10:10 01.03.2017

European Parliament, EU Council agree to waive EU visa requirement for Ukrainians

2 min read
European Parliament, EU Council agree to waive EU visa requirement for Ukrainians

Representatives of the European Parliament and the EU Council have agreed on visa-free travel for Ukrainians to the EU member states.

"Ukrainian citizens will be able to travel to the EU visa free under an informal deal struck by Parliament and Council negotiators on Tuesday," the European Parliament's press service said in a statement posted on its website on Tuesday evening.

The document says that once the change enters into force, and provided they have biometric passports, they will be able to enter the EU for up to 90 days in any 180-day-period for business, tourist or family purposes.

The deal will now have to be endorsed by the Civil Liberties Committee and Parliament as a whole, before being formally approved by the Council of Ministers, the press service said.

The legislation will be signed by European Parliament's President Antonio Tajani and representatives of the Maltese Presidency of the Council on Wednesday, March 1, and enter into force 20 days after it is published in the EU Official Journal.

The visa waiver will apply to all EU member states except Ireland and the United Kingdom. It does not confer a right to work in the EU.

Before granting this visa waiver, EU member states revised the visa waiver suspension mechanism to allow visas to be reintroduced more easily in exceptional cases. This revision was approved on Monday by the Council.

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