 

At the same time, the research shows that 43 percent of Ukrainians will not be able to use visa-free travel, mainly due to lack of funds.

For further information, please contact Varvara Zhluktenko at IOM Ukraine. Tel. +38 044 568 50 15, Email: vzhluktenko@iom.int