Frequently asked questions about the situation in Ukraine
The security situation in Ukraine has deteriorated. There is a red travel advisory for the whole country. If you are in Ukraine, leave the country if it is safe to do so. If you cannot leave the country safely, find a safe place.
General questions and contact information
Even if you are still in Ukraine, you can sign up for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Information Service. Select ‘Aanmelden + registratie bij ambassade’ (sign up and register with embassy). This will help you stay up to date on the latest developments. It also lets the Ministry of Foreign Affairs know you are in the country.
At the present time both the Internet and the telephone services are still working in Ukraine. We can only advise you to keep trying to get in touch with your family. Unfortunately, there are no alternative means of maintaining contact.
The ministry can be reached any time day or night by calling +31 247 247 247. Questions can also be asked via WhatsApp at +316 8238 8055.
We can help your family members only if they hold Dutch nationality.
The most important thing is to make sure your relatives have informed the embassy that they are in Ukraine and how they can be reached. They can do this by going to www.informatieservice.nederlandwereldwijd.nl. We will then contact them if anything changes.
They can also download the Travel App (Reisapp information in Dutch) and add Ukraine as a favourite. They will then receive a notification whenever the travel advisory changes.
We advise leaving Ukraine as soon as possible. The security situation in the country is unpredictable and could deteriorate quickly.
Make sure you have all the necessary documents and take foreign currency as well (euros and/or dollars). If you will be travelling in your own vehicle, make sure you have enough food, water, blankets and fuel. It can get busy at the border and so you may have to wait there for a long time. You should also take a paper map of the country and the vehicle’s ‘green card’. You will need this card to take the vehicle over the border.
Travelling and travel documents
You can apply for an emergency passport at the Dutch embassy in Kyiv. Send an email to kie-ca@minbuza.nl. The embassy will let you know which documents you need for your application.
If they have a Ukrainian biometric passport they do not need a visa. Ukrainian nationals who hold a biometric passport can stay in the Schengen area for up to 90 days. If you do not have a Ukrainian biometric passport, you need to apply for a visa.
The Dutch embassy in Kyiv is closed until further notice. Presently, there are no consular services available in Ukraine. It is not possible to apply for a visa.
The Dutch embassy in Kyiv is closed until further notice. Presently, there are no consular services available in Ukraine. It is not possible to apply for a visa.
If you have a Ukrainian biometric passport you do not need a visa. Ukrainian nationals who hold a biometric passport can stay in the Schengen area for up to 90 days. See the IND website for more information.
Visas are valid for 90 days. If you are exempt from the visa requirement, you can also normally stay 90 days in the Netherlands.
You can extend your short-stay visa or visa-exempt term if you want to stay longer in the Netherlands. You can extend for a maximum of 90 days, up to a total of 180 days. This is also possible if your visa or visa-exempt term has already expired. See the IND website for more information.
The embassy cannot help you. If you have any questions about bringing your pet to the Netherlands, please get in touch with The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA).
Read more about coming to the Netherlands as a Ukrainian on the website of the IND.
Authorisations for temporary stay (MVV's) and civic integration exams
Did you apply for a provisional residence permit (MVV) in Ukraine? Or did your sponsor do this for you in the Netherlands? You do not need to temporarily collect an mvv from the Dutch embassy if you meet the following conditions:
- You have received a positive decision on your mvv application.
- You are in the Netherlands with a short stay visa or in the free period.
If you wish to collect your MVV from another location, you must first obtain permission to do this from the Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND). You can contact the IND using the telephone number given in the letter informing you that your MVV application has been approved. Find out more about authorisations for temporary stay (MVV's, also called long-stay visas).
You can sit the exam in another country if the embassy or consulate-general in question has exam facilities and has sufficient capacity for you to do so. Contact the embassy or consulate-general in question to find out what is possible. Find out more about the civic integration examination.
You submit an mvv application for a partner to the IND. You can also do this online. More information can be found on the page Partner procedure (ind.nl). After the IND has approved the mvv application, you can make an appointment with a Dutch embassy or consulate general in the region to obtain the mvv.