Any paperwork required for Ukraine?

[BTalley 0]

When I visit Svetlana next week we will meet in St. Petersburg, spend a few days there, then fly to Ukraine to meet her family.

I know a visa is not needed for Ukraine, but is any paperwork required? Do you need to register once you get there? Anything?

[Brad and Vika 129]

When I visit Svetlana next week we will meet in St. Petersburg, spend a few days there, then fly to Ukraine to meet her family.

I know a visa is not needed for Ukraine, but is any paperwork required? Do you need to register once you get there? Anything?

Nothing. The customs form asks for your destination address, but they never ask or check. I put the first address I am going to, and even got by with just putting Londonskaya (a hotel name) once.

Have a great trip! What made you choose SP?

[Brad and Vika 129]

Another thing though, they do question foreign men closely about jewelery (arrival), and currency (arrival and departure). Be aware of how much you have, and what currencies. They may make you fill out a declaration even if you are well below the reg limit of $10k US. Then they have you count it to see if it matches. This happened to me in Odessa twice. If you have more than what you declared, I presume they will try to take it.

[Turboguy 6]

Another thing though, they do question foreign men closely about jewelery (arrival), and currency (arrival and departure). Be aware of how much you have, and what currencies. They may make you fill out a declaration even if you are well below the reg limit of $10k US. Then they have you count it to see if it matches. This happened to me in Odessa twice. If you have more than what you declared, I presume they will try to take it.

Odessa is stricter than Kiev as far as customs. Way back it was common to have to count money for them but personally I have not experienced that since they got looser with the requirements. The reason they want a count on your money is you can't take out more than you brought. The only thing that happened to me concerning money is they looked at my wallet which had a lot of small bills and looked like more money than it was and asked if I had declaired the money. I just said yes, even though I had not and they sent me on.

I have never heard of them checking on where you say you are staying. One time when I was filling out the form it dawned on my that my apartment address was in my checked suitcase. I saw an ad for the Hotel Rus (maybe even on the customs form?) entered that and breezed through. Everyone is right there is no registration.

St Petersburgh is one of the most beautiful cities I have ever been to. One of my trips there was during white nights and stayed on Nevsky which was one all night non stop party. The Hermiage is fantastic and both Piterhauf and the summer (Katharines) castle are amazing. Kiev is also a beautiful city if that is where you are going in Ukraine. My favorite thing there is the catacombs in the Lavra. Have a great trip and don't worry about anything.

[Brad and Vika 129]

The last time I had to go through the hassle about money was while leaving Ukraine. I couldn't believe it. Although I understand the regs and limits - no one had asked me to fill out a form or declare currency on the way in, so when I had to fill out a customs declaration for my $1200US on the way out - what were they comparing it TO? It became obvious when I was asked to count it out that this was an honesty check that had nothing to do with regs necessarily.

[slim 1,523]

The last time I had to go through the hassle about money was while leaving Ukraine. I couldn't believe it. Although I understand the regs and limits - no one had asked me to fill out a form or declare currency on the way in, so when I had to fill out a customs declaration for my $1200US on the way out - what were they comparing it TO? It became obvious when I was asked to count it out that this was an honesty check that had nothing to do with regs necessarily.

Whenever I go on vacation I can never leave with money, especially as much as $1200!

All my money ends up getting left there. Usually it's "donated" to the local economy through charitable contributions like blackjack, or directly to the local populace through things like tips to bartenders and dancers, etc. I think I left Russia with about $6 in my pocket, and that was only in case I needed a Beeeg Mak on the way out.

[Brad and Vika 129]

The last time I had to go through the hassle about money was while leaving Ukraine. I couldn't believe it. Although I understand the regs and limits - no one had asked me to fill out a form or declare currency on the way in, so when I had to fill out a customs declaration for my $1200US on the way out - what were they comparing it TO? It became obvious when I was asked to count it out that this was an honesty check that had nothing to do with regs necessarily.

Whenever I go on vacation I can never leave with money, especially as much as $1200!

All my money ends up getting left there. Usually it's "donated" to the local economy through charitable contributions like blackjack, or directly to the local populace through things like tips to bartenders and dancers, etc. I think I left Russia with about $6 in my pocket, and that was only in case I needed a Beeeg Mak on the way out.

I am ashamed to tell you how much I did donate

[BTalley 0]

Have a great trip! What made you choose SP?

She lives in St. Petersburg. That's where I visited her for the first time in February. Her hometown, though, is Krivoy Rog in Ukraine, and that's where her family lives and where she usually spends the summer.

But there are a lot of things we need to do in SP in preparation for her interview. Thus, the itinerary for this trip is a little complicated and exhausting:

Fly from Fort Lauderdale to St. Petersburg.

Take train from SP to Moscow (never been to Moscow).

Fly from Moscow to Dnepropetrovsk.

Drive from Dnepropetrovsk to Krivoy Rog.

Drive from Krivoy Rog to Kiev.

Fly from Kiev to Fort Lauderdale.

[eekee 182]

Ft. Lauderdale? Wouldn't you save a lot of money by flying out of Miami? My family lives in Palm Beach so I've done the spb-florida route several times there, and I've always gone through Miami, not Palm Beach International.

[Brad and Vika 129]

Have a great trip! What made you choose SP?

She lives in St. Petersburg. That's where I visited her for the first time in February. Her hometown, though, is Krivoy Rog in Ukraine, and that's where her family lives and where she usually spends the summer.

But there are a lot of things we need to do in SP in preparation for her interview. Thus, the itinerary for this trip is a little complicated and exhausting:

Fly from Fort Lauderdale to St. Petersburg.

Take train from SP to Moscow (never been to Moscow).

Fly from Moscow to Dnepropetrovsk.

Drive from Dnepropetrovsk to Krivoy Rog.

Drive from Krivoy Rog to Kiev.

Fly from Kiev to Fort Lauderdale.

Yikes! I hope you have a long time to recover. I am not a big fan of trains over there, and I don't like it when Vika insists that we move every thre or four days to a city just a few hours away. But the upside is that you should be all squared away after this and can make your own itineraries from now on.

[1HappyGuy 45]

The first time I went to Ukraine they did a check at our hotel the next morning, after of course having our passports checked at the hotel. But, since that time, I've never been checked. Most of the time I've listed a private address as where I will be staying. So, you should not have any problems with customs concerning your arrival. Since they hosted Eurovision 2005 they opened up their borders and Americans no longer need visas. I hope it stays that way.

You might be asked about gifts. If you have gifts valued over $200 they can charge you taxes. So, tell them you have gifts of less than that.

You should fill out the small little custom forms upon your arrival stating what you have and how much money. I've never been asked to count my money and like most, I leave with far less than I arrived with. However, if you might be taking out money from the country, you might want to inflate your original form but keep it under $10,000.

The little custom form that looks like a coupon is kind of strange, but hang on to it. Every country has it's little quirks.

[BTalley 0]

Ft. Lauderdale? Wouldn't you save a lot of money by flying out of Miami? My family lives in Palm Beach so I've done the spb-florida route several times there, and I've always gone through Miami, not Palm Beach International.

Usually the savings is only about $50 the times I have checked. And Miami International is like a zoo to me. I may have her fly into Miami, though, when she arrives in USA if it means finding a one-stop flight (she will be bringing her dog).

Starting in November FinnAir will offer direct flights from Helsinki to Fort Lauderdale. That's an option, since Finland is so close to SP. But the fares are, unfortunately, more expensive.

[Brad and Vika 129]

Naturally more expensive - Murphy's Law. Any way, have a safe trip, and let us know how it goes!

Edited July 22, 2008 by Brad and Vika

[Turboguy 6]

That sounds like a nice trip. I hope you get to spend a little time in Moscow. I think the first time you see Red Square it is awsome. I enjoy traveling by train there, particularly if you get a private car. You just have to remember to bring your waders for the toilets. I haven't been to Krivoy Rog for a decade but that you should get your sightseeing out of the way before you get there as there is not a lot to see there. Dnepropetrovsk on the other had struck me as the place I would want to live if I had to live in Russia or Ukraine. I would even rate it higher than Gary IN or E. St Louis. The riverwalk there is beautiful and the central squre is cool when they have a concert going on.

[slim 1,523]

I think the first time you see Red Square it is awsome.

A big part of that for me was seeing all those propaganda films of the parades and the missile trucks rolling over the grounds, soldiers saluting the men wearing the shapkas and generals with all the ribbons up in the booth above Lenin's tomb, and then realizing I was walking right where they did, right where the trucks had rolled, right where the might of the Soviet empire stared down the Yanks for all those years.

And in that very spot I was turning history on it's head by walking along with my fiancee. I never would've thunk it possible!

Dnepropetrovsk on the other had struck me as the place I would want to live if I had to live in Russia or Ukraine. I would even rate it higher than Gary IN or E. St Louis. The riverwalk there is beautiful and the central squre is cool when they have a concert going on.

I've spent many a night in both Gary, and East Saint Looey! Such nice places! If this Dnepropetrovsk is even half-way as nice as those two fine cities then I'm inclined to visit there next time I go to Russia. I just hope their casinos pay out a little better.