Igor Meshov

e-mail: rtleslie@fustercluck.com

The Schengen zone comes nearer to Ukraine
16.07.2007

Since January, 1st, 2008 for trips to Hungary, Czechia, Poland, Slovakia, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia Ukrainians should make out the Schengen visa in cost 35 euros.

On Sunday Ministers of Internal Affairs of the EU countries at a meeting in the Austrian Innsbruck have definitively decided, that since new year of 9 new EU member states (Poland, Malta, Czechia, Slovakia, Hungary, Slovenia, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia) will open the overland and sea borders with the European Union countries.

Since March, 1st 2008 these countries will cancel the boundary control and for the flights arriving from the EU countries, the newspaper "Today" writes.

For Ukraine occurrence of 9 new countries in the Schengen zone, first of all, means toughening of a visa regime with them: before the visa of the countries-neighbours to Ukrainians gave out within 1-7 working days, and now this term increases to 10, interview besides is required.

The visa will cost 35 euros whereas before the visa to Czechia, Poland, Slovakia, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia stood out free of charge, and only the Hungarian costs now 40 dollars

At the same time, having received the Schengen visa, the citizen of Ukraine can visit at once 24 countries which are members of the Schengen agreement.

Except 9 countries about which it is told above, the freedom of movement can use in Belgium, France, Holland, Germany, Luxembourg, Spain, Portugal, Austria, Greece, Denmark, Finland, Sweden, Iceland and Norway.

At the same time, the boundary and customs control on the western borders of Ukraine, obviously, will amplify for the bill perebrosa there divisions of frontier guards and customs officers from western, southern and northern borders of neighbouring countries so, buses and cars will longer examine and more carefully.