On the night of June 11, the visa-free regime for Ukraine came into effect. From now on, Ukrainians without visas can visit almost the whole of Europe. After the introduction of the visa-free regime for Ukrainians, the borders of 30 countries were opened. One should remember, when planning any trip, two basic rules of the Schengen visa:
do not work in EU countries without a work visa and do not exceed the period of stay in the EU for more than 90 days every 180 days.
The main condition for crossing the borders of European countries is the presence of a biometric passport. The validity of such a passport, like that of an old passport, is 10 years.
Its distinctive feature from the old model is the presence of an electronic chip, which includes photographs, fingerprints, as well as the signature of the passport holder in electronic form. There are cases when this chip does not carry information about prints or signatures – for example, when this passport is issued for a small child, and he physically can not sign. At the same time, the passport does not lose the status of biometric, and also gives the right to enter the countries of the European Union without a visa. In addition, access to your information can only get Ukrainian State Service, and at the border they will not be able to check biometrics.
It is important to remember that your passport must remain valid for at least 3 months before the end of the trip.
Does the old passport need to be exchanged?
Despite the large number of opinions, officially, it is not necessary to change the existing foreign passport to a biometric passport. Those who have an old passport have the right to move around the EU under an existing visa before the expiry date, and then apply to the consulate for a new visa.
You can obtain a biometric passport in any of the departments of the State Migration Service, in the service centers of citizens “Passport Service” and the Centers for Administrative Services in Kyiv and in the regions.
More detailed information and advice on the rules for issuing a biometric passport can be obtained on the official website of the Migration Service of Ukraine.
