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What language is spoken?
What is the currency and exchange rate?
Do I need a Visa?
What can I bring in and take out of the country?
Where can I book travel tickets for internal travel within the Ukraine?
How can I book accommodation?
Is the Ukraine a safe country to visit?
A huge percentage of people in The Ukraine are law abiding. Maybe a much larger percentage than in the country you are reading this from! In the past the ordinary people have witnessed massive corruption by the authorities, which has seen about 5% of the population gain large riches while 95% struggle. It is unwise to highlight your wealth or your pocessions while you are there. You are more likely to find a tourist mark up on goods and services than to be robbed!
The Ukrainian people are philosophical and peaceful. The most recent example being the Orange Revolution, a completely peaceful demonstration by the people looking for political change. you will find that we share dry, cynical humour about people and events. Strangers will be extremely friendly with you and be impressed that you made the effort to visit their country over their more visited neighbours.
With regards to food, take the same precautions as you would in your own country. There are no genetically modified fruit and vegetables, so if it looks good and fresh then it is. Most will have been picked the previous or same day. Veal is more common than Beef here and there is an abundance of tasty fish as well as the normal use of Pork and Chicken in cuisine. It is better to buy bottled water or to make sure it is boiled before consuming it ( as is common in many countries).
If you have any worries about traveling alone, we offer an accompanied travel program to take you from a UK airport to your destination in the Ukraine. This is a one way service. Click here for details of this service. We're sure that you will feel comfortable enough once you arrive to make your own way back and can offer help and advise with this. If you are a meeting a girl, she will usually be happy to accompany you on your return as long as her expenses are covered.
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What language is spoken?
The people are split into equal numbers of people who speak Russian and Ukrainian. Most understand and speak both and it is common to see and hear more examples of Russian language. Although English is commonly taught in schools now, outside of Kiev it is rarely understood or spoken. It is strongly advised to hire a translator if you plan to stay outside the capitol, unless the person you are staying with can speak English and Russian. We can arrange translation services for you. Click here for details.
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What is the currency and exchange rate?
The currency in the Ukraine is The Hryvnia, also spelled sometimes as Hryvna or Grivna (UHR) - pronunciation is 'Grivna' . There are bills for 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50 and 100 Hryvnias. There are coins called 'kopiyka' for 1, 2 ,5 10, 25, and 50 kopiykas. (1 kopiyka is equal to 1/100 of Hryvnia.) Also there are 1, 2 and 5 Hryvnia coins as well as some commemorative collectible coins.
It is difficult if not impossible to get your money converted to this currency in your country of origin, although some places will do so in the departure lounge of the airport you leave from. You will find cashpoint ( ATM/ Bankomat) machines in Kiev airport and in most towns and cities. It is rare for credit cards to be accepted as a vast majority of Ukrainians do not carry these. You are restricted on how much cash you can leave the country with, so please check our customs information or information on the official web site for the airport.
The currency rate is approximately:
10 UHR - 1 GBP
5 UHR - 1 USD
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Do I need a visa?
Citizens of the European Union and Switzerland
don't need a visa to enter Ukraine and may stay for up to 90 days. You will be required to fill in a boarding pass with details of who you are meeting and where you are staying for Passport Control. If you're not sure you can just write 'tourist' and that will be sufficient ( although the staff do their best to look intimidating!) For longer than this you will require a visa and you should check with your country's embassy.
The information below is meant for non-EU
and US citizens who DO still need a visa to enter Ukraine.
- the usual stuff : 1 nice picture of yourself, passport valid at least 6 more months
- Maximum duration of stay : 180 days
- Price : price depends on the speed of processing, if you have time you sometimes must insist that you want to wait 10 days, because they otherwise charge you lots more to give you the visa on the same day. Price does not depend on the duration of stay.
- private visa : since 5/2000 an invitation is no longer necessary, so for tourism this visa has become more attractive than the tourist visa. You must write the name and address of a private person in Ukraine on your application form. They don`t check this address and it is not written on your visa; so it doesn't`t matter that much who you write there. Don`t forget to write on the application form under 'motivation' : 'visit of friend' instead of 'tourism' when you apply for a private visa as a tourist !
- tourist visa : A letter of invitation from a Ukrainian or American tourist agency or a confirmation from a Ukrainian hotel is necessary to qualify for a tourist visa.
Citizens of the USA, Canada, Japan, Switzerland, or citizens of the European Union countries can be qualified for a tourist visa when they submit a round-trip ticket issued by the Ukrainian National Airlines.
- transit visa : you need a visa for the next country and a onward ticket. The transit trip can be allowed only with the following documents: Ukrainian transit visa, the visa to the country of destination, travel tickets or other documents confirming the nature of your trip.
- city list : no cities are written on the private visa, so you can go where you want. I'm not sure about the tourist visa; if there is still a list and you want to go to Crimea you should make sure some cities of the peninsula are included.
- Delivery time : normally it takes about a week to get your visa for Ukraine from the Ukrainian embassy. Some companies offer expensive express visa service, so you can pick up your visa at the airport on arrival.
Extension of an Ukrainian Visa
- max. 3 months
- in every OVIR office, Ukrainian visas are extended by the Ministry of Internal Affairs of
Ukraine.
- takes 3-5 working days
- costs 20$
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What can I bring in and take out of the country?
Ukraine Customs
- You have to fill in a customs declaration form at the border (English version is available), you fill in the amount of money and jewels you have with you and the name of your camera, let them date-stamp the thing and keep it safe until you leave. You must declare all cash and jewelry upon entering Ukraine; and undeclared items may be confiscated. Currency may be exchanged only at legal, licensed booths, banks and hotel exchange desks. You should save all receipts from currency exchanges and from any purchases you make while in Ukraine. You may not take more money out of the country than you brought in, unless you have receipts showing that you received money from a credit card, wire transfer or other means.
- The Airport of Kiev gives interesting custom control information on its web site.
- If your customs form is lost or stolen, report it to the local police, known as militia, and obtain a certificate to show authorities when departing Ukraine. If you cannot obtain a police certificate, come to the Consular Section of your Embassy in Kyiv for a notarized letter of explanation. This letter is usually, but not always, accepted by customs authorities.
- If you purchase any items of value you must have the receipt when you leave Ukraine. In addition, if you purchase any antiques or items of possible historical value, such as icons, etc., you must obtain a certificate from the store that sold the item or from the Ministry of Culture stating that it has no real historical value.
- I think it depends on where you arrive in the country how these old fashioned custom forms are still enforced. When I crossed the border on the train from Romania, every coin I had was counted (a very embarrassing experience in a coupe full of poor Ukrainians). When I left the country at the airport of Odessa they did`t even ask for the form back. Normally you should also fill in a new customs declarations form when leaving the country; be sure to write a lower amount of money on this form, otherwise this would be interpreted you earned money somewhere in the country.
- there is now a requirement to complete (and retain) new "immigration forms"
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Where can I book travel tickets for internal travel within the Ukraine?
We can book most internal flight and train tickets for you. As this is not always possible to do over the telephone or internet with the transport companies, it will incur a small additional charge for our time. You will still find the prices offer fantastic value for money. Trains are the most efficient and punctual way of travel, but travel by air is very much quicker, although occasionally flights can be cancelled at short notice. Click here to visit our travel within The Ukraine page.
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How can I book accommodation?
We will be honest and say that booking accomodation can be a lottery, even with hotels! However, if you book with us you can be assured we only use trusted apartments that we know personally and are in nice areas. They will offer good quality that will meet Western standards with regard to cleanliness and facilities and we are sure you will be 100% satisfied! We specialise in the areas of Zaporozhye or the Crimea. You can see examples of our apartments here. If these don't meet your requirements then we will perform a search for you to suit your needs and budget.
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