How to extend visa in Ukraine?

Any foreign citizen, who comes for a visit to Ukraine can stay in Ukraine either for the term specified in a visa or for 90 days visa-free term (for the citizens of countries that ratified the Visa Waiver Treaties with Ukraine). In both cases, a foreign citizen can stay in Ukraine for a maximum of 90 days within the last 180 days’ period.

How to calculate 90 days of stay in Ukraine properly?

When this 90 days term expires foreign citizen has two options:

1) leave Ukraine with the right to re-enter after 90 days period;
2) extend a stay in Ukraine.

Legislation of Ukraine provides the following options for the extension of stay of any foreign citizen:

1) get temporary residence permit;
2) get permanent residence permit;
3) to be granted a decision by migration service office on permission to extend the stay on the territory of Ukraine.

Such a decision (3) shall be granted only when there are serious grounds, such as illness, pregnancy or childbearing, illness of the family member who has to be taken care of, waiting for the official documents being issued (such as immigration permit, obtainment of the citizenship of Ukraine, etc.), force majeure events that do not allow to leave Ukraine within the legally permitted terms of stay. All the aforesaid facts have to be supported with the respective documents.

The application for extension of stay on the territory of Ukraine shall be submitted to the local migration service office and, what is important, at least three days before the expiry of the visa or 90 days’ term. The special stamp is inserted in the passport when the migration service body grants with the decision on the extension of the term of stay on the territory of Ukraine. The maximum period of extension is 90 calendar days. If you leave Ukraine before the 90 days term, you will not be permitted to re-enter Ukraine, so you will have to either wait for 90 days or get the new visa.