Rules for foreigners stay in Ukraine due to COVID-19

In connection with quarantine which strarted in Ukraine on the 12th of March 2020, some temporary Migration rules had been introduced.

It’s necessary to mention, that these rules shall be applied to the foreigners and people without citizenship who stayed legally in the territory of Ukraine as of the beginning of quarantine measures, id est:

  • those having Ukrainian temporary/permanent residence permit
  • those staying in Ukraine for the duration of the valid visa
  • those having their residence term duly prolonged

The temporary measures are as follows:

  1. Foreigners and people without citizenship that have not been able to apply to the territorial Units and Departments of the State Migration Service of Ukraine to prolong the period of their stay in Ukraine AND/OR to exchange their permanent/temporary resident permits, WILL NOT BE PENALIZED for violation of the legislation on the legal status of the foreigners and stateless persons, IF such violations have occurred within the period of the quarantine.
  2. Also it’s prescribed that during quarantine a processing and issuance of the documents which confirm citizenship of Ukraine or a special status of a person shall be carried out in the place, where the person has applied (before you should apply at the place of registration or planned registration).
  3. From the date when the quarantine had been announced, the time frames for applications for administrative and other services and the terms of these services provisions, determined by the law, shall be paused. From the date of termination of the quarantine, these terms shall reset, taking into account the time elapsed before its termination. Simply talking there will be prolongation for the applying documents to the 3rd of April.
  4. From 0.00 of 16th of March to 0.00 of 3rd of April 2020 all foreign citizens and people without citizenship will be prohibited from entering Ukraine.

The exception is made for affiliated diplomatic officials of Embassies of foreign countries in Ukraine, employees of missions of international organizations.

Also, Ministry of foreign affairs of Ukraine in particular occasions is entitled to issue individual permits to admission of foreigners. Prohibition to admission may be cancelled or prolonged depending on the situation of extension of coronavirus COVID-19 in the world.

Citizens of Ukraine and foreigners entitled temporary or permanent residence in Ukraine, are permitted to admission in Ukraine.

Please note that violation of rules of residence in Ukraine by foreigners and stateless persons usually causes inflicting of fines in the amount from hundred to three hundreds of individual income tax exemption (UAH 1700-5100 for the March 2020), in particular:

  • Residing without the permits (temporary or permanent) Residing with the invalid documents
  • Employment without proper work permit provided by the Laws of Ukraine
  • Incompliance with stated order of movement and changing the domicile
  • Evasion from leaving the territory of Ukraine after expiration of the proper terms
  • Employment after arriving within the proper terms
  • Violation of the rules of transits passing across the Ukraine.

Some of the above violations will be reduced according to described above temporary measures implied by government of Ukraine.

Our team of lawyers is ready to assist your business regarding of proper documenting of foreign citizens staying in Ukraine.