As of January 21, 2015, the Security Service of Ukraine has introduced a new temporary entry/exit procedure for Ukrainian and foreign citizens (as well as stateless persons) visiting the uncontrolled territory in Donetsk and Luhansk regions in the anti-terrorist operation (ATO) area. Please note that the State Department continues to advise U.S. citizens to defer all travel to Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts. The most recent Travel Warning on Ukraine can be found at http://travel.state.gov/content/passports/english/alertswarnings/ukraine-travel-warning.html
According to the new procedure, in addition to a passport, a traveler must have a special permit issued by one of the coordination groups within the local offices of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine in Starobelsk, Debaltsevo, Velyka Novosilka and Mariupol. For a comprehensive list of the requirements for foreign citizens to obtain a permit to enter the ATO area, please visit the official website of the Security Service of Ukraine. Please note there is an additional list of documents required for a vehicle permit if travelling by car.
For inquiries regarding U.S. citizens in Ukraine related to the current unrest, please call 1-888-407-4747 toll-free in the United States and Canada or, for callers outside the United States and Canada, on a regular toll line at 1-202-501-4444, or email the Department of State at UkraineEmergencyUSC@state.gov. These numbers are available from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, Monday through Friday (except U.S. federal holidays). For emergency assistance for U.S. citizens in Ukraine, you may contact the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv at +380-44-521-5566 during regular business hours, or after-hours at +380-44-521-5000. The U.S. Embassy is located at 4 A.I. Sikorsky St. (formerly Tankova) in Kyiv.
