Ukrainian Visa woes - nice to know

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EestiTiger

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Mar 8, 2015
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Hi team,

Just thought I might add a quick post that might help some other poor sod heading to Ukraine.

I thought I was all prepared but still ended up with dramas at the border crossing at Odessa airport. With an Australian passport I require a visa, which as per the Embassy of Ukraine in Australia visa page, told me I can simply get one at Odessa airport.

I flew into Odessa from Estonia on a 4am flight arriving at 6:20am. Unfortunately for me, the dude who issues the visas doesn't start work until 8am! Not a big deal the border guards, who couldn't leave me in a secure area by myself kept me company and found reading material and drinks for me. It was actually not too bad talking to them, in admittedly not the best english. When the poor young visa boy rocked up, my new border guard friends blasted him! I had to tell them it was all okay and as I was on holiday it was all good. At least I have another (yep me and Ukraine border crossings are never easy) story for my grand-children.

Kiev and bigger entry ports would probably have a visa dude meeting all aircraft / ships. It is just something to keep in mind if you are flying into any smaller airport at some silly hour of the day requiring a visa :)

The hardest part was seeing on instagram what all my travel companions were doing on the other side of the border outside in the sunshine (as below)...

Odessa5.JPG
 
I read some where about a pax arriving late at night into a Ukrainian airport...the visa guy had already gone home for the night and the poor pax had to await at the airport overnight til the visa guy came back in the morning.
 
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