Nevertheless, Ukrainian citizens living in Crimea can obtain a Schengen visa in a foreign passport. To obtain an entry permit, you must contact the consulate of the selected EU country on Ukrainian territory. Citizens of Ukraine living in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and having a biometric passport are allowed to cross the European border in a visa-free regime. To enter the EU without a visa, you must collect and present a package of supporting documents to the employee border service... This is extremely difficult to do, since the documents issued by the Crimean authorities are not recognized in Ukraine and Europe.

Citizens Russian Federation who received a passport before the illegal annexation and are living in Crimea can continue to use their current passport to obtain a Schengen visa. Those documents that were issued after the annexation are not considered valid, therefore, applications for obtaining a visa in them will not be considered by the consulate.

The European Union also does not recognize documents issued in the DPR and LPR. Ukrainians living in the occupied territory of eastern Ukraine can enter Europe by opening a Schengen visa in a previously issued foreign passport or by obtaining EU citizenship.

The events of 2014 could not but affect the life of the Crimeans. Only a few countries have recognized the transfer of the Crimean peninsula to Russian jurisdiction, and only a few recognize Russian documents issued in Crimea. This creates certain difficulties when traveling around the world: American and Schengen visas for Crimeans turned out to be practically inaccessible for Russian passports. However, the myth that the inhabitants of the peninsula can no longer travel to the United States and the European Union has remained a myth.

Loyal countries: who will give Schengen

Exactly one week after Crimea came under Russian jurisdiction, in March 2014, the European Union banned its embassies and diplomatic missions in Russia from issuing Schengen visas for Russians presenting documents with Crimean registration. To obtain the desired visa, the EU representatives sent the Crimeans to consulates located on the territory of mainland Ukraine, and it was allegedly possible to obtain it only with a Ukrainian passport.

This position of non-recognition of Crimean tourists has already been repeatedly expressed by the diplomats of the missions of France, Germany, Monaco, Belgium, Portugal, Austria, Latvia and most others: “until special orders” documents are not accepted.

Spanish diplomats are not so categorical. They still continue to consider the peninsula Ukrainian, but they still issue visas based on Russian documents to citizens of the Russian Federation living in Crimea. True, with some conditions: the passport must contain a registration mark on the mainland of Russia.

However, despite the strict ban of the European Commission, the Moscow visa centers of at least four EU countries ignore such an order, issuing visas to Crimeans. Among the countries most loyal to the residents of Crimea are:

• Italy - practices the acceptance of documents from residents of the peninsula in the usual manner provided for ordinary Russians. Italian missions issue documents with a 99% probability (provided that everything is in order with the documents). The term for an entry permit will range from two weeks to six months.
• Netherlands - the position of the kingdom is very contradictory. According to the press service of the diplomatic mission, Crimeans, at the direction of the EU leadership, should receive Schengen only in Ukrainian embassies according to Ukrainian documents. But at the same time, the Dutch do not exclude that this can be done in general order and according to the Russian passport.
• Czech Republic - the country's embassy issued a special directive in relation to Crimea back in 2014. They do not exclude the possibility, but it can be issued only by agreement with the consular department.
• Greece is among the countries where tourism is one of the main sources of income. This seriously affected the country's visa policy, as Russians are in the top 3 most desirable Greek guests.

In representative offices of other countries, registration, if possible, is exclusively on an individual basis. However, despite the many disadvantages, there are also advantages.

After Crimea joins Russia, its citizens can visit 70 countries of the world, including the CIS countries, Thailand, Dominican Republic, Cuba, Maldives, Brazil.

Returning to the Schengen area, we propose to figure out what options for issuing a coveted visa are for Crimeans.

Visa options

From all of the above, it is obvious: the trips of Crimeans to the countries of the eurozone are significantly complicated by the problems with the paperwork for entry. But practice shows that difficult does not mean impossible. Tourism market experts shared with us the main ways of obtaining an entry visa to the EU.

So, you can apply for Schengen for Crimeans by:

• Crimean (Russian) documents in consulates and representative offices located in the constituent entities of the Federation. It is logical that in order to obtain a visa based on Russian documents, you will have to travel to the mainland of the Russian Federation - there are no representative offices of EU countries on the territory of Crimea. For example, the Italian Visa Application Center in Rostov-on-Don is much closer to the peninsula than the capital. However, in the regions it is extremely reluctant to issue Schengen to citizens who came from Crimea.
• Crimean (Russian) documents in Moscow. The capital, although further, but, as the practice of registration shows, the capital visa centers are much more loyal to the Crimeans than the regional ones.
• Russian documents with mainland registration. To avoid problems when obtaining a visa, it is recommended to register in any other EU-recognized region of the country. Such "services" for registration in the capital cost 1.5 thousand rubles and are issued via the Internet. As soon as the Crimean registration disappears from the passport, the citizen will be able to apply for the Schengen visa at the consulate of any country according to Russian documents.
• Ukrainian documents from the territory of mainland Ukraine. Probably the easiest way to get to any Schengen country in 2019. Since June 2017, a visa-free border crossing regime has been in effect between Ukraine and the EU countries. Ukraine, as a state, recognizes Crimeans as its citizens, and even if they have issued a Russian passport, as an exception, this is not a basis for revoking Ukrainian citizenship.

Therefore, all you need to get into the European Union is to get Ukrainian on the territory of mainland Ukraine. In case of damage or loss of the Ukrainian passport, it can be restored by contacting the Consulate of Ukraine in Rostov-on-Don.

Visa to the United States

Unlike European countries, the US visa center does not force, but also perceives the inhabitants of the peninsula with great apprehension. The US position on this issue is much more categorical than that of the EU. They do not recognize the transition of Crimea under Russian flag, still considering it an annexed Ukrainian territory. Consequently, those who have a Russian passport with a Crimean residence permit should not count on a visa to the United States - they will be immediately denied. The chances of a mainland registration in a Russian passport will somewhat increase.

But experts still advise applying for an American visa for Ukrainian documents. At the same time, it is desirable that they also lack Crimean registration. Even if the Crimean does not indicate in the questionnaire the fact of the second Russian citizenship, American diplomats will not believe him. Therefore, in order to obtain a visa to the United States, a resident of the peninsula will have to carefully approach the filing of information about the place of his residence and work: the Americans do not recognize, among other things, enterprises that have received a new registration in Crimea.

Take a sociological survey!

Conclusion

Thus, although it is difficult for Crimeans, it is quite possible to obtain a visa to the countries of Europe and the USA. Despite the direct ban of the European Commission to issue visas to residents of the peninsula, some countries turned out to be more loyal to Crimea and still continue to issue Schengen visas to its residents.

In addition, Crimeans can always issue travel documents through mainland Ukraine, which continues to recognize them as its citizens. Moreover, with a Ukrainian biometric passport, entry to EU countries is carried out without visas.

Crimean news - this is the real life of the peninsula We talk about life in the Crimea, displaying the main and important events, certainly interesting to every inhabitant and guest of the peninsula. Crimean News regularly publishes information about the population, prices and tariffs, education and social issues, health and environmental issues. For you, reviews of holidays and festivals, contests and social events, materials on the work of non-governmental organizations in Crimea. Crimean news are reviews cultural life We talk about the culture of Crimea, covering all the most significant events and activities in the cultural life of the Republic. We bring to your attention the latest information about exhibitions and concerts held, we post theater posters and reflect the latest in the film industry, we conduct photo reviews and video tours of interesting places on the peninsula, historical monuments, sights. We are clever about museums and archeology in Crimea. Sadly, Crimean news is a summary of incidents A significant place in the total volume of our information is occupied by incidents in Crimea. We provide operational summaries of accidents and emergencies, road traffic incidents (RTA) and fires. We discuss the crime situation, publish the details of crimes and shed light on the corruption component of our reality. I am glad that the news of the Crimea is information about the affairs of Business in Crimea today, of course, is of interest to the reader. Having reunited with Russia, the peninsula attracted a powerful wave of investment, which in turn caused rapid growth in the construction industry and trade, industrial recovery and Agriculture, revitalization in the real estate market. Long-lost positions in winemaking and industrial fishing are again taking coordinating places in the economy. We have a good rest, we read the news of the Crimea Being in the epicenter of the resort life, we note the undoubted revival of the entertainment and tourism industry. In a series of publications about sanatoriums and boarding houses, hotels and inns, campgrounds and beaches, we will talk about the obvious advantages and hidden disadvantages, highlight the pitfalls and unequivocal advantages, objectively discussing the rest in Crimea. Interested in prices for vacations during the holiday season? For advice in the summer, only to us! Urgent news of Crimea - this is also for us .. We place press releases on our pages state structures Republic. We work directly with the press centers of the Government and the State Council, the services of several departments and institutions. Promptly about important - reports of supervisory authorities, customs and a number of law enforcement agencies, including the Investigative Committee and the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Crimean news keep the reader informed Of course, we do not stay away from the events taking place in the world. In our materials, as in a mirror, the details of the relationship and the socio-political life of Russia and neighboring countries are reflected. Crimea, as an echo of world politics, high-profile news and events that in one way or another affect the life of Crimeans occupy a worthy place on the pages of our publication. Crimean news is trying ... We argue openly about the events in Crimea, about the causes and their consequences, about current and future changes, about affairs, money and people in Crimea today. Conflicts, scandals and details of social life, incredible stories and exciting facts in all their diversity are waiting for their reader today. News of the Crimea tried, but .. News of the Crimea Could not stay away from such an urgent issue as the weather. Therefore, despite the obvious risk of predictions, sometimes we speak in dry numbers of weather balloons. Actual forecasts, reports of the Ministry of Emergency Situations, reference Information and everything that will help you do without an umbrella and save good mood... Read Crimea News - CrimeaPRESS, TURN ON

Image copyright UNIAN Image caption All holders of Ukrainian biometric passports, including tens of thousands of residents of Crimea, will be able to use the visa-free regime with the EU

Among those who will be able to take advantage of the "visa-free" are tens of thousands of Crimean residents who received passports with a two-headed eagle on the cover after the annexation of the peninsula by Russia, but retained their blue books with a trident.

For many Crimeans, a Ukrainian passport has previously represented the only opportunity to travel abroad - a number of countries do not recognize documents issued by Russia to residents of the peninsula.

In Kiev, the discussion continues on whether it is worth allowing the residents of Crimea, which according to Ukrainian law is an "occupied territory", to fully benefit from the visa-free regime.

Two passports

“I don’t think anyone can say for sure how many people with both Ukrainian and Russian passports live in Crimea,” Dmitry Tymchuk, a member of the Ukrainian parliament and member of the national security and defense committee, told the BBC.

In March 2014, after the annexation of Crimea, the Russian parliament passed a law according to which Ukrainian citizens living on the peninsula were recognized as Russian citizens.

Image copyright Getty AFP Image caption In the spring of 2014, Russia recognized all residents of the annexed Crimea as its citizens

Those who did not want to transfer to Russian citizenship had to report this to the competent authorities. Those who did not do this, Russia automatically considers "its own", even if they have not physically received passports of citizens of the Russian Federation, or if they have valid Ukrainian documents in their hands.

Kiev in the spring of 2014 adopted its own law according to which "forced automatic acquisition of Russian citizenship by Crimeans" is not recognized by Ukraine and is not a reason for the loss of Ukrainian citizenship. "

According to experts, the overwhelming majority of Crimean residents received Russian passports: some for patriotic motives, some because the presence of these documents greatly facilitates life on the peninsula.

But in the same way, hundreds of thousands of Crimeans continue to remain citizens of Ukraine, and the blue passport is kept by both pro-Ukrainian residents of Crimea and supporters of the annexation of the peninsula to Russia.

Image copyright UNIAN Image caption Kiev states: how many Crimeans have both Russian and Ukrainian passports is hard to say

"Intermediate state"

"I would not say that I feel like a citizen of Ukraine, but at the same time, I am somehow not a citizen of Russia either ... It seems to me that many people [living in Crimea] are in some kind of intermediate state, when we seem not Ukrainians, but many do not feel themselves Russians either, "says Oksana, a 24-year-old resident of Sevastopol, to the BBC.

In March 2014, she, like all her friends and relatives, voted in a referendum unrecognized by the world community for the annexation of Crimea to Russia.

Image copyright UNIAN Image caption Some Crimeans defiantly burned their passports, others left them behind. "You never know when you might need Ukrainian citizenship," they said.

However, unlike some Crimeans, the citizen of Ukraine did not defiantly destroy her passport: "It would be illogical to renounce Ukrainian citizenship, because you never know when you might need it."

Soon after the "referendum", it turned out that one of the areas where a Ukrainian passport might be needed is the trips of Crimeans abroad - in particular, to Western countries.

"Visa genocide"

In 2014, all consulates of Western countries operating on the peninsula were closed: the international community did not recognize the annexation of Crimea to Russia.

Accordingly, Western countries did not recognize the Crimeans applying for Russian citizenship and the issuance of Russian passports to them.

As a result, obtaining a visa to travel to the west with a Russian passport issued in Crimea proved to be extremely problematic.

The embassies of Western states both in Ukraine and in Russia inform applicants on their websites: residents of Crimea, regardless of their citizenship, should apply for visas at Kiev diplomatic missions.

Image copyright UNIAN Image caption Western countries advise Crimeans who hold Russian passports to apply for visas at Kiev diplomatic missions

An employee of one of the Moscow travel agencies tells the BBC that she knows of cases when holders of Russian passports issued in Crimea received Schengen visas, albeit after undergoing additional procedures.

"In general, all consulates are advised to obtain visas on a Ukrainian passport, if there is such an opportunity, because they are more loyal to them," she sums up.

The Russian Foreign Ministry has repeatedly called this practice of Western countries "visa genocide" of Crimeans and said that Moscow is waging "heavy battles" with Brussels to change this situation. However, the results of these battles are not yet visible.

All in Kherson?

Meanwhile, in the unofficial competition of Russian and Ukrainian passports for Crimeans, the latter has one more argument.

This Sunday, June 11, the long-awaited visa-free travel regime for Ukrainians to the countries of the European Union will come into effect. The innovation will apply to all citizens of Ukraine, that is, to residents of Crimea who keep Ukrainian documents.

One clarification: only holders of biometric foreign passports of Ukraine, which Kiev began to issue in January 2015, that is, after the annexation of the peninsula, will be able to travel to Europe without visas.

Did this become an obstacle for those Crimeans who wanted to issue documents of a new type? From the data of the State Migration Service of Ukraine (GMSU) - the body authorized to issue passports, it seems that no.

Image copyright UNIAN Image caption Tens of thousands of Crimean residents have obtained new Ukrainian passports over the past two years

The department told the BBC that, since January 2015, Ukrainian citizens registered in Crimea and Sevastopol have issued about 47 thousand Ukrainian passports.

At the same time, the HMSU noticed that not all of these documents are biometric, and that some of the holders of new passports are only registered in Crimea, actually living in the part of Ukraine controlled by Kiev.

"My old passport was running out, and I often visit Kiev for work. On one of my visits I made a new passport, biometric. Without any problems, delays. Very cool," says Ivan, a 45-year-old resident of Simferopol, to the BBC.

However, the majority of Crimeans, according to the SMSU, issue passports in the Kherson region - the region of Ukraine closest to the annexed peninsula.

“Here, in Kherson, we observe a situation when buses arrive every hour of the HMSU unit, Crimeans get out of them, get in line. Local residents sometimes just leave there with the words“ It’s not clear whether this is generally a Kherson administration or a Crimean one, ”says Bi -bi-si coordinator of the Kherson branch of the civic initiative "CrimeaSOS" Alexey Tilnenko.

Image copyright UNIAN Image caption Years of negotiations on granting Ukraine a visa-free regime with the EU end with visible results in the summer of 2017

The HMSU emphasizes: legally, the procedure for issuing passports is the same for all citizens of Ukraine, no special conditions obtaining biometric documents for Crimeans is not provided.

"Stay at home"

Another thing is that not everyone likes this situation. Quite a few Ukrainians consider the receipt of a visa-free regime by Kiev as an "achievement of the Maidan."

Ukraine, in their understanding, "suffered" the "visa-free", and "share" it with the Crimeans - people who, at a critical moment for the state, massively supported the accession of the peninsula to Russia, even if it was illegitimate from the point of view international law referendum, - it seems to many residents of Ukraine wrong.

The activists even placed billboards in Kherson and near the city, half of which are decorated with an inscription in Russian, which, among other things, says: "Traitors and collaborators! Why did you come? For a Ukrainian passport? Do you want to go to Europe? interested? "

Perhaps this is the position that the President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko appealed to at his recent press conference, stating that the Ukrainians of Crimea will be able to take advantage of the visa-free regime only when Crimea is returned to Ukraine.

"Now these advantages can be used by temporarily displaced persons after the appropriate procedure. We must be very responsible for each biometric passport issued by the Ukrainian authorities," the president said at the time.

Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Recently, Petro Poroshenko proposed to issue old-style passports to residents of Crimea, which do not allow visa-free entry to the EU.

A few days later, Poroshenko proposed to issue old-style foreign passports to Crimeans that do not give the right to visa-free travel to the EU.

And although the State Migration Service refused to comment on Poroshenko's statements, the president's words discouraged the expert community.

Some observers called the use of a special procedure for obtaining a biometric passport by a separate category of Ukrainian citizens a violation of Ukraine's obligations to the EU.

Others wondered what to do with the thousands of biometric passports already received by the Crimeans according to the current rules.

Nonetheless, Dmitry Tymchuk of the Verkhovna Rada's National Security and Defense Committee sees logic in the presidential stance.

"On the one hand, the residents of Crimea should have all the privileges and bonuses that the citizens of Ukraine have. But if they have them in full, living in the occupied Crimea, then the question arises: why would they even strive for Crimea to return to the composition of Ukraine? " he says to the BBC.

Do not create barriers

However, there is another point of view. The already mentioned Kherson billboards also contain an inscription in Ukrainian: "Brothers, Crimean Ukrainians! Although you are under Russian occupation, we are always glad to see you here. Europe opens its doors for you. Get biometric passports and travel freely around the civilized world. Good luck! "

Another member of the Ukrainian parliament, deputy head of the Human Rights Committee, and at the same time consultant of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people banned in Russia, Georgy Logvinsky, is convinced that Kiev should refrain from creating any obstacles on the way to obtaining biometric "visa-free" passports for Crimeans.

"We must fight not for territories, but for people. We must give them some bonuses, so that they feel more like Ukrainians in this territory, so that it is interesting and profitable for them to remain Ukrainians," he tells the BBC.

And the fact that absolutely pro-Russian Crimeans will take advantage of the "visa-free travel" suffered by Kiev is not a problem, he said.

Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Many Ukrainians believe that the use of "visa-free" will increase the loyalty of the Crimean people to the Ukrainian government

"I am very loyal [to all] people who are there [in Crimea]. Even when a person shouts" Crimea is ours! "- this is a product of the strongest propaganda, a product of brainwashing," explains Logvinsky.

Are the hopes of Ukrainian politicians and public figures justified that the active use of blue biometric passports will increase the loyalty of Crimeans to Ukraine and the current Ukrainian government?

On the one hand, says Ivan from Simferopol, an acquaintance of his who once came to Kiev for a visa to one of the Western countries, "I was convinced with my own eyes that Russian is not beaten here on the streets, which is already a lot."

On the other hand, there is the opinion of Oksana, a resident of Sevastopol, who plans to issue a biometric passport with a blue cover in the near future.

"I pursue purely pragmatic goals. I want to go somewhere - and it will be easier for me to use a Ukrainian passport for this, nothing more," she explains her motivation to the BBC.

"I'm in no hurry there"

One way or another, the State Migration Service says that after Brussels officially announced the start date of the visa-free regime for Ukraine, in Kherson, unlike Kiev, Kharkov and Dnipro, there is no particular excitement around obtaining biometric passports.

Ivan from Simferopol says that his acquaintances are really in no hurry to draw up documents of a new type, trying to first make sure how the visa-free regime will work.

There are quite a few people in Crimea who are not going to get a biometric passport, although they have such an opportunity.

Image copyright UNIAN Image caption There is no particular excitement in the Kherson centers for obtaining foreign passports, they say in the State Migration Service of Ukraine

Among them is a 46-year-old civil servant from Sak Nikita, who has a valid Ukrainian passport of the old model and a freshly received passport with a two-headed eagle on the cover.

He does not plan to apply for a Ukrainian biometric passport, even after it became known that soon with new documents it would be possible to freely travel to EU countries.

"You can't buy me with these gingerbreads. Let's just say I'm in no hurry to go there," he says busily to the BBC.

“I believe that with my Russian passport I can travel to other places where there is something to see,” Nikita sums up.

On May 11, the Council of Ministers of the European Union adopted a decision on a visa-free regime with Ukraine. In two months, Ukrainian citizens will be able to freely enter the Schengen countries. Correspondent Crimea.Realii found out what the residents of the peninsula need to know in order to travel to Europe without visas.

The visa-free regime for Ukraine was finally adopted on May 11. The EU Council of Ministers approved this decision without discussion at the meeting of the Council for Agriculture and Fisheries. It is expected that the official ceremony of granting Ukraine a visa-free regime will take place on May 17 during the plenary session of the European Parliament in Strabourg.

Once signed, the piece of legislation must be published in the Official Journal of the EU. Tentatively, "visa-free" will come into force on June 11. That is, in two months, citizens of Ukraine will not have to stand in line at visa centers to travel to the countries of the Schengen zone.

Green corridor to 30 countries

Ukrainian citizens will be able to enter 26 EU member states without visas. It will also be possible to freely enter the territory of 4 countries that have an agreement with the European Union and are part of the Schengen zone: Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Switzerland.

Visa documents are still needed to visit the UK and Ireland - these countries are not covered by the Schengen area.

The main condition for entering EU countries is the presence of a biometric passport. This is an identity document and contains an electronic data carrier. It contains information about the owner's biometric data for the purpose of his identification. Such passports are considered more secure against counterfeiting and exclude the possibility of using them by someone other than the owner.

Where can Crimeans get a biopass?

Citizens of Ukraine registered in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and Sevastopol can obtain a biometric passport at any branch of the State Migration Service throughout the country or at the Centers for the provision of administrative services. Crimeans do it on a general basis - like other Ukrainian citizens.

To obtain a biopassport, you must submit a package of documents: an internal passport, an identification code, previously issued foreign passports (if issued) and a bank check confirming the payment of the administrative fee. Children under 14 years of age submit a birth certificate, identification code and an application from one of the parents (issued on the spot).

Crimeans are advised to take additional documents with them

Crimeans traveling to the mainland to obtain a biopass are advised by public figures to take with them other identity documents, for example, a marriage certificate, driver's license, student ID, birth certificate. According to an expert of the public organization "Europe without Borders" Ekaterina Kulchitskaya, this can speed up the issuance of a passport.

“There are no source codes in mainland Ukraine - paper certificates, on the basis of which the Crimeans were issued an internal passport. They all remained in the archives in the occupied territory. Therefore, Crimeans are advised to take additional documents with them, ”the expert said.

How much does the new "foreign" cost?

Issuing a biometric passport is a paid service. The minimum cost is 557 hryvnia 32 kopecks. For this amount, the migration service is obliged to make a passport within 20 working days. However, officials often go beyond this period.

It costs 810 hryvnia 32 kopecks to issue a biopass within 3-5 days.

Queues at passport offices

It should also be borne in mind that after the first message about the introduction of a visa-free regime with the European Union, crowds of people rushed for biopassports. According to the observations of social activists, there are now long queues at many offices of the migration service. According to expert Ekaterina Kulchitskaya, the workload of passport offices differs in different regions. According to her, the greatest excitement is observed in the offices of the SMS in the western regions, since there are few passport offices, but there are many who want to get "abroad".

The closest HMS branch to Crimea is in the village of Novotroitskoye, Kherson region

“In Kiev, for example, there are also queues, but I haven’t heard that they are so catastrophic. Still, there is also a Center for the Provision of Administrative Services, 12 branches of the SMS, the Center "Ready", there are enough places where you can issue a passport, "- said the expert.

The closest to the Crimea is the HMS branch, located in the village of Novotroitskoye, Kherson region. According to the head of this passport office Victor Sharudilov Since April 6, when the first decision on "visa-free" was made, the number of visitors from Crimea here has increased by about one and a half times.

“Previously, we had 30-35 people a day, now - 50-55. During the working day, we are serviced, we have no failures at all. Everyone from the nearby districts comes here, because I have two centers: for issuing and receiving, while everyone else has only one, ”said the head of the Novotroitsk branch of the HMS.

No ID is needed

A widespread rumor is that in order to obtain a biopass, Crimeans allegedly need to have a certificate confirming the status of an internally displaced person. In fact, this is not so - a certificate from an immigrant is not needed. To the correspondent Crimea.Realities this was confirmed by the press secretary of the State Migration Service of Ukraine Sergey Gunko.

“A passport to travel abroad is issued regardless of the place of registration for everyone. Therefore, it is not necessary to provide any certificates of the migrant and so on, ”said the representative of the SMS.

Duration of stay in the Schengen area

Visa-free travel for Ukrainian citizens applies only to short-term trips. It will be possible to stay in the Schengen area for no more than 90 days within a period of 180 days. In the event that this period is exceeded, the offender will be banned from entering for up to 10 years. In addition, according to expert Ekaterina Kulchitskaya, if the period of stay is exceeded, the visa history will be irreparably damaged.

“In the Schengen information system, a mark will be made in front of this person that this person was a violator, and now it will pop up, no matter what the person does. So he is going to get a national visa after two years after deportation, but even with a new passport there will be a mark next to him that he was a violator, ”Kulchitskaya said.

​Border crossing documents

Expert of "Europe without Borders" Ekaterina Kulchitskaya draws attention to the fact that, according to the Schengen Borders Code, the border guard has the right to require the person entering his country to confirm the purpose of the trip and the ability to comply with migration rules. She recommends that Ukrainian citizens planning a trip to the Schengen zone have the relevant documents with them. These can be a return ticket, booking at a hotel, an invitation from friends in a free statement. The programs of the events that the person is going to attend or the travel voucher are also suitable.

People with a good visa history and several Schengen visas should worry less about this - they have more chances that they will be let through without any questions. However, during the first trip to the European Union, experts advise you to play it safe and have documents confirming the purpose of your trip with you.