Verkhovna Rada Simplifies Stay Conditions for Foreign Volunteers

Ukraine’s Verkhovna Rada on March 12 adopted a law simplifying visa requirements for foreign volunteers and humanitarian workers. A total of 254 deputies voted in favor of the document, while one abstained, according to the Ukrainian service of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty.

The law provides that during the period of martial law and for one year after it ends, the requirement to obtain a long-term visa for applying for a temporary residence permit will not apply to foreigners and stateless persons — with the exception of Russian citizens — who arrived to work in organizations registered abroad that receive humanitarian aid or to participate in international volunteer programs.

Foreign nationals who entered Ukraine after February 24, 2022 and apply for a temporary residence permit within 60 days after the law enters into force will be considered legally present in the country.

One of the initiators of the bill, Valerii Zub, a representative of the Servant of the People party, noted in the explanatory note that the current procedure “significantly complicates” the legalization of the stay of humanitarian workers who are “extremely needed” in conflict zones.