If my application for my visa to Ukraine listed only Kiev as a destination, would I be permitted to visit other cities during the time period I listed and what are the implications for registration? Thanks in advance for the help.
I have had 3 tourist visas in the last 6 months from the US and once I have passed through customs in Kiev I have never really needed my passport or shown my visa. I have visited Kiev, Odessa, Mariupol, Donetsk. My visa was done using a hotel in Kiev as my base. I traveled to these other cities by plane and train. I showed my passport when purchasing my tickets and there was never any questions raised. So from my experience there is no problem moving about the country. It is actually quite a lot of fun.
I take it that for a visit to the Ukraine you need a written invitation from the hotel you are going to stay in? Can you have a written invitation from the girl you are going to see instead or does it have to be a hotel?
Next question.
Shoreguy talks about using the trains. Only tonight my Ukrainian friend Sergey came to borrow more bloody tools from me and sworn that the trains were rife with pickpockets and robbers. Is it regional or something? Whats the deal with trains?
Ditto,
I listed Kyiv as my destination and spent time in Mariupol. I had no problem at passport controll in either places.
iz,
I used OLNA sevice to get my visa and they needed no letter at all. They are located in DC. If you put OLNA in your search engine it should bring up their web page. Normall processing will take 9 days.
Thanks Wmferg and Oleg. What about the trains though?
This thing is starting to take shape now. Looks like I will be going to either Odessa (most likely) or Kiev and my lady will meet me at the airport and guide me through everything to the hotel where I will die. After approximately 21.5 hours traveling that is what you do - die! You don't rest - you die.
This I have been advised should take place in May. I am being told April is still too cold. She will come from Mariupol by train to Odessa and (I guess) stay in a hotel overnight. She will then meet me. I suppose we then spend a couple of days in Odessa together sightseeing and getting to know one another. Then I figure back to Mariupol to meet the family and back again.
I have a few problems with this.
I tried to find a hotel in Odessa using some sample dates in Orbitz. They only showed 2 hotels and they were full! Is this going to be a problem? Also I don't want my lady to have problems and I am being told it is even harder for locals to find a hotel! How come ? Why?
Then once more I am worried about the trains?
I plugged some stuff into the apartment finding site that Wess suggested. I am very, very concerned that she does not think that I expect to share a hotel room with her, if you know what I mean. I am not that sort of boy! Well, not until I've had a couple of drinks anyway. I don't want to give the wrong impression, Mr Cockup has visited once already and we don't him back again.
So we have a hotel/apartment shuffle going on and I am really not sure how to handle this long distance. Suggestions?