UKRAINE

Visas, Embassies & Border Crossings

When foreign tourists enter Ukraine they are now required to purchase insurance. In fact, they even required me to do it on my last re-entry on week ago, although I have a green card to work here. They say that anyone without a "diplomatic passport" must purchase insurance. It's done at Passport Control and there are varying levels. One - 10 days stay requires a purchase of US$7.50 and there are levels above that up to half a year's stay.
Mark Wallem (July 98)

The British Embassy in Kyiv has new telephone numbers: 462 001112/14/15/17; fax 462 0013.
Kevin Burden (July 98)

I found that applying for a Ukrainian visa in Moscow was not a bad place at all. The staff there were really friendly and helpful and it wasn't full either. The hours for visa queries are everyday except Sat and Sun, 9.15 am to 12.30. Telephone number for queries is 229 6922.

The fees are US$35 for four day processing and US$105 for express (one day). They also pointed me to a travel agency where I got an invitation for Ukraine. To get this invitation I had to wait about half an hour and it cost me US$45.
Moritz von Buttlar (June 98)

Ukrainian visas from London embassy: Despite what the embassy may say on the phone, and despite what it says on their instructions that come with the visa application form, the embassy will accept a faxed personal invitation from a Ukrainian which has not been approved by the local VVIR office. I have done it and it worked. The invitation must state that they will provide all accommodation for specified dates and state that they will guarantee your costs, etc. It helps a lot if the invitation is in Ukrainian rather than Russian or English.
Gareth Oubridge (Jan 98)

Get your visa before entering the country, recently officials have been turning people without a visa away at Borispol airport saying that the issue of visas at the airport on arrival is for emergency use only.
John Lough (Nov 97)

Do not rely solely on travellers' cheques in the Ukraine. The only place where you have at least a small chance to get them cashed, is Kiev, but I had lots of problems. Many wanted to have a document confirming that I legally owned the cheques, or tried to deter me by charting 10% commission, The only place where they served me well (commission 3,5%) was a small exchange kiosk on the ground floor of an office building at the corner of Vulitsya Khreshchatyk and vul Instytutska, next to the metro station Maydan Nezalezhnosti.
Harald Schubert (Aug 98)

Credit cards are making an appearance : it is now possible to use them in many upmarket restaurants and western-style supermarkets. An increasing number of banks cash advances over the counter: among them the banks in the foyer of the Hotel Rus and the Hotel Lybid and the excellent Percom bank, on Sahaydachnoho. Take the metro to Poshtova Ploscha or go to the lower funicular station, turn left towards Podil and it's immediately on your left. Queue at window 8 upstairs, then collect your cash from window 10. The rate is good and there is no commission. I saved US$65 on one transaction over using the more ubiquitous Dendi Bank - a bank apparently run by a restaurant chain.

Legbank also claims to offer cash advances on Visa and MasterCard credit cards. There are branches at the Apollo Restaurant, 15 Khreshchatyk; the Nika supermarket at 2 Tarasa Shevchenko; 12 Shota Rustaveli; 27 Zhylnska; Citi Trade House, 6 Rognedinska, Passage, 2 Zankovyetska - tel: 227 4132/9583.

I have also spotted a few cash (autoteller) machines which will pay out cash on many western credit, debit or cash cards. There's one in the main lobby of the central post office on Khreshchatyk in Kyiv and another office in the reception lobby of the Hotel Dnipro, at the northern end of Khreshchatyk.

Western Union have also started advertising (tel 448 4422;fax 446 8279. Aval Bank (tel 295 6722/229 5236 also claims to offer credit card cash advances.
Kevin Burden (June 98)

St Mykhayl Monastery is apparently, like much of the rest of historical Kyiv, being rebuilt and is due to open in 2000. The belfry was successfully reconstructed in just a few months and opened by President Kuchma in June, 1998.

The Western and Oriental Art Museum has just reopened after a lengthy period of restoration and is supposed to be well worth a visit. I find the Russian Art Museum particularly impressive and also manageable.

Transcarpathia is beautiful, especially in mid-winter, but don't go expecting Alpine ski resorts. In fact, don't go expecting any services at all, whatever your travel agent or Ukrainian friend promises you. I would strongly suggest staying in a resort like Mukacheve or Yaremcha which are on main rail lines, so you can move on if things fail to live up to expectations. I took my family to a "top resort" in the mountains, only to find little no help from the staff, and no way to leave.

The Republic of Crimea is now on the same time as rest of Ukraine. Change money before you arrive - for some reason, exchange rates are consistently 10% or so worse than the rest of the country. This can seriously dent your finances if you find yourself having to change a lot of money on arrival in Crimea. There also seems to have been rampant hotel price inflation - if one hotel seems extortionate, move on.

Sevastopol is no longer barred to foreigners, but is still swarming with naval offices and officers, both Ukrainian and Russian. The sight of dozens of rusting warships, frigates, destroyers and submarines laid up all around the harbour is a sight to behold, but I would urge caution here and in the rest of the town. The Black Sea fleet is a source of tension between Russia and Ukraine, and you don't want to get caught up in the middle. That said, I spent a very pleasant day there, eating and drinking in cafes by the water's edge, and shuttling back and forth on the frequent ferry services.

Kharkiv : both times I have visited Kharkiv I have really enjoyed myself. The night train from Kyiv is one of the smartest in the country and the journey is long enough to offer a good night's sleep without getting too tiresome. The city offers plenty to see and has a good buzz. The centre is beginning to liven up with more bars and restaurants opening up all over. The architecture is impressive, the scale of the central square imposing, the parks very pleasant. But as much as anything, I have enjoyed strolling in the parks, stopping for a drink or for an ice-cream and taking a ride on the long cable-car run through Gorky Park. One evening we discovered the ruined remains of an outdoor, Olympic swimming pool at the far side of the park. It's surreal and would make a great location for a rock video. At the northern end of the park are some war memorials. There's a giant statue of a bereaved woman, whose heart still beats, eerily. But don't go without visiting Blahoveshchensky Cathedral.
Kevin Burden (July 98)

A 20% value added tax was introduced in the Ukraine on 1st October 1997.
John Lough (Nov 97)

The OVIR office based close to Metro "Palace Sportu" (first floor in room number 2) in Kiev is not the place to extend your transit visa. However the OVIR office on bulvar Tarasa Shevchenka 36 (Metro "Universytet") will give you a 20 day extension (US$25 payable at a bank on Tarasa Shevchenka). You need your visa and a letter of confirmation from a private host. This was no problem to organise - I went to the train station and hung out there until a lady approached me and accepted accommodation on the condition that she supports my visa. You have to take your host (passport) to OVIR with a letter confirming accommodation.
Richard Lax (Aug 97)

The Western Union & Xchange Points office in Lviv, responsible for handling travellers cheques transactions and credit card advances, has changed its opening times to Mon-Fri 9 am to 6 pm, Sat 9 am to 3 pm. Lunch break between 12 - 1 pm.
Ivan Jaselsky - UK (Aug 97)

The Slovakian/Ukranian border at Chop takes several hours because the train must change wheels. Border formalities are easy if you have a visa. My visa cost me about US$40 at the Ukrainian embassy in Prague.

The AT &T calling card is valid in the Ukraine and the connection call is free even form the Grand Hotel.
Nuno Crisostomo (Aug 97)