Ukraine's Immigration form,......... no more.

[Jack]

Kievstar, ManLooking, as two frequent visitors to Ukraine, as well as all future visitors to Ukraine, you will be happy to know, just as with the old USSR, just as with the agency hype of 8 Russian women for every one man, just as with the River Palace, the Ukraine Immigration form is no more.

In late August I did have to fill one out, and it is stamped, which I will keep for a souvenir, but as of September 1, the immigration form is no longer required when entering or exiting Ukraine.

[XMan]

Then why did I have to fill one out at Borispol on September 15 when I entered the country at 4:45 p.m.?

[Jack]

Don't know. Have had 12 clients enter since Sept 1 and not one received a stamped, second half. They each filled out the form but when they gave to immigration control they shoved the forms back to them, no stamp, no tearing of form.   

[Wayne]

I entered at Kiev on 8 September 2010, filled out the immigration form and handed it in with my passport.  They did not keep the first half and did not stamp the other. ZAGS questioned why the form was not stamped! Seems like everyone is not up on the new law.

[kievstar]

Wayne congrats on getting married - only one reason to take an immigration form to ZAGS. 

[Vinnvinny]

Jack is correct as it happened to me too. When I entered Ukraine on the 8th Sept they just handed me the immigration form back and said they don't need it. When leaving I wasn't asked for it at passport control.

[XMan]

OK, it will be interesting to see what happens when I leave next week. 
I'd be happy to never fill one out again.
 

[spectris]

Yes, Jack is correct - I was there for 10 days until yesterday and while BA gave me a form on the plane to fill out (w/ the obligatory black pen), Immigration just handed it back to me w/o looking at it (and I filled it out soooo neatly) and simply scanned & stamped my passport.  Yesterday when I left it was just a quick passport/boarding pass verification.

Probably why getting through KBP took all of about 25 minutes including baggage - very fast for an international flight.

[kievstar]

Looks like they got the computer service working as they need it to check how often people come in and out of the country so they do not violate the visa free travel terms.  Very good news.  No paperwork is always good.  Plus they can nail the guys coming to often over a year period. 

[Smile_too]

In late August I did have to fill one out, and it is stamped, which I will keep for a souvenir, but as of September 1, the immigration form is no longer required when entering or exiting Ukraine.

Many persons would be grateful to you if you can help to find the  law which made possible not to fill out the immigration form

[ML]

I wonder if all the entry points in Ukraine are on the same page with respect to this.  A colleague of mine entered and left Kharkiv in July.  Another guy in the departure line could not find the second half of the paper and they yelled and screamed at him.  He finally found it.  This was before Sept 1st., but just wondering.

Jack, where is the official announcement of this?

Anyone seen anything in USA Embassy website, or Ukraine Government website?

I hope it is not a huge hoax, whereby they get a lot of people used to not filling it out; and then start gettting the bribe exit money when we can't produce the stamped second half.

[Vinnvinny]

I hope it is not a huge hoax, whereby they get a lot of people used to not filling it out; and then start gettting the bribe exit money when we can't produce the stamped second half.

Working on the basis that your plane will probably be sitting on the tarmac when they ask for the exit bribe and therefore having you by the short and curlies, why don't you offer them a small bribe to stamp your card when you next enter Ukraine? Probably be loads cheaper.

Keep us unformed, TVM. 

[ML]

Working on the basis that your plane will probably be sitting on the tarmac when they ask for the exit bribe and therefore having you by the short and curlies, why don't you offer them a small bribe to stamp your card when you next enter Ukraine? Probably be loads cheaper.

Keep us unformed, TVM. 

I don't follow your logic.

If the plane is sitting  on the tarmac, and I am on it, and it is a departing  plane, then unlikely anyone will be trying to get a bribe at that point . . . unless the entire plane is being hijacked.

My purpose on this thread is to try to get to the bottom of this, find out the legalities, and help everyone else in this endeavor.

Is that also your purpose?

[Vinnvinny]

I don't follow your logic.

If the plane is sitting  on the tarmac, and I am on it, and it is a departing  plane, then unlikely anyone will be trying to get a bribe at that point . . . unless the entire plane is being hijacked.

Most of my words were one syllable so I don’t think I can write it again any clearer sorry. Couldn’t you ask a friend? 

My purpose on this thread is to try to get to the bottom of this, find out the legalities, and help everyone else in this endeavor.

Is that also your purpose?

My purpose is to confirm that the immigration card is no more. I entered Kharkov without one and I exited Kiev without one, that's good enough for me. I'll be back next month and I'm betting I do the same.

Good luck into getting to the bottom of this and helping everyone else.  :kissing:

[Jack]

Many persons would be grateful to you if you can help to find the  law which made possible not to fill out the immigration form

Jack, where is the official announcement of this?
Anyone seen anything in USA Embassy website, or Ukraine Government website?

ManLooking,  Smile, almost a month into this and still I have not heard or seen any type of official notification.  But I have not gone to the USA Embassy website or Ukraine Government website.  I am only reporting what I see happening.

I wonder if all the entry points in Ukraine are on the same page with respect to this.  

I can only comment as to Kiev and Kharkov's point of entry.

I hope it is not a huge hoax, whereby they get a lot of people used to not filling it out; and then start gettting the bribe exit money when we can't produce the stamped second half.

This was also my main concern and quite frankly tomorrow, next week, next month, they could just as easily start using the immigration forms again.

My purpose on this thread is to try to get to the bottom of this, find out the legalities, and help everyone else in this endeavor.

My purpose as well ManLooking.

ManLooking when I heard from the first guy arriving on Sept. 1  I thought "oh, no, this is going to be a problem".  Another guy arrived on Sept. 1st but at that time I did not think about asking him if the same had happened to him.  A guy arriving on September 2nd told me what had happened to him. With a second guy arriving on Sept. 2nd at 4pm I asked him about this and he told me he did not get a stamped copy and they refused the form he handed them.  I then asked the second guy who arrived on the first of September and he told me he handed them the form but they handed it back.   Over the next few days I saw this happening to all the other guys.  

Now I am thinking this is very good, or very bad.  I was reluctant to post on this until I saw what would happen when the guys began to leave.  So with great caution I watch as the first guy leaves, he has no problem.  Then the second guy leaves, I ask him to call or sms me with his results. He said he made it from front door entry thru custom control in 14 minutes with no problem, no one asking for the immigration form.  It was at this time I felt good enough about the situation to post this on the RWD.

But as eluded to early, this could change tomorrow, next week, next month and also without any notification.

After all, it is Ukraine.

[ML]

Thanks Jack for your detailed and realistic report on what happened, and what might happen.
You are not wearing rose colored glasses like some of the other commentators.

[Smile_too]

After all, it is Ukraine.

How well you know Ukraine

Thank you Jack. Sorry I bothered you. Just was interesting because this doc is obligatory at ZAGS

[XMan]

Just waiting for my last of 4 flights to get home from Ukraine. 

They completely ignored my filled out form, though when I entered they looked at it, but did not stamp it nor anything else. 

At least I wasn't hassled leaving. 

[ML]

Those of you who are posting regarding your recent experiences;  would be nice if you specified your entry and exit points.

Just today, I looked again at several 'official' websites, both for Ukraine government and USA embassy in Ukraine, and saw nothing other than the old words that the immigration card must be filled out at entry, stamped, and turned back in at departure.

X-Man, were you given the form on the plane before landing in Ukraine, or you picked it up in Airport in Ukraine, or you had extra one from prior trip that you used?

If the last choice is not your answer, then interesting that airlines have not been given the update, or worse, that the Ukrainian government is still putting the forms in the airport.

[XMan]

No problem, let me clarify.

Entry and exit point -- Kiev.
Entered 9/15, left 9/29.
KLM provided the form on my flight from Amsterdam (a flight that is daily, I am certain). 
The official looked at my form, said "you are going to Chernovtsy?" (in Russian, which I understood since it was a simple question). 
I responded Yes.
He handed the form and my passport back to me. 

When I left the official did not even glance at the form.