AGREEMENT  
between the European Union and Ukraine amending the Agreement between the European 
Community and Ukraine on the facilitation of the issuance of visas  
THE EUROPEAN UNION,  
of the one part, and  
UKRAINE,  
of the other part,  
hereinafter referred to as ‘the Parties’,  
HAVING REGARD to the Agreement between the European Community and Ukraine on the facilitation of the issuance 
of visas, which entered into force on 1 January 2008,  
DESIRING to further facilitate people to people contacts,  
RECOGNISING the importance of the introduction of a visafree travel regime for the citizens of Ukraine in due course, 
provided that the conditions for well-managed and secure mobility are in place,  
TAKING INTO ACCOUNT the entry into force of Regulation (EC) No 810/2009 of the European Parliament and of the 
Council of 13 July 2009 establishing a Community Code on Visas (Visa Code) (  1 ), which, in particular provides for the 
obligatory motivation of a visa refusal and the right to appeal for applicants in case of refusal,  
TAKING INTO ACCOUNT the Protocol on the Schengen  acquis  integrated into the framework of the European Union and 
the Protocol on the position of the United Kingdom and Ireland in respect of the area of freedom, security and justice 
and, annexed to the Treaty on European Union and to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, and 
confirming that the provisions of this Agreement do not apply to the United Kingdom and Ireland,  
TAKING INTO ACCOUNT the Protocol on the position of Denmark annexed to the Treaty on European Union and to 
the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union and confirming that the provisions of this Agreement do not apply 
to Denmark,  
HAVE AGREED AS FOLLOWS:  
Article 1  
The Agreement between the European Community and Ukraine 
on the facilitation of the issuance of visas, hereinafter referred to 
as ‘the Agreement’, shall be amended in accordance with the 
provisions of this Article:  
(1) In the title, the word ‘Community’ shall be replaced by the 
word ‘Union’.  
(2) In Article 1(2), the following first subparagraph shall be 
inserted:  
Ukraine may only reintroduce the visa requirement for 
citizens or certain categories of citizens of all Member 
States and not for citizens or certain categories of 
citizens of individual Member States.  
(3) In Article 2(1) and (2), the word ‘Community’ shall be 
replaced by the words ‘European Union’.  
(4) In Article 3 point (e), the word ‘Community’ shall be 
replaced by the words ‘European Union’.  
(5) Article 4(1) shall be amended as follows:  
(a) point (c) shall be replaced by the following:  ‘(c) for drivers conducting international cargo and 
passenger transportation services to the territories 
of the Member States in vehicles registered in 
Ukraine:  
— a written request from the national association 
of carriers of Ukraine providing for inter ­
national road transportation, stating the 
purpose, duration, destination(s), and 
frequency of the trips;’;  
(b) point (e) shall be replaced by the following:  
‘(e) for journalists and the technical crew accom ­
panying them in a professional capacity:  
— a certificate or other document issued by a 
professional organisation or the applicant’s 
employer proving that the person concerned 
is a qualified journalist and stating that the 
purpose of the journey is to carry out jour ­
nalistic work or proving that the person is a 
member of the technical crew accompanying 
the journalist in a professional capacity;’;  
(c) point (i) shall be replaced by the following:  
‘(i) for participants in official exchange programmes 
organised by twin cities and other municipal 
entities:EN 20.6.2013 Official Journal of the European Union L 168/11  
( 1 ) OJ L 243, 15.9.2009, p. 1.
— a written request of the Head of Adminis ­
tration/Mayor of those cities or other 
municipal entities;’;  
(d) point (j) shall be replaced by the following:  
‘(j) for close relatives — spouse, children (including 
adopted), parents (including custodians), grand ­
parents and grandchildren — visiting citizens of 
Ukraine legally residing in the territory of the 
Member States or citizens of the European Union 
residing in the territory of the Member State of 
which they are nationals:  
— a written request from the host person;’;  
(e) point (m) shall be replaced by the following:  
‘(m) for visiting for medical reasons and necessary 
accompanying persons:  
— an official document of the medical insti ­
tution confirming the necessity of medical 
care in that institution, the necessity of 
being accompanied and proof of sufficient 
financial means to pay the medical treat ­
ment;’;  
(f) the following points shall be added:  
‘(n) for representatives of civil society organisations 
when undertaking trips for the purposes of 
educational training, seminars, conferences, 
including in the framework of exchange 
programmes:  
— a written request issued by the host organi ­
sation, a confirmation that the person is repre ­
senting the civil society organisation and the 
certificate on establishment of such organi ­
sation from the relevant Register issued by a 
state authority in accordance with the national 
legislation;  
(o) for members of the professions participating in 
international exhibitions, conferences, symposia, 
seminars or other similar events held in the 
territory of the Member States:  
— a written request from the host organisation 
confirming that the person concerned is 
participating in the event;  
(p) for representatives of religious communities:  
— a written request from a religious community 
registered in Ukraine, stating the purpose, 
duration and frequency of the trips;  
(q) for participants in official Europan Union cross- 
border cooperation programmes, such as under 
the European Neighbourhood and Partnership 
Instrument (ENPI):  
— a written request by the host organisation.’.  (6) In Article 5, paragraphs 1 to 3, shall be replaced by the 
following:  
‘1. Diplomatic missions and consular posts of the 
Member States shall issue multiple-entry visas with the 
term of validity of five years to the following categories 
of persons:  
(a) members of national and regional Governments and 
Parliaments, Constitutional Courts and Supreme 
Courts, national and regional prosecutors and their 
deputies, if they are not exempted from the visa 
requirement by the present Agreement, in the 
exercise of their duties;  
(b) permanent members of official delegations who, 
following official invitations addressed to Ukraine, 
shall regularly participate in meetings, consultations, 
negotiations or exchange programmes, as well as in 
events held in the territory of the Member States by 
intergovernmental organisations;  
(c) spouses and children (including adopted), who are 
under the age of 21 or are dependant, and parents 
(including custodians) visiting citizens of Ukraine 
legally residing in the territory of the Member States 
or citizens of the European Union residing in the 
territory of the Member State of which they are 
nationals;  
(d) business people and representatives of business organi ­
sations who regularly travel to the Member States;  
(e) journalists and the technical crew accompanying them 
in a professional capacity.  
By way of derogation from the first subparagraph, where 
the need or the intention to travel frequently or regularly 
is manifestly limited to a shorter period, the term of 
validity of the multiple-entry visa shall be limited to that 
period, in particular where  
— in the case of the persons referred to in point (a), the 
term of office,  
— in the case of the persons referred to in point (b), the 
term of the validity of the status as a permanent 
member of an official delegation,  
— in the case of the persons referred to in point (c), the 
period of validity of the authorisation for legal 
residence of citizens of Ukraine legally residing in the 
European Union,  
— in the case of the persons referred to in point (d), the 
term of validity of the status as a representative of the 
business organisation or the work contract,  
— in the case of the persons referred to in point (e), the 
work contract  
is less than five years.EN L 168/12 Official Journal of the European Union 20.6.2013
2. Diplomatic missions and consular posts of the 
Member States shall issue multiple-entry visas with the 
term of validity of one year to the following categories 
of persons, provided that during the previous year they 
have obtained at least one visa, have made use of it in 
accordance with the laws on entry and stay of the visited 
State:  
(a) drivers conducting international cargo and passenger 
transportation services to the territories of the 
Member States in vehicles registered in Ukraine;  
(b) members of train, refrigerator and locomotive crews in 
international trains, travelling to the territories of the 
Member States;  
(c) persons participating in scientific, cultural and artistic 
activities, including university and other exchange 
programmes, who regularly travel to the Member 
States;  
(d) participants in international sports events and persons 
accompanying them in a professional capacity;  
(e) participants in official exchange programmes organised 
by twin cities and other municipal entities;  
(f) representatives of civil society organisations travelling 
regularly to Member States for the purposes of 
educational training, seminars, conferences, including 
in the framework of exchange programmes;  
(g) for participants in official European Union cross- 
border cooperation programmes, such as under the 
European Neighbourhood and Partnership Instrument 
(ENPI);  
(h) students and post-graduate students who regularly 
travel for the purposes of study or educational 
training, including in the framework of exchange 
programmes;  
(i) for representatives of religious communities:  
(j) for members of the professions participating in inter ­
national exhibitions, conferences, symposia, seminars 
or other similar events held in the territory of the 
Member States;  
(k) persons needing to visit regularly for medical reasons 
and necessary accompanying persons.  
By way of derogation from the first subparagraph, where 
the need or the intention to travel frequently or regularly 
is manifestly limited to a shorter period, the term of 
validity of the multiple-entry visa shall be limited to that 
period.  
3. Diplomatic missions and consular posts of the 
Member States shall issue multiple-entry visas with the 
term of validity of a minimum of two years and a 
maximum of five years to the categories of persons referred to in paragraph 2 of this Article, provided that 
during the previous two years they have made use of the 
one year multiple-entry visas in accordance with the laws 
on entry and stay of the visited State unless the need or 
the intention to travel frequently or regularly is manifestly 
limited to a shorter period, in which case the term of 
validity of the multiple-entry visa shall be limited to that 
period.’.  
(7) Article 6 shall be amended as follows:  
(a) paragraph 3 shall be replaced by the following:  
‘3. The Member States shall charge a fee of EUR 70 
for processing visas in cases where, based on the 
distance between the applicant’s place of residence 
and the place where the application has been 
submitted, the applicant has requested that a decision 
on the application be taken within three days of its 
submission, and the consulate has accepted to take a 
decision within three days.’;  
(b) in paragraph 4,  
(i) the introductory words shall be replaced by the 
following:  
‘4. Without prejudice to paragraph 5 fees for 
processing the visa application are waived for 
the following categories of persons:’;  
(ii) in point (a) the following words shall be added:  
‘or citizens of the European Union residing in the 
territory of the Member State of which they are 
nationals’;  
(iii) in point (i) the following words shall be added:  
‘and other municipal entities’;  
(iv) in point (j) the following words shall be added:  
‘and the technical crew accompanying them in a 
professional capacity’;  
(v) the following points shall be added:  
‘(o) representatives of the religious communities;  
(p) for members of the professions participating 
in international exhibitions, conferences, 
symposia, seminars or other similar events 
held in the territory of the Member States;  
(q) participants aged 25 years or less in seminars, 
conferences, sports, cultural or educational 
events, organised by non-profit organisations;  
(r) representatives of civil society organisations 
undertaking trips for the purposes of 
educational training, seminars, conferences, 
including in the framework of exchange 
programmes;EN 20.6.2013 Official Journal of the European Union L 168/13
(s) for participants in official European Union 
cross-border cooperation programmes, such 
as under the European Neighbourhood and 
Partnership Instrument (ENPI).’;  
(vi) the following subparagraph shall be added:  
‘The first subparagraph shall apply also where the 
purpose of the journey is transit.’;  
(c) the following paragraph shall be added:  
‘5. If a Member State cooperates with an external 
service provider in view of issuing a visa the external 
service provider may charge a service fee. This fee shall 
be proportionate to the costs incurred by the external 
service provider while performing its tasks and shall 
not exceed EUR 30. The Member States shall maintain 
the possibility for all applicants to lodge their appli ­
cations directly at their consulates If applicants are 
required to obtain an appointment for the lodging of 
an application the appointment shall, as a rule, take 
place within a period of two weeks from the date 
when the appointment was requested.’.  
(8) Article 10 shall be amended as follows:  
(a) the title shall be replaced by the following:  
‘Diplomatic and service passports’;  
(b) in paragraph 2, which shall be renumbered 3, the 
words ‘in paragraph 1’ shall be replaced by the 
words ‘in paragraphs 1 and 2’;  
(c) a new paragraph 2 shall be inserted as follows:  
‘2. Citizens of Ukraine who are holders of valid 
biometric service passports can enter, leave and 
transit through the territories of the Member States 
without visas.’.  (9) Article 12(1) shall be amended as follows:  
(a) in the first sentence the word ‘Community’ shall be 
replaced by the word ‘Union’;  
(b) in the second sentence, the word ‘Community’ shall be 
replaced by the words ‘European Union’ and the words 
‘Commission of the European Communities’ by the 
words ‘European Commission.’.  
(10) Article 13 shall be amended as follows:  
(a) the existing paragraph shall be numbered as 
paragraph 1;  
(b) the following paragraph shall be added:  
‘2. The provisions of bilateral Agreements or 
arrangements between individual Member States and 
Ukraine concluded before the entry into force of this 
Agreement providing for the exemption of the holders 
of non-biometric service passports from the visa 
requirement shall continue to apply without 
prejudice to the right of the Member States 
concerned or Ukraine to denounce or suspend these 
bilateral agreements or arrangements.’.  
Article 2  
This Agreement shall be ratified or approved by the Parties in 
accordance with their respective procedures and shall enter into 
force on the first day of the second month following the date 
on which the last Party notifies the other that the procedures 
referred to above have been completed.  
Done at Brussels, on the 23rd day of July in the year two 
thousand and twelve, in duplicate in the Bulgarian, Czech, 
Danish, Dutch, English, Estonian, Finnish, French, German, 
Greek, Hungarian, Italian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Maltese, Polish, 
Portuguese, Romanian, Slovak, Slovenian, Spanish, Swedish and 
Ukrainian languages, each of those texts being equally authentic.EN L 168/14 Official Journal of the European Union 20.6.2013
За Европейския  съюз  
Por la Unión Europea  
Za Evropskou unii  
For Den Europæiske Union  
Für die Europäische Union  
Euroopa Liidu nimel  
Για την Ευρωπαϊκή  Ένωση  
For the European Union  
Pour l'Union européenne  
Per l'Unione europea  
Eiropas Savien ības v ārd ā – 
Europos S ąjungos vardu  
Az Európai Unió részér ől 
Għall-Unjoni Ewropea  
Voor de Europese Unie  
W imieniu Unii Europejskiej  
Pela União Europeia  
Pentru Uniunea European ă 
Za Európsku úniu  
Za Evropsko unijo  
Euroopan unionin puolesta  
För Europeiska unionen  
За Європейське  Спiвтовариство
  
За Украйна  
Por Ucrania  
Za Ukrajinu  
For Ukraine  
Für die Ukraine  
Ukraina nimel  
Για την Ουκρανία  
For Ukraine  
Pour l'Ukraine  
Per l'Ucraina  
Ukrainas v ārd ā 
Ukrainos vardu  
Ukrajna részér ől 
Għall-Ukrajna  
Voor Oekraïne  
W imieniu Ukrainy  
Pela Ucrânia  
Pentru Ucraina  
Za Ukrajinu  
Za Ukrajino  
Ukrainan puolesta  
På Ukrainas vägnar  
За Укра ïнy
EN 20.6.2013 Official Journal of the European Union L 168/15
EUROPEAN UNION DECLARATION ON DOCUMENTS TO BE SUBMITTED WHEN APPLYING FOR 
SHORT-STAY VISAS  
The European Union will establish a harmonised list of supporting documents, in accordance with 
Article 48(1)(a) of the Visa Code, in order to ensure that applicants from Ukraine are required to 
submit, in principle, the same supporting documents.  
EUROPEAN UNION DECLARATION ON FACILITATIONS FOR FAMILY MEMBERS  
The European Union takes note of the suggestion of Ukraine to give a wider definition to the notion of 
family members that should benefit from visa facilitation as well as of the importance that Ukraine attaches 
to the simplification of movement of this category of persons.  
In order to ease the mobility of an extended number of persons which have family links (in particular sisters 
and brothers and their children) with citizens of Ukraine legally residing in the territories of Member States 
or with citizens of the European Union residing in the territory of the Member State of which they are 
nationals, the European Union invites the Member States’ consular offices to make full use of the existing 
possibilities in the Visa Code for facilitating the issuance of visas to this category of persons, including in 
particular, the simplification of documentary evidence requested for the applicants, exemptions from 
handling fees and, where appropriate, the issuing of multiple-entry visas.EN L 168/16 Official Journal of the European Union 20.6.2013
EUROPEAN UNION DECLARATION ON ARTICLE 10 (2) OF THE AGREEMENT  
The European Union may invoke a partial suspension of the Agreement and in particular of Article 10(2), in 
accordance with the procedure set up by Article 14(5) of the Agreement, if the implementation of 
Article 10(2) is abused by Ukraine or leads to a threat to public security. If the implementation of 
Article 10(2) is suspended, the European Union shall initiate consultations in the framework of the 
Committee set up by the Agreement with a view to solving the problems that led to the suspension.  
JOINT DECLARATION CONCERNING SWITZERLAND AND LIECHTENSTEIN  
The Parties take note of the close relationship between the Union and Switzerland and Liechtenstein, 
particularly by virtue of the Agreement of 26 October 2004 concerning the association of these 
countries with the implementation, application and development of the Schengen  acquis . 
In such circumstances, it is desirable that the authorities of Switzerland and Liechtenstein and Ukraine 
conclude, without delay, bilateral agreements on the facilitation of the issuance of short-stay visas in similar 
terms as the amended Agreement.EN 20.6.2013 Official Journal of the European Union L 168/17