13.08.2002

Dear Friends,

Summer is a great time to travel and I am sure that many of you plan visits to different countries including Russia/Ukraine and other FSU countries. It's not easy to travel to another country if you don't speak language, don't know its laws, etc. I hope a few things that I am going to discuss here will be helpful to you.

1. First of all you have to take care of the entering visa. To apply for any kind of Russian visa invitation is REQUIRED. We provide this service on my other site: "Adam and Eva" at www.adam-and-eva.com/visa_support

As to UKRAINE, citizen of the following countries DO NOT need any invitation to apply for entering visa: USA, Canada, EU countries. All other people need an invitation before sending their applications to Ukrainian Embassy (Consulate).

You'll be offered a few types of visa to enter Ukraine. I would definitely recommend you to apply for "Private visit" visa. If you have more questions about this issue, please, contact me directly! American citizen can find all the detailed information about visa issue at: http://www.ukremb.com/consular/visareqs.htm For those of you who still needs the invitation for Ukraine I gladly can provide it! See details at www.adam-and-eva.com/visa_support

Good news!!!
Hopefully very soon Canadians, Americans and EU citizen will be able to get Ukraine visa UPON ARRIVAL at the ODESSA and SIMFEROPOL airport, as well as in ODESSA Sea Port. However this option is not available yet, but promised with our Government :)) It will be possible to get the visa at the airports if duration of your visit is up to 8 days.

2. Tickets for travelling to Eastern Europe.

Summer time is a best time to travel, but at the same time it is crazy in the terms of prices and sits availability. Costs gets up to an unbelievable amounts. Please, take a look at: www.travelocity.com as this company offers a VERY reasonable prices even in this busy season.

3. Customs can cause you lots of troubles when crossing a border... To escape them, or at least to decrease them, please, follow my recommendations:

  • don't bring jewelry as gifts, the customs duty is HUGE, 100% of the original jewelry cost. You can buy any jewelry here in the Ukraine/Russia for the same or even a lower price. If it happens so that you don't have this option and still want to bring jewelry, don't display its real cost, insist that it is just bijouterie and its price is $20.00 (for example);
  • if you bring any other gifts, never say it is a "gift", let it be things for YOUR PERSONAL needs for the hour that you cross a border :)
  • however the BEST way to escape all these problems is to use V.I.P service that is available in Kiev, Odessa and all other Ukrainian airports. All my clients who tried it were more than happy, especially those of them who had a previous experience of crossing a border by a regular way. You won't be checking out at the customs AT ALL (or almost at all) and all the procedure from the landing to meeting those who meets you at the airport takes 20 minutes (much better than two hours if you are a regular type of passenger!). Contact me if you are interested, I gladly help you to get V.I.P status!

    I believe it gets too much information for one post, I wouldn't like to bore you to death today. Have a safe and enjoyable trip and don't hesitate to ask me any questions!

    Please, take a look at our latest additions: http://www.charming-lady.net/latest/

    Sincerely yours,
    Natasha Varetskaya, Ph.D.,