Ukraine visa for U.S. citizens: 90 days visa-free and the long-term D visa

Visa for U.S. citizens
U.S. citizens enter Ukraine without a visa for up to 90 days in any 180-day period. A visa is needed only for a longer stay, such as study, work or family reunion, and then it is the long-term D visa, filed in person with fingerprints. For Americans its fee runs from $65 to $317 depending on the purpose.

Checked against the official pages on 22 October 2026. How we check.

The rule is on the Embassy’s English visa page: Americans can enter or transit visa-free if the stay does not exceed 90 days in 180, with a valid passport (Embassy visa page). For the border-crossing rules in force at the moment, the Embassy points to visitukraine.today.

When you need a visa

Anything longer than 90 days, or a stay to study or work, needs a visa or a Ukrainian residence permit, and the long-term visa cannot be issued on arrival. The short-term C visa is not issued to U.S. citizens, because they do not need one.

Ukraine for U.S. citizens

The D visa is a multiple-entry visa valid for 90 days; within that time you apply to the regional office of the State Migration Service for a temporary or permanent residence card (Embassy visa page).

The purpose decides the supporting document. Work needs an employment permit arranged by the employer in Ukraine. Study needs an invitation from the Ukrainian State Center for International Education.

Family reunion needs the marriage certificate with a Ukrainian citizen, apostilled and translated if the marriage took place outside Ukraine, plus a copy of the spouse’s passport.

What it costs

The Ukrainian-language visa page gives $65 for B, C and D visas “unless international treaties provide otherwise” (Embassy visa page, in Ukrainian).

The English page warns that some countries, the U.S. included, pay a different fee, and links to a table by country in force since 26 August 2021 (visa fee table). For U.S. citizens and the D visa it says:

Purpose of the D visa Fee
Immigration, family reunion $317
Investor visa $197
Work or employment, religious work, cultural, scientific or volunteer activities $182
Study, work for a foreign news outlet $152
All other grounds $65

The table doubles fees for expedited service, but carries a note for the U.S.: no extra fee for expedited service (visa fee table). Pay by money order or cashier’s check; personal checks are not accepted.

How to apply

Fill out the form online at visa.mfa.gov.ua, print it, date it and sign it. Since January 2022 everyone applies in person, because fingerprints are taken at the window; children under 12 are exempt from biometrics (Embassy visa page). The packet:

  • the printed and signed application;
  • a U.S. passport issued within the last 10 years, valid three months beyond the stay, with two blank visa pages;
  • one recent passport photo;
  • the supporting document for your purpose;
  • travel medical insurance valid in Ukraine with at least 30,000 euros of coverage;
  • proof of means: two months of bank statements, three months of pay slips, last year’s tax return or a pension statement;
  • the fee;
  • a prepaid USPS Express or Priority Mail envelope for the return.

How long it takes

Regular processing takes up to 10 working days and expedited up to five; there is no same-day visa.

The Ukrainian page adds that the term can be extended to 30 working days if more checks are needed (Embassy visa page, in Ukrainian). The Embassy suggests applying no earlier than three months before the trip, and the day you drop off the papers does not count.

You live in the U.S. but are not a U.S. citizen

Your own nationality decides whether you need a visa. If you apply in the U.S., add a notarized copy of your green card or a valid U.S. visa that proves a stay of more than six months (Embassy visa page).

Counting the 90 days

The 90 days count within a 180-day period. Ukraine writes dates day-month-year, and arriving before a visa’s start date means being sent back at your own cost (Embassy visa page).

You have Ukrainian roots

A visa is not the only door. See citizenship by territorial origin.

For a D visa application
  • Printed and signed online form
  • U.S. passport with two blank pages
  • One photo
  • The supporting document for your purpose
  • Insurance letter with 30,000 euros of coverage
  • Proof of means and the fee
  • Prepaid USPS return envelope
 A tourist or family visit of up to 90 days needs no visa at all: just a valid U.S. passport. 
All the procedures
Fees and requirements
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