| 6 September 2007 The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine issued a resolution (11 July), “On Changes in the Regulations on the Entry and Stay of Foreign Nationals and Stateless Persons into Ukraine, Their Exit from Ukraine and Transit Through the Territory of Ukraine“. The resolution came into force on 26 July. Since 2005, citizens of the EU, USA, Canada, Norway, Japan, and Switzerland have been able to come to Ukraine without a visa for a maximum of 90 days, after which they only needed to step out of the country and return to receive an additional 90-day visa-free stay. Now foreign nationals who are citizens of the a/m countries are allowed to enter Ukraine as before without a visa but showing their valid passport, and stay in Ukraine without a visa and residence permit for a short term. However, the overall duration of the stay must not exceed 90 calendar days per 180 calendar days from the arrival date. In other words, citizens of these countries can still visit Ukraine for 90 days without a visa, but they cannot stay here for longer consecutive periods by skipping across the border every three months. Spokesman of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, Andriy Deshchitsya told that the resolution was primarily aimed at preventing illegal immigration. “First and foremost, this relates to people coming from certain Asian countries,” he said. An explanatory note on 11 July, a resolution posted on the government’s website also emphasizes the government’s attempts to curb illegal immigration through Ukraine. “Citizens of states from which the largest flows of illegal migrants originate must, upon entering the country, provide documentary confirmation of their ability to finance their travel through Ukraine. This is one of the changes introduced by the government resolution on 11 July.” Regarding other changes introduced by the government resolution, Deshchitsya said the rules for citizens of countries eligible for visa-free entry to Ukraine have now been clarified.
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