Hints for business visitors

Visas

Citizens of USA, Canada, countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States (except Turkmenistan), European Union countries, Andorra, Iceland, Japan, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Mongolia, Montenegro, Norway, San Marino, Serbia and Switzerland do not need a visa to enter Ukraine if their stay will not exceed 90 days. However, they do need to hold a passport that is valid for at least six months from their entry into Ukraine.

For citizens of other countries, applications for business visas should be made to a Ukraine Embassy or Consulate outside Ukraine. The specific documents to be submitted are not consistent across all Embassies and Consulates. However, applicants who are not citizens of Slovakia or Turkey will need to obtain an official letter of invitation from a Ukrainian company before applying. Personal attendance at an Embassy or Consulate is not required to obtain a visa.

The list is subject to frequent change. Persons travelling to Ukraine should confirm the visa rules from a reliable source before they travel.

Currency

The currency of Ukraine, the Hryvnia (UAH), was introduced in 1996.

Currently, the NBU adopts a de facto peg against the US dollar. The official USD/UAH exchange rate was set at 5.05 in April 2005, and has remained at that level since, except for a seven-week period in June/July 2005 when the rate was 5.055.

It is common practice in Ukraine for some prices to be set in US dollars, and to a lesser extent Euros, particularly for high-value items. Property rentals, for example, will typically be expressed in dollars. In most cases, however, settlement will still be made in Hryvnia.

Public holidays

In 2007, Ukraine will have the following public holidays:

  • New Year's Day (January 1).
  • Orthodox Christmas (January 7).
  • International Women's Day (March 8).
  • Easter (April 9).
  • Labour Days (May 1 & 2).
  • Victory Day (May 9).
  • Holy Trinity Day (May 28)
  • Constitution Day (June 28).
  • Independence Day (August 24).

If a holiday falls on a Saturday or Sunday, the following Monday will be a non-working day. For 2007, the Cabinet of Ministers has already indicated plans to move the following working days:
  • Friday 29 June to Saturday 16 June.
  • Monday 31 December to Saturday 29 December.

Additionally, little business takes place between New Year's Day and Orthodox Christmas.