Quick answer. Visa-free 90/180 for citizens of: EU/EEA/Switzerland, UK, USA, Canada, Australia, NZ, Japan, South Korea, Israel, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Uruguay + about 50 more countries. Visa or e-visa required: Mexico, Colombia, Peru, Venezuela; Egypt, Jordan, Tunisia, Morocco; most countries in Africa, Southeast Asia, Central Asia; all Russian and Belarusian citizens (separate regime). Verify your specific passport on mfa.gov.ua before travel — the visa-free list is updated by the Cabinet of Ministers.
The 90/180 rule in detail
This rule is borrowed from the European Schengen model and adapted by Ukraine in the Law on the Legal Status of Foreigners and Stateless Persons, Article 5. It does not mean "90 days a year"; it means a more flexible formula:
You may stay in Ukraine for up to 90 days in total within any rolling 180-day window.
How it counts:
- You arrive 1 January, leave 31 March — 90 days used. You can return on 1 May (180 days from 1 January passes on 30 June; until then your 90 days drop out of the rolling window day by day).
- You arrive 1 January for 30 days, leave 31 January. Return 15 March for 30 days, leave 14 April. Return again 1 June — you have 30 days left in the current 180-day window (60 of 90 already used).
- Each day in country counts (including arrival and departure day).
- Transit hours (less than 24 h without leaving the airport) — do not count; but Ukrainian civil airports have not operated since 2022, so airport transit through Ukraine is not relevant.
Rolling window means: at entry, the customs officer looks back 180 days from the current date and counts how many days you spent in Ukraine in that period. If more than 90 — entry is refused.
A self-check calculator is at mfa.gov.ua/en/consular-affairs/visa-free-calculator (English version available) or equivalent Schengen-calculators (the logic is identical).
By passport — the full breakdown
Visa-free 90/180 (no permit needed, just a passport)
Europe:
- All EU countries: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden.
- Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein (EEA).
- Switzerland.
- United Kingdom (post-Brexit, retains visa-free).
- San Marino, Andorra, Monaco, Vatican.
North America:
- USA and Canada — visa-free; Mexico — visa required (a frequent mistake).
Latin America with visa-free:
- Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Uruguay, Paraguay.
- Venezuela (formally visa-free, but documentation may be complicated due to country state).
- Panama, Costa Rica.
Asia:
- Japan, South Korea.
- Hong Kong (HKSAR passport), Macao (MSAR).
- Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei.
- Mongolia.
Oceania:
- Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea.
Middle East:
- Israel.
Africa:
- Mauritius, Seychelles (only these).
E-visa required (online, simpler than consular)
Current e-visa countries list (as of 2025–2026, regularly updated):
- Middle East (GCC): UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman — electronic visa for 30–90 days via onlinevisa.kmu.gov.ua.
- Southeast Asia: Thailand, Philippines, Indonesia — e-visa (not visa-free).
- Other: Peru, Colombia (sometimes), several South American countries.
E-visa is processed online in 7–15 working days; fee is typically USD 65–85 for a standard 30-day visit.
Standard visa required (through embassy)
All countries not on the lists above, including:
- Mexico, Colombia, Peru (sometimes — e-visa), Bolivia, Ecuador, other LATAM.
- Egypt, Jordan, Tunisia, Morocco, Algeria, Libya.
- Most Sub-Saharan African countries.
- India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka.
- Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar.
- All Central Asian countries: Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan (each — separate regime, not all-CIS).
- Turkey — does not need a visa (bilateral visa-free 90/180), separate from MENA.
- Georgia — bilateral visa-free.
- Moldova — bilateral visa-free.
Special regime — Russia and Belarus
Since 2022, entry for Russian citizens is practically blocked; for Belarusian citizens — restricted with additional checks. These categories are not the focus of this guide; for them, separate consultation through a Ukrainian embassy in a third country.
Documents on visa-free entry
What to carry (regardless of country):
- Foreign travel passport, valid at entry + 6 more months.
- Proof of return route — train / car / bus ticket back (not formally required, but the officer may ask).
- Proof of purpose of visit — tourist hotel booking, family invitation letter, business partner contract. Not mandatory, but useful when in doubt.
- Financial resources — indicatively €100/day of stay. No required amount on a receipt; showing a card + cash buffer is enough.
- Medical insurance with Ukraine coverage — formally not mandatory for most tourists, but strongly recommended because of martial law and a limited insurer market. Details in the travel insurance for Ukraine guide.
A national ID (driver's license, country ID card) is not enough for entry to Ukraine, even from the EU. Always foreign passport.
Overstay 90 days — consequences
If you stay over 90 days in the current 180-day window:
- Administrative liability under Code of Administrative Offences Art. 203 — fine UAH 1,700–8,500 (≈ €35–175) + an order to leave the country.
- Entry ban for 1–5 years — applied selectively; for first-time violations, usually 1 year.
- Deportation for prolonged overstays (over 30 extra days) — at the deportee's expense, with a possible criminal charge for related violations.
If you see the 90-day threshold approaching and you need to stay longer — there are legal paths to extend stay through the State Migration Service: temporary residence, D-category visa, special regimes (student, business, humanitarian visit). Details in Long-term residence and visa extension.
Locale-aware notes (for English-language readers)
This English version assumes a baseline anglophone audience (US, UK, Canada, Australia, NZ, Ireland) and ESL travellers. Specifics:
- All of you — visa-free 90/180. No advance documentation. Just a passport with 6 months remaining validity at entry.
- Cash-buffer rule of thumb. US travellers often carry significant cash (FinCEN $10,000 reporting parallel). UK travellers often credit-card-only. Both work; €100/day is indicative, not enforced as a hard threshold.
- Hotel booking proof. Modern booking platforms (Booking.com, Airbnb) provide bookings via email — these are accepted as proof of accommodation.
- Insurance. US, UK, Canadian, Australian travel insurance markets vary in war-risk coverage availability. Most US/UK mass-market policies exclude Ukraine entirely under "war and terrorism" clauses. See the travel insurance for Ukraine guide for product alternatives that explicitly cover Ukraine.
- Documentation expectations. English-language original documents are accepted. No translation to Ukrainian needed at the border.
- Embassy contacts in Kyiv. US Embassy: kyiv.usembassy.gov, 24/7 line via STEP enrolment. UK Embassy: gov.uk/world/ukraine. Canadian Embassy: international.gc.ca/country-pays/ukraine. Australian Embassy: ukraine.embassy.gov.au.