Every citizen of Ukraine may enter the territory of the Republic of Lithuania.
The 1st step on arriving in Lithuania is registration:
- Ukrainian citizens who have nowhere to stay, must immediately go to one of the Registration Centres (located at Pramonės str. 1B, Alytus, Parko str. 9, Marijampolė or Minties str. 3, Vilnius, open 24 hours a day), where they will be provided with temporary accommodation, food, basic medical care and information;
- Ukrainians who have a place to stay in Lithuania do not need to go to the Registration Centre, they must register in any branch of the Migration Department during working hours.
After registration, Ukrainian citizens will be able to obtain a temporary residence permit or a national visa for humanitarian reasons, which will be valid for 1 year. They can also apply for residency in Lithuania on other grounds (such as employment, studies, business activities, etc.).
Ukrainian citizens with biometric passports are granted a visa-free regime (for a stay of up to 90 days in Lithuania and up to 180 days in the Schengen area as a whole). For Ukrainian citizens who already reside in Lithuania, the 90-day visa-free regime starts immediately upon expiration of their visa or residence permit.
Ukrainian citizens granted a visa-free regime, holding valid Schengen visas, those who have applied for asylum in Lithuania or who obtained national visas or residence permits on humanitarian grounds, have a right to work in Lithuania without obtaining a work permit. Ukrainians who apply for a temporary residence permit on employment basis are exempted from the obligation to obtain a decision of the Employment Services and may start working right after their application is accepted by the Migration Department.
Migration Department hotline for Ukrainians: +370 5 271 7112 (available every day from 7:30 to 21:00).
Every citizen of Ukraine may enter the territory of the Republic of Latvia. A lack of travel documents (passport, ID) is not an obstacle for Ukrainian citizens to enter Latvia.
If a person has a biometric passport, they can stay in Latvia for up to 90 days over a six-month period. If a person does not have a biometric passport, they can stay in Latvia for the period of validity of their visa.
You can apply for a visa at the Riga 1st Office of the Citizenship and Migration Board (Čiekurkalna 1. līnija 1 k-3, Vidzemes priekšpilsēta, Rīga, LV-1026), as well as at all other offices of the Board outside Riga. Application documents can also be sent by post. Processing of the visa application will take several days, depending on the number of applications submitted. The visa will be free.
It is envisaged that a long-stay visa will be issued, for a period of one year. Possibilities fir renewing the visa will depend on the further development of the situation in Ukraine.
Upon arrival in Latvia, Ukrainian citizens can apply for a long-term visa with the right to work in Latvia. The visa will be issued for one year and will give access to the labour market.
To provide key information about support for the civilian population of Ukraine, a single “Assistance to Ukrainians in Latvia” helpline has been established: +371 27380380. There you can obtain information on how to find employment, psychological help, legal support, an interpreter, health care, social support, and so on.
The Food and Veterinary Service informs that preferential entry requirements are currently applied to domestic (pet) animals that enter Latvia from Ukraine together with their owners.
People coming from Ukraine are eligible for a guaranteed minimum income benefit and a crisis benefit.
Health care:
If you need urgent medical assistance when arriving in the territory of Latvia, inform the State Border Guard official working at the border crossing point or call 112 or 113.
For information, call 80001234 or +371 67045005.
Ukrainian citizens who come and stay in Latvia are eligible for all state-paid healthcare services, including the medicines that are available to Latvian residents. No patient co-payments are required.
Ukrainian citizens whose visa or other basis for stay in Estonia is about to expire may remain in Estonia temporarily until a new order is issued.
Moreover, Ukrainian citizens who do not have a biometric passport can now enter Estonia without a visa (previously, only Ukrainian citizens holding a biometric passport could enter Estonia visa-free).
If a Ukrainian citizen whose work permit in Estonia expires in the near future wishes to continue working, his/her employer must register the permit again with the Police and Border Guard Board.
Persons from Ukraine have the right to asylum or international protection. The Member State responsible for examining an asylum application is, inter alia, the European Union country the applicant first entered, meaning the application should be submitted there.
Applying for international protection grants an automatic right to stay in Estonia. Applicants for international protection must be provided with the assistance necessary for subsistence by the Ministry of Social Affairs (social aid etc., as for citizens of Estonia). If there is a need for protection, a temporary residence permit shall be issued and the right to work shall be granted.
Currently, during the processing of an application for international protection, the applicant does not have a right to work, though benefits will be granted for that period. Given the situation, however, it is possible that the ban on working will be modified.
Step-by-step on arrival:
- Apply for international protection at the border or at an office of the Police and Boarder Guard,
- Visit Eesti Töötukassa to register for unemployment benefits,
- For accommodation, contact:
- 1247 (https://kriis.ee/ru), or
- MTÜ Pagulasabi +372 5665 9118, or
- any local government to whose territory you have arrived.
- For emergency medical help, call 112
- Migration consultants are available to provide information about staying, working and living in Estonia in Estonian, English and Russian, at migrationadvice@politsei.ee or by calling 612 3500 from Mon-Fri 9:00-15:00.
- Psychosocial crisis support is available by calling 116 006, or +372 6147 393 if you are calling internationally, as well as via online chat. Support is provided in Estonian, English and Russian.
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If you have any questions, please get in touch with our colleagues. They will be pleased to help: ukraina@tgsbaltic.com.