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Regulation on visa liberalization for Ukraine to come into effect on June 11

According to the EU sources, the document will come into effect on June 11

BRUSSELS, May 22. /TASS/. The regulation on the European Union visa liberalization for Ukrainian citizens has been published in the Official Journal of the European Union.

According to the EU sources, the document will come into effect on June 11.

On May 17, the regulation on the EU visa liberalization for Ukrainian citizens was signed in Strasbourg by European Parliament President Antonio Tajani and Carmelo Abela, Home Affairs Minister of Malta, the current chair of the European Union. Ukrainian President Pyotr Poroshenko attended the signing ceremony.

Visa waiver

On April 6, the European Parliament upheld the decision to grant visa-free travel to Ukrainian citizens, while on May 11, the Council of the European Union adopted a regulation on visa liberalization.

The Council pointed out that the visa liberalization envisaged Ukrainians’ right to make tourist trips to the EU countries for a period of stay of 90 days in any 180-day period, but gave them no right to employment or studies. Besides, the EU visa waiver does not apply to Ireland and the United Kingdom. This means that Ukrainians will still have to obtain visas to visit these countries.

Meanwhile, the European Union plans to set up a preliminary electronic registration system for countries that have been granted visa-free travel. Before travelling to the EU, citizens of these countries will have to register paying a fee of five euros. At the same time, border officers in the EU countries will have the right to check if they have enough money on them to be travelling to the EU, as well as a medical insurance, return tickets and papers to prove their accommodation reservation.

Besides, the European Union has drawn up a mechanism to suspend visa-free agreements that will be used in case foreign citizens violate visa-free travel rules.