When exactly Ukraine will get visa-free status now depends on the European Parliament and the EU Council.
As Deutsche Welle notes in its publication, the procedure for preparing and reviewing the document in the European Parliament takes at least a month, during which a rapporteur must be appointed and debates and hearings held. After approval in the European Parliament, the document must be approved by the EU Council. Based on this schedule, the decision will take effect only in the summer, approximately in July.
“I hope that visa-free travel for Ukrainian citizens to the EU will become a reality very soon,” said EU Commissioner for Home Affairs and Migration Dimitris Avramopoulos in Brussels.
In an interview with Deutsche Welle, the head of the European Parliament's delegation for cooperation with Ukraine, Andrej Plenković, also confirmed the abolition of visas as early as this summer. In his opinion, no more than three months should pass before a plenary vote.
The document does not specify any additional conditions for introducing a visa-free regime between Ukraine and the EU. Although earlier certain assumptions about this were heard in European media. Thus, the German newspaper Welt am Sontag wrote about the alleged existence of restrictive conditions. It was about the EU intending to reach a special visa-free agreement with Turkey, which could be canceled if Ankara fails to comply with refugee agreements. Conditions similar to this, according to Welt am Sontag sources, were to be determined for Ukraine, Georgia, and Kosovo.
Concerns about the fate of the visa-free regime were previously raised by the results of a referendum held on April 6 in the Netherlands. Then 61.1 percent of voters opposed ratification of the Ukraine-EU Association Agreement, while 38 percent of Dutch supported it. After the referendum, both Ukrainian and European officials unanimously stated that its results would not affect support for Ukraine on the path to European integration. However, the level of tension for Ukrainians did not decrease.
Everyone breathed a sigh of relief only after April 19, when the Dutch parliament refused to cancel the ratification of the Association Agreement at the demand of the opposition. 75 deputies voted against the proposal of opposition politicians, 71 in favor.
If everything goes according to the best scenario, soon Ukrainians will not need visas for travel to all EU countries except the United Kingdom and Ireland. The visa-free regime will also extend to Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland, which are not members of the European Union.
However, “without visas” does not mean “without following certain rules.” For example, the first requirement for a visa-free trip to the EU is having a biometric passport. Ukrainians also need to remember that they cannot stay in the territory of Schengen area states for a total of more than 90 days within a six-month period. Violation of this rule may lead to entry into the Schengen Information System SIS and a ban on entry to the EU.
In addition, the visa-free regime does not grant the right to work in EU countries. However, regarding studies, if it involves short-term courses of up to 90 days, then obtaining national visas and special permits is not required.
When crossing the border of the Schengen area, Ukrainian citizens should have with them almost all the documents that are usually required for obtaining a visa. A biometric passport may be sufficient, but a migration officer may ask to confirm the purpose and conditions of the trip, prove the availability of sufficient funds for staying in the EU and returning home.
In particular, to prove solvency, one must present traveler's checks, proof of accommodation booking, availability of foreign currency, and even funds on a credit card. The amount of required funds directly depends on the duration of the trip and the choice of country or countries of travel.