What can consular offices of Ukraine abroad do to help you

Protection of the rights and interests of Ukraine, its physical and legal entities abroad, as well as rehabilitation of their entrenched rights is one of the priority tasks of the consular offices of Ukraine.

The Ukrainian State takes a constant care of its each and every citizen as well as works to ensure the physical and legal entities of Ukraine fully enjoy the rights provided by the laws of the state of their temporary or permanent residence.

Protection of the rights and interests of Ukraine, Ukrainian physical and legal entities abroad shall be carried out by consuls of Ukraine.

In compliance with the Consular Charter of Ukraine, a consul of Ukraine shall take measures to ensure Ukrainian nationals enjoy in practice the rights provided to them under the laws of the host country and the international treaties to which Ukraine is a party.

It is noteworthy that while abroad every citizen of Ukraine is obliged to obey the laws of the host country.

A Ukrainian consul may inform you generally about local laws as well as advise you on the issues of intercourse with official authorities within his consular district.

If you get sick, you can contact a consular officer for a list of local doctors and hospitals along with other medical information. If you are injured or become seriously ill, a consul will, at your request, inform your family.

If you got involved in an incident, try to notify immediately a consul of Ukraine in the host state.

If you are arrested, you have the right to ask the local police authorities to notify a consul of Ukraine. The later in its turn will work to ensure the national of Ukraine, who have been arrested, imprisoned, detained on suspicion of committing crime, taken into custody or against whom other actions of judicial or administrative influence have been taken, enjoy in full the provisions of laws of the host state and the detention conditions correspond to the hygiene and sanitary requirements.

A consul of Ukraine may contact relatives of that person at request of the later.

Today there is a simplified procedure for the return to Ukraine of its nationals, who became victims of human trafficking or sexual and other exploitation related crimes. If you lose your passport a consular office of Ukraine shall establish, within a short period, your identity and affiliation to the citizenship of Ukraine in direct cooperation with departments for passport issues and migration of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine and then work on your case.

There is an agreement on joint efforts in assisting the victims of human trafficking and sexual exploitation as well as on the repatriation of Ukrainian citizens between Ukraine and the International Organization for Migration.

In case of a death of Ukrainian citizen abroad the embassy of Ukraine in a relevant state shall notify the relatives of the deceased thereof and facilitate transportation of the remains to the homeland. However, the transportation cost is to be paid by the relatives of the deceased or the side that invited the deceased abroad. The consular office of Ukraine shall facilitate the processing of necessary covering documents and the execution of necessary formalities.

A consular office of Ukraine has also the authority to carry out civil registration, issue passports (to the citizens, who are permanently registered in the consular office) and the repatriation certificates, legalize documents, execute entry visa documents for foreigners etc.

Note! Consular officers can not act as lawyers, legal advisors, travel agents, interpreters etc. Neither can they lend money, pay for hotel or meet any other bill. A consul of Ukraine is not authorized to relieve you of responsibility for violating the host country's legislation. It is also noteworthy that Ukrainian consuls can not be expected to find you employment, get you residence permits or foreign citizenship. They can, however, tell you how to get help on these and other matters.

The information submitted to a Ukrainian embassy shall be considered as confidential according to the laws of Ukraine. It can be revealed by your consent only and strictly to the persons duly authorized by you.

Procedure for seeking assistance with consular offices of Ukraine abroad for the citizens of Ukraine

Being abroad, any citizen of Ukraine may seek assistance with a foreign consular office of Ukraine. This can be done as follows:

by calling directly to a consul or any other officer with a consulate of Ukraine, or by transmitting information through a third person or a humanitarian organization;by coming to a consulate of Ukraine in person;byaddressing a consular office of Ukraine by fax or by mail. The petition should contain name, surname and family name of the addressee, place of residence, phone (fax) number, citizenship and, if possible, a detailed information on the matter. It also has to be signed by the applicant himself and the date of submission specified.by forwarding petition to a consular office via e-mail;byaddressing to an official institution or non-governmental human rights organization with a request to transmit information to a consul of Ukraine.

1. Before traveling abroad it is advisable to familiarize oneself with available information about the country you are going to visit, conditions of stay therein, its legislation.

2. While traveling abroad its is advisable to have a xerocopy of domestic passport. If you lose your foreign passport, the availability of the later will speed up significantly the processing of necessary documents for your return to Ukraine.

3. Upon arriving to the place of residence abroad you should register in the consular section at Ukrainian embassy or in a consular office of Ukraine in the host country.

Under the laws of Ukraine in force citizens of Ukraine, arriving to a foreign country for permanent residence therein, have to register in a consular office of Ukraine in the said country. The said registration is, however, advisable for the citizens of Ukraine, who intend to stay beyond the borders of Ukraine for more than three months. This makes it easier for our consular officers to:

reach you in case your family in Ukraine is looking for an urgent contact with you; transmit to you an important information etc;help you if you are caught up in a disaster in the host country (earthquake, conflagration etc);simplifysignificantly, in case of need, the procedure for issue of documents for your return to Ukraine.

4. If you become an object of assault or any other similar threat you should notify a consulate of Ukraine that in case you go missing or do not return in a certain time the later must immediately become known to your relatives, friends or a consular officer with the diplomatic mission of Ukraine you are registered in.

In case of detention or any other limitation of freedom you should demand an immediate contact with a consul of Ukraine.

PLEASE NOTE, a crime against you is easier to be prevented, than mended.

If you are offered a "promising" job abroad (as a dancer, waitress in a bar or restaurant, governess etc.), you may become an object of attention of criminals engaged in human trafficking. A lack of information about the country you are traveling in, conditions of stay and employment therein should not become a reason for you to trust your fate with dubious intermediary structures making money on the "resale" of labor force to their foreign clients.

You should always remember: your legal protection abroad can be ensured by consular offices of Ukraine only.