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Author Topic: Ukraine Customs/Import Restrictions  (Read 75402 times)

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Offline Admin

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Ukraine Customs/Import Restrictions
« on: December 13, 2005, 10:08:35 AM »
For those traveling to Ukraine and want to know what is, and is not, allowed by authorities on entry - here is a link to the official website at Boryspil airport:

http://www.airport-borispol.kiev.ua/custom_supervision/

Offline 55North

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Ukraine Customs/Import Restrictions
« Reply #1 on: May 06, 2006, 01:54:14 PM »
Seems to me that iPods are not allowed.  Something lost in translation I hope.  My UW will be very upset if don't bring it again next time!

Offline Michelangelo

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Ukraine Customs/Import Restrictions
« Reply #2 on: May 16, 2006, 06:28:15 AM »
Seems to me that iPods are not allowed.  Something lost in translation I hope.  My UW will be very upset if don't bring it again next time!
Damn that Bill Gates! His influence is spreading!
The greater danger for most of us lies not in setting our aim too high and falling short; but in setting our aim too low, and achieving our mark.  michelangelo

Offline prince_alfie

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Ukraine Customs/Import Restrictions
« Reply #3 on: August 01, 2006, 08:22:03 AM »
Uh, I looked at it and it didn't say anything about iPods? AV materials are banned? Uh?
Not existing anymore. Please disregard this account as hacked. Thanks very much for your interest.

Offline Kevin

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Ukraine Customs/Import Restrictions
« Reply #4 on: August 09, 2006, 05:53:16 AM »
"Pay cards, emitted by foreign banks" does this mean my wife has to leave her Credit cards behind when we leave Ukraine   ;D

Offline nickham1

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Ukraine Customs/Import Restrictions
« Reply #5 on: October 04, 2006, 02:44:26 PM »
I visited Ukraine several years ago and I remember that the man at customs was very particular about how much foreign currency I was bringing in and taking out of the country. Seems like they may have even got stricter!

Offline Albert

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« Reply #6 on: October 16, 2006, 11:03:46 AM »
I visited Ukraine several years ago and I remember that the man at customs was very particular about how much foreign currency I was bringing in and taking out of the country. Seems like they may have even got stricter!

No, just the opposite.  The limits bringing in and out before declaration needed have been raised.

Offline El Rock

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« Reply #7 on: November 28, 2006, 09:39:16 PM »
Hello!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

They do not check for anything .
I was in and out several times in Sept 2006 and  they don't even  read the   "Tourist Cards" that we have to fill  out .

None of the immigration   people do.
I know cuzz I put stupid stuff on mine and they did nothin.

It's all safe

Unless I missunderstood  this thread

Offline Daveman

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Ukraine Customs/Import Restrictions
« Reply #8 on: February 24, 2007, 01:18:44 AM »
It is safe at Borispol.  They don't really pay attention to you at all.  I mean really, they did read that little tear in half paper, stamped it and that was the only contact I had with officials at all (can't remember what the paper is called where you give the address you will be staying - ummmm, don't lose the half you keep.. you WILL need that to leave without extra hassle).

Odessa is a different story entirely.  They will search through your bags, your clothes everything (I was told they were searching for gifts to charge the tax, or to take a bribe, not sure really). You CAN bring jewelry as a gift, but, if they find it, the tax on jewelry is 100%. And if you don't have a receipt showing the value, they can arbitrarily assign a value, or even take it.  So, I'm not suggesting that anyone create a bogus receipt, but, remember, that $2000 - $5000 engagement ring can easily jump to $4000 - $10000 with a 100% tax, so be careful.  I'm not saying they WILL screw you, but they CAN.

When you leave, you are not allowed to have more than $500USD cash on your person.  If you have more than this, they can take it.  I had only $400 cash when I left, but, they counted it speaking in Heavy accents "You cannot have more 500 dollora".  Didn't have a problem with any items though, notbook pc, two pro cameras, flash units, ipod, Epson photo viewer, electronic translators.

The big signs at Borispol mention specifically that Printed Material and anything including digital storage must be declared.  I was tired and said "piss on it" and went through the green line. Had no problem at all leaving the country.  No one cared.  Odessa was a very different story, they searched me and the bags coming in, and counted my money going out.

If I travel to Ukraine again, I think I'll fly into Borispol, then go anywhere else from there by train.  I like the Ukrainian train system. Can go anywhere overnight and a sleeper is only about $15-20USD, and you can get the whole cabin alone or just you and your girl for about $60USD (if one is vacant, plan ahead, let your girl buy it in advance).  It's kinda romantic I think.

Dave
The duty of a true patriot is to protect his country from its government. -- Thomas Paine

Offline bigkahuna

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Ukraine Customs/Import Restrictions
« Reply #9 on: March 27, 2007, 04:16:09 PM »
Does anyone know how LWO (Lviv) is? I will be arriving there next week.
Have been to Borispol and didn't have any issues....
      

Offline viking

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« Reply #10 on: March 27, 2007, 05:40:38 PM »
One thing I would mention here, having gone through this only last week, is on duty free goods. If you have a connecting flight within the EU or FSU, do not buy any alcohol in the orginating city. I purchased some vodka in Borsipol, had it hermitically sealed and left for Frankfurt with no problems. But going through the screening process again at Frankfurt enroute to New york, they would not let me take it on the plane, no matter that it was sealed and I had my receipts.    :naughty: The only way was to go as baggage and that was impossible since my bags were already on the plane and there was no way to exit the airport, go back to check in and then the whole screening process again. I had to leave it there. Good vodka too. @##$%$^&&^^%@&#
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Offline Kuna

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« Reply #11 on: March 27, 2007, 06:45:08 PM »
One thing I would mention here, having gone through this only last week, is on duty free goods. If you have a connecting flight within the EU or FSU, do not buy any alcohol in the orginating city. I purchased some vodka in Borsipol, had it hermitically sealed and left for Frankfurt with no problems. But going through the screening process again at Frankfurt enroute to New york, they would not let me take it on the plane, no matter that it was sealed and I had my receipts.    :naughty: The only way was to go as baggage and that was impossible since my bags were already on the plane and there was no way to exit the airport, go back to check in and then the whole screening process again. I had to leave it there. Good vodka too. @##$%$^&&^^%@&#

OHHHH NOOOO  VIKING!

That's gotta suck!

I got caught with Vodka coming through Frankfurt too but I walked out through the gates as if I was disembarking in Frankfurt then went to the arrivals hall.  After being misdirected many times I finally was sent to Check In Counter 71 (or 73.. I'm not sure) and I tried to check my vodka in there... The problem I had was that all of my other luggage was already checked (and I didn't want to check my notebook) so the lovely young girl at the Lufthansa counter gave me a box and packing materials.

Getting back through security was a breeze because the checkpoint was only 20 metres away to the left and I was scanned and gone in a few minutes.

Vodka arrived safely and awaits an appropriate event for consumption!   ;)

The point you make is good though.. The European Union has adopted Americas policy of "no liquids on planes" whether it's been screened or not (Australia is about to follow too).

If you're buying booze do it before you get to the airport and check it in your luggage.

Viking, when I was debating the common sense of the policy at the security counter I was telling this German dude I'd be pouring it down the toilet if I couldn't take it through so he should "stop licking his lips". 

He was "fairly" well humoured about it but I wasn't kidding!   

:exploding:

Offline viking

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Ukraine Customs/Import Restrictions
« Reply #12 on: March 27, 2007, 08:22:48 PM »
Kuna

I was directed to the same deal. Unfortunately I simply did not have the time to go back through all that hassle. My gate was 30 feet away and about 20 minutes left to catch the flight. I left my vodka with a lovely gate attendant with my name and address. I asked her if she would be so kind as to try and mail it for me. When she asked what to do if she could not, I replied, then have a drink on me. And left. I be damned if those security people were going to get any.

I'm not going to hold my breath. I was pissed half way back to NY until the young lady next to me told me she went through the same thing with some very expensive cosmetics. Since misery loves company we had a few drinks together. The rest of the trip was a bit better.
Tom Hanks in Castaway: You never know what the tide may bring in.
Viking: But you still need to walk along the beach to find it.

Offline Lviv

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Ukraine Customs/Import Restrictions
« Reply #13 on: May 18, 2007, 12:09:54 PM »
Hi Guys.  I read through this and just wanted to add that the amount of cash you can come and go with has been raised. I will have to double check the exact amounts if anyone wants to know exactly, but it is either 3000 or 10,000 USD. I am not sure how much you can have before declaring it, but those amounts must be declared. 
Just one other thing to note here is you cannot leave with more then you brought in, unless you can prove how you got it.
Lviv

Offline Scorpion

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Ukraine Customs/Import Restrictions
« Reply #14 on: May 18, 2007, 12:55:22 PM »


If I travel to Ukraine again, I think I'll fly into Borispol, then go anywhere else from there by train.  I like the Ukrainian train system. Can go anywhere overnight and a sleeper is only about $15-20USD, and you can get the whole cabin alone or just you and your girl for about $60USD (if one is vacant, plan ahead, let your girl buy it in advance).  It's kinda romantic I think.

Dave

Do you think they will search if its a domestic flight! How about if you fly from Kiev to Odessa?

Offline Daveman

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Ukraine Customs/Import Restrictions
« Reply #15 on: May 18, 2007, 09:24:51 PM »
Do you think they will search if its a domestic flight! How about if you fly from Kiev to Odessa?

Scorpion,
First, pay the fee to have your bags wrapped with that plastic wrap before you fly out of kiev. It doesn't cost much and that super cellophane wrapping seems to curtail searches on domestic flights.
Look for the stand there where you see a machine spinning luggage around wrapping it in plastic.

You should not have to deal with customs at all from a domestic flight into Odessa.  I will add though, that the airport in Odessa will surprise you at how absolutely small it is for an International Airport.  Borispol has a rather small airport terminal compared to any you will see in a major city in the USA, but Odessa's terminal is minuscule by comparison.  You will probably 'rub shoulders' with authorities for that reason and they can arbitrarily decide to search you or your bags at any time, however, just act like you know exactly what you are doing and they will probably not give you a second thought.  If they do, it will most likely be only to look at your passport and verify your photo. It's not really a big deal to be paranoid about, but after you pick up any checked bags, just keep walking until you get outside the airport.  Passport control may or may not be active (really, I think they flip  a coin sometimes to decide their procedure for the day) on an inbound domestic flight, but again, you will/should bypass any contact with customs altogether. At any rate, you will not have to declare anything or fill out new papers even if one of the customs guys approaches you - though you should always have all your paperwork readily available when traveling.

When you depart from Odessa, you will hit normal security, but if you are flying back to Kiev you may or may not have to deal with customs guys depending on the mood and coin flip of the day. Odessa is a strange airport.

If you travel by train domestically, no one will ever look at your bags except for thieves :-)) so just keep an close eye on your stuff..

Lastly, carry everything you can in a plastic bag in your underwear (cash, passport, etc.) or in a well guarded inside pocket.  If anyone bumps into you, immediately check to make sure you haven't lost anything.  Most crime against foreigners is pick-pocket stuff. 

That's the best I can answer you from my experience.

Dave
The duty of a true patriot is to protect his country from its government. -- Thomas Paine

Offline tjk

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Ukraine Customs/Import Restrictions
« Reply #16 on: August 27, 2007, 07:24:53 PM »
Hello there and this might sound like a stupid question but I have never traveled outside the U.S. so how does the customs thing work??

I am planing a trip to Kiev and the flight looks like I will have a lay over in Amsterdam and then off to Kiev. So so I have to go thru customs at all lay overs or just the one in Kiev. and then what about the way back also???

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Ukraine Customs/Import Restrictions
« Reply #17 on: August 27, 2007, 07:57:15 PM »
Hello there and this might sound like a stupid question but I have never traveled outside the U.S. so how does the customs thing work??

I am planing a trip to Kiev and the flight looks like I will have a lay over in Amsterdam and then off to Kiev. So so I have to go thru customs at all lay overs or just the one in Kiev. and then what about the way back also???

Normally your bags will be checked all the way through to your destination, so you will only clear customs at the destination with your *checked* bags.

In many European airports, it is not uncommon to have to clear security at the gate. It has been a while since I have been through Schiphol, but it is always ranked one of the best airports in the world - right up there with Singapore - and WAAYYY ahead of any US airports, so you will find it convenient.

As a guide - when your airplane arrives, they will not always pull up to a gate at the terminal the way they do in the US. About half the time, they will stop away from the building, and you will leave the aircraft and get aboard a bus which will take you to the terminal building. Once there, you should be able to find your connecting gate - and they will open the gate area about an hour before the planned departure. Once they open the gate area, you will step through another security screen - very similar to what you go through here in the US, and just take a seat and await the boarding call. Follow the crowd.

When you land in Kyiv, you will normally stop away from the building and will be bused to the terminal. KLM does a good job of providing forms for you to complete prior to landing, but if not, there will be forms in a variety of languages which you need to fill out. Your first stop will be to pass through border control where they take the form and stamp your passport. You then proceed over to collect your checked bags, and THEN you head off to the customs control agent.

Here are a couple of good websites about the airports you will be using:

First, Schiphol (Amsterdam) - http://tinyurl.com/2vak52

Next, Boryspil (Kyiv) - http://www.airport-borispol.kiev.ua/

Enjoy!

- Dan

Offline tjk

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Ukraine Customs/Import Restrictions
« Reply #18 on: August 28, 2007, 03:20:21 PM »
Thanks dan I appreciate the help. I will check out the web sites that you have given to me also.

Offline wxman

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« Reply #19 on: August 29, 2007, 08:06:58 PM »
I travel NWA/KLM all the time and the airport in Kiev has expanded with several more gates. They will bring the plane right up to the gate. If you fly NWA/KLM  do not worry about going through customs in Amsterdam unless you are leaving the airport. You can go directly to your next gate. When you get to your next gate you will have to go through a security check. Your checked luggage will go directly on the plane so do not worry about that. All the trips I have made there, I have never had any lost luggage. Leaving Ukraine is not a hassle. Make sure you have enough time between flights from Amsterdam to the US. You will have a pain in the butt security check getting on to a plane to the US. Have a copy of your iternary on your return flight in addition to your tickets. I made the mistake on my last flight of throwing away my iternary, even though I had tickets and a passport. I was pulled off to the side and questioned for over 30 minutes because I had no iternary, and they really did not care that I was a US citizen.  Even though I work for the US government, my ID had no meaning and they were jerks. They actually make you feel like a criminal if your papers are not in order.
« Last Edit: August 29, 2007, 08:18:18 PM by wxman »
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Offline ISORW

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« Reply #20 on: November 11, 2007, 06:06:24 PM »
I will be flying into Odessa in 10 days...isn't there an allowance for gifts like $100 or $200 that you would not get taxed on?  I plan on getting some toys for my g/f's nieces and nephew and I'd rather not have to deal with the hassle of getting searched and taxed on these items.  Has anyone flown through Odessa recently?

Offline AkMike

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« Reply #21 on: May 13, 2008, 08:26:00 PM »
You can bring in $400 worth of gifts w/o paying any dutys and still go thru the Green Line.
 But they don't know where or what youy  payed for ther gifts but be reasonable...


 Note:::
 They have raised the amount of USD that you can bring into Ukraine w/o declaring it and going thru the hassles of the Red Line. It used to be $1000 USD but now it's raised to  $3000.

Offline sjg-uk

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« Reply #22 on: April 23, 2010, 12:33:50 PM »
I have bought 2x Apple I-Touch from uk in last 5 months. One I bought last time I was in duty free at Heathrow and the other I bought on-line from Argos and had posted to me here. Both work fine and  had no problems with customs. Skype and WiFi work great. Got 2 happy step daughters , cost here is more than twice the price.
I have been through Borispol/Heathrow 4 times in last 12 months - never had any problems at all.
Simon in Kharkov
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Email ; kharkov.for.rent@gmail.com 
Great Info Link ; www.kharkovinfo.com

Offline tfcrew

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« Reply #23 on: April 24, 2010, 07:33:55 PM »
Hi sjg....
This [original] topic is like really old and the old posts do not reflect current new customs.
Perhaps you can elaborate on this so our readers won't become confused.
Passangers can carry in and out $10K U.S. max is this still correct?
Thanks for your input..............

Karl
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~Think about the intelligence of the average person and then realize that half of the people are even more stupid than that~

Offline Makkin

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« Reply #24 on: April 24, 2010, 10:08:24 PM »
Hi,


   I've never had a problem being checked or anything in Ukraine but I got held up in Russia for hours sitting in a chair until they let me enter the country. had four military persons watch me as another military fellow kept assuring me everything was fine. Hours later I found my way out of the airport and walked behind the military fellows and out. Problem I had on my way back home was that I had no paperwork because I just followed those guys and never declared anything and used a different exit..lol.


  Once I had my luggage lost and went to try and find it. I found myself in a large enough room to be upset at the fact that I may never find my luggage. They just sent me into the room and told me good luck in so many words. I looked about the room for five minutes without moving my feet and figured where the dust was heavier and then figured out the location would probably be. After looking for five minutes I decided on the 25% of the room where my luggage would be. BINGO!!!! I found it in less than three minutes and then had to be screened. The woman who screened it looked at me and we had some small talk...lol. She was beautiful and she just looked at me and at my luggage. I offered to open it and she told me I probably just had gifts and thing like that right??? I said I had no gifts but rather clothes and some food items. She was really nice and said go ahead and depated me without looking at anything.

  I gotta believe that it's all about how you present yourself is how you are treated but for all the trips I've made it's only been that one happening in Russia that slowed me down.

   
FUBAR

 

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