AMERICAN CITIZENS SERVICES NEWSLETTER
U.S. EMBASSY KYIV, UKRAINE
June 28, 2008
Through the American Citizens Services newsletter, the U.S. Embassy provides security and other information of general interest to U.S. citizens in Ukraine who have subscribed by registering with the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv and providing an email address. This newsletter also serves as a test of our ability to reach Americans in Ukraine in the event of a wide-scale emergency. If you believe others would benefit from receiving this newsletter, please forward it to them and encourage them to subscribe. Please see the information on subscription at the bottom of this newsletter.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
NEW AMERICAN CITIZENS SERVICES HOURS
Effective July 14, 2008, American Citizens Services Unit public hours are 9:00 A.M. till 12:00 noon, Monday through Friday, except for American and Ukrainian holidays. Notary Services (including Letters of Non-Impediment to Marriage) are available ON FRIDAYS ONLY BETWEEN 9:00 A.M. AND 10:00 A.M. For passport services American citizens are strongly encouraged to come before 11:00 noon.
CURRENCY IMPORT AND EXPORT REGULATIONS - BRIEF OUTLINE
Effective July 27, 2008 certain changes have been introduced to the Ukrainian Customs Regulations on Movement of Cash and Bank Metals across the Customs Border of Ukraine. According to the Board of the National Bank of Ukraine resolution No 148 of May 27, 2008 the following instruction are in force: (unofficial translation / brief outline).
The terms used herein have the following meanings: "Cash" shall be understood as the currency of Ukraine in cash and the foreign currency cash in the form of bank notes and coins that circulate and are a legal tender on the territory of the relevant state, bank notes and coins withdrawn or to be withdrawn from the circulation subject to the exchange for the bank notes being in circulation (other than coins categorised as bank metals), and traveller's cheques;
For the purposes of this Instruction, the cash amounts shall be recalculated in EUR at the official Hryvnia to Euro exchange rate set by the National Bank of Ukraine or at the cross rate determined under the official exchange rate of hryvnia to relevant foreign currencies as o the date of crossing of the customs border of Ukraine or as of the cash dispatch date.
An individual regardless of the age shall have the right to export cash and bank metals from Ukraine and to import them into Ukraine within allowances specified with this Instruction.
A customs declaration shall constitute the basis for the exportation (the importation) of the cash and bank metals specified therein, and the performance of transactions on instruction of a resident or a non-resident for one year of the declaration execution date.
An individual or a legal entity shall be liable for the failure to declare cash and bank metals moved across the customs border of Ukraine in accordance with the legislation of Ukraine.
Importation of Cash into Ukraine and Exportation of Cash from Ukraine
An individual shall have the right to import into Ukraine and export from Ukraine the cash in the amount that does not exceed the equivalent of EUR 10,000 without the written declaration to the customs agency.
An individual shall have the right to import into Ukraine and export from Ukraine the cash in the amount that exceeds the equivalent of EUR 10,000 subject to the written declaration of the total amount to the customs agency.
An individual or a legal entity shall import cash into Ukraine and export cash from Ukraine in the amount exceeding the equivalent of EUR 10,000 subject to the availability of documents that confirm the withdrawal of cash from accounts with banks (financial institutions) solely in the amount that exceeds the equivalent of EUR 10,000.
A non-resident individual shall have the right to lodge funds to accounts with authorised banks or perform other transactions in banks of Ukraine on the basis of a customs declaration.
Cash Forwarding
The cash shall be permitted to be sent to Ukraine and from Ukraine with the international mail correspondence and the international express correspondence with the announced value in compliance with requirements of Postal Service Provision
a) to individuals and legal entities (other than authorised banks) in the amount not exceeding the equivalent of EUR 300;
b) the authorised banks.
International mail correspondence and international express correspondence that contain cash in an amount exceeding the allowance specified by this Instruction shall not be issued to recipients and returned to senders."
The complete text of the resolution can be found at zakon.rada.gov.ua/cgi-bin/laws/main.cgi?nreg=z0520-08 in Ukrainian only.
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While in Ukraine, American Citizens are subject to Ukrainian laws and procedures. The Embassy understands that one may take the amount of up to EUR 10.000 or its equivalent into or out of Ukraine. If the amount of money is exceeding EUR 10.000, you must fill out a written declaration. If you fail to do so in a timely manner, the amount exceeding EUR 10.000 will be seized by the Ukrainian Customs officer. To argue this seizure, you will need to appear in person or appoint a legal representative to the scheduled court hearing written on the protocol of seizure given to you by the customs agent. If you encounter problems with the Customs office, please obtain professional legal assistance from Ukrainian lawyers. NOTE: If you travel by air, you must fill out your declaration form and show it to the customs officer BEFORE check in. Declaration forms are available in the airport waiting area. After you fill out the form, you must submit it to the customs officer who is sitting next to the stall with the forms.
We encourage you to check the Ukrainian Customs Department website at www.customs.gov.ua for details of Ukrainian customs regulations. The Ukrainian Customs Department can be reached at +38 044 2472706. You may e-mail them. Their hot-line for public enquiries is +38-800-501-31-30 or +38-044-249 9284. The Customs office of "Boryspil” International Airport can be reached at +38 044 281-73-79
There is also a commercial consulting centre that cooperates with the Ukrainian State Customs Service. They can be reached either by e-mail or by phone at +38 044 228 4931; +38 044 253 1174. They are located in Kyiv, at 10, Grushevskogo str. Your information request should be translated into Russian or Ukrainian.
PASSPORT CARD - UPDATE AS OF JULY 14TH, 2008
Passport Services, Bureau of Consular Affairs, U.S. Department of State began production of U.S. Passport Cards on July 14, 2008. To date, the U.S. Department of State has received and adjudicated well over 350,000 applications for the Passport Card since February 1, 2008. Customers will receive their Passport Card between now and early September.
Additional Information on the Passport Card
VOTING INFORMATION:
All American citizens are reminded that 2008 is a presidential election year in the United States.
Voters may use the electronic version of the FPCA to register to vote and/or request absentee ballots . The FPCA may be mailed to local election officials through the international mail (with appropriate postage), or voters can print out the attached postage-paid mailing label, affix it to an envelope, and send the FPCA in that envelope through the Embassy's diplomatic pouch system. Both the electronic FPCA and postage-paid envelope template are available at www.fvap.gov
The Voting Assistance Officer at the Consular Section of the U.S. Embassy, Kyiv, Ukraine is always available to answer questions about absentee voting. To contact the Voting Assistance Officer, call 8-044-490-4445 or send an e-mail. Look for notices from the Embassy/Consulate throughout the year relating to the 2008 elections. The American Citizens Services Unit of the U.S. Embassy will set up a booth to assist voting at the 2008 Annual American Independence Day Picnic on July 5th at Spartak Stadium in Kyiv.
EMERGENCY BALLOT - FEDERAL WRITE IN ABSENTEE BALLOT
Federal Write In Absentee Ballot, or an emergency ballot, can be used by a uniformed services voter who is absent from their voting jurisdiction or by a citizen residing outside the United States not receive his or her regular ballot from the state or territory in time. In general, a FWAB should be used under the condition listed below:
Be located outside the United States (including APO/FPO addresses);
Have applied for a regular ballot early enough so the request is received by the appropriate local election official not later than the State deadline; or
The date that is 30 days before the general election; and
Have not received the requested regular absentee ballot from the state
However, some states have expanded the usage of the FWAB beyond the provisions of the UOCAVA. Please find the details about using the FWAB at www.fvap.gov/pubs/fwab.html .
FWAP is available at the American Citizens Services Unit of the US Embassy or you may download it as well as a prepaid envelope online at www.fvap.gov . Please start using the FWAB in early October after your state’s primary when you vote for the general election. If you subsequently receive your state ballots, you should vote those ballots as well and send them in. Your local election officials will replace the FWAB with the voted state ballot if it is received on time.
REDESIGNED WEBSITE AND AUTOMATED VOTER REGISTRATION/BALLOT DELIVERY TOOL
The Federal Voting Assistance Program (FVAP) would like to announce their updated website, featuring an automated Voter Registration/Ballot Delivery tool. These two improvements will provide voters with greater access to timely and accurate absentee voting information and an electronic alternative to the by-mail process, designed to expedite the absentee voting process and facilitate communication between local election offices and voters.
We encourage voters to use this new tool, now available at www.fvap.gov, to complete the Voter Registration and Absentee Ballot Request Form using only the specific information they need for their state. Voters from participating states and jurisdictions may also elect to use the feature to send a completed, signed, and scanned Registration and Ballot Request Form to their local election office and receive their blank ballot online via a secure server. The tool uses a multi-layer approach to security which ensures that the voter’s personal information is not viewed by anyone except the intended recipient. These advancements will provide military and overseas voters an easier way to register and request absentee ballots, as well as another alternative to the by-mail process of absentee voting, without sacrificing the security of the voter’s identity.
FVAP also launched a comprehensively redesigned website, based on user feedback and focus group studies. The user-friendly site has state-specific instructions for voting absentee, assisting all military and overseas citizen voters. There are also updated sections of the site dedicated to information for Voting Assistance Officers and election officials. We hope you find it informative and easy to use.
FEDERAL VOTING ASSISTANCE PROGRAM - NEWS RELEASE
DESIGNATED MISSOURI ABSENTEE VOTERS CAN RETURN VOTED BALLOTS FOR STATE PRIMARY AND GENERAL ELECTION BY EMAIL OR FAX
Missouri Secretary of State Robin Carnahan has declared that voters in Federal service who are eligible to receive hostile fire or imminent danger pay, or who are located in a combat zone as designated by the IRS (www.irs.gov/newsroom/article/0,,id=108331,00.html) may return their voted ballots by fax or email. This declaration applies to both the August 5, 2008 state primary election and the November 4, 2008 general election.
Under Missouri election law, a person in Federal service includes:
a. Members of the armed forces of the United States, while in active service, and their spouses and dependents;
b. Active members of the merchant marine of the United States and their spouses and dependents;
c. Civilian employees of the United States government working outside the boundaries of the United States, and their spouses and dependents;
d. Active members of religious or welfare organizations assisting servicemen, and their spouses and dependents;
e. Persons who have been honorably discharged from the armed forces or who have terminated their service or employment in any group mentioned in this section within sixty days of an election, and their spouses and dependents.
Missouri does not allow citizens to receive their blank absentee ballots by fax or email. Absentee ballots will be mailed to voters.
For information on your precinct, candidates, and elections, visit the Missouri Secretary of State website at www.sos.mo.gov/. If you have questions, do not hesitate to contact the FVAP at 1-800-438-8683 or vote@fvap.ncr.gov.
U.S. VOTING INFORMATION CENTER:
(703) 588-1343
DSN 425-1343
TOLL FREE: 1-800-438-VOTE (8683)
Visit the website for international toll-free phone and fax numbers. www.fvap.gov
E-Mail
VOTING RELATED LINKS OF INTEREST TO OVERSEAS CITIZENS
Association of Americans Resident Overseas (AARO): aaro.org/
Federation of American Women's Club Overseas (FAWCO): www.fawco.org/
American Citizens Abroad (ACA): www.aca.ch/
Overseas Vote Foundation: www.overseasvotefoundation.org/overseas/home.htm
Democrats Abroad: www.democratsabroad.org/
Republicans Abroad: www.republicansabroad.com/
The American Citizen Services does not exercise any editorial control over the information you may find at these locations. Such links are provided consistent with the stated purpose of this paragraph of the newsletter.
REQUEST FOR CELLULAR TELEPHONE NUMBERS FOR TEXT- MESSAGING
The American Citizens Services Unit of the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv has implemented a text messaging network, whereby registered American citizens in Ukraine can receive short text messages (SMS). The SMS is sent to cellular telephones, informing the user that a new warden message has been issued (i.e., posted on the Embassy website and e-mailed to individual registrants) and providing important information in case of an emergency. Since some of our registrants do not have constant access to the Internet, this text-messaging capability enhances our ability to contact Americans in the event of an emergency.
As with all personal information provided by American citizens, we consider privacy and information technology security to be a top priority. We will ensure that cellular phone numbers are protected properly as required by law.
If you would like to participate, please make sure that your cellular telephone supports the text messaging option and provide us with your phone number in the following format: (2-digit country code)(3-digit provider code)(7-digit number) without blank spaces, brackets or any other symbols. For example, a UMC cellular phone number in Ukraine will look like the following: 380501234567. Please send the phone number, along with your name, by e-mail. We encourage your participation as an emergency preparedness measure.
INTERNET-BASED REGISTRATION SYSTEM (IBRS)
The Embassy strongly encourages all American citizens residing or traveling abroad to register with us.
U.S. citizens around the world who travel or reside abroad can access the State Department’s secure online registration website either through a link on travel.state.gov or directly at travelregistration.state.gov/ibrs. We invite you to register yourself and your family and get acquainted with travel registration. Even if you believe you are already registered with this Embassy, please take a minute to check your record and update any information that may have changed.
Long-term visitors registered with the U.S. Embassy are encouraged to update their registration form whenever their contact details, including e-mail addresses change.
If you encounter any difficulties or have any questions about the State Department’s registration website, please send an e-mail. If you have specific questions about your registration with this Embassy, please contact us.
CURRENT TRAVEL WARNINGS:
Travel Warnings are issued when the State Department recommends that Americans avoid a certain country. The countries listed below are currently on that list. In addition to this list, the State Department issues Consular Information Sheets for every country of the world with information on such matters as the health conditions, crime, unusual currency or entry requirements, any areas of instability, and the location of the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate in the subject country. The date next to the country name indicates when the country was added to the list. If the country is not excluded from the list, the warning for the country is still up-to-date.
China 07/03/2008
Zimbabwe 06/25/2008
Burma (Myanmar) 06/03/2008
Hurricane Season 05/30/2008
China 04/30/2008
Mexico 04/14/2008
Tunisia 03/13/2008
Mali 02/12/2008
Congo, Democratic Republic of the 07/23/2008
Timor-Leste 07/21/2008
Saudi Arabia 07/09/2008
Uzbekistan 07/03/2008
Chad 06/23/2008
Sri Lanka 06/13/2008
Iraq 06/13/2008
Eritrea 06/11/2008
Cote d'Ivoire 06/09/2008
Lebanon 05/30/2008
Somalia 05/20/2008
Nepal 05/07/2008
Haiti 04/30/2008
Burundi 04/22/2008
Syria 04/15/2008
Yemen 04/07/2008
Algeria 03/26/2008
Central African Republic 03/25/2008
Kenya 03/21/2008
Israel, the West Bank and Gaza 03/19/2008
Sudan 03/14/2008
Philippines 02/13/2008
Afghanistan 02/06/2008
Colombia 02/05/2008
Iran 01/03/2008
Nigeria 10/30/2007
Pakistan 09/21/2007
For more details on specific countries in the list, please, follow the link of the Department of State, Consular Affairs website.
OTHER USEFUL INTERNET ADDRESSES AVAILABLE FOR U.S. CITIZENS
U.S. Federal Government: www.firstgov.gov
U.S. Department of State Consular Affairs: travel.state.gov
Overseas Security Advisory Council: www.osac.gov/
U.S. Department of Homeland Security: www.dhs.gov
U.S. Federal Aviation Administration: www.faa.gov
U.S. Internal Revenue Service: www.irs.gov
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention www.cdc.gov
World Health Organization www.who.org
Social Security Administration: www.ssa.gov
SSA Newsletter: www.ssa.gov/enews/
Federal Voting Assistance: www.fvap.gov
2008 US Elections: usinfo.state.gov/politics/elections/
U.S. Customs & Border Protection: www.cbp.gov (for information including importation of household pets, animal and plant health inspection, etc)
U.S. Department of Agriculture: www.usda.gov (for information on food products, food safety and inspection service)
U.S. Postal Inspection Service: www.usps.com/websites/depart/inspect/
Internet Fraud Complaint Center: www.ifccfbi.gov
Embassy of Ukraine in Washington, D.C.: www.ukremb.com
Consulate General of Ukraine in New York: www.brama.com/ua-consulate
Consulate General of Ukraine in Chicago: www.ukrchicago.com
Consulate General of Ukraine in San Francisco: www.ukrainesf.com
HOLIDAYS AND OTHER CLOSURES
HOLIDAYS AND OTHER CLOSURES
| Holiday Day | Date | Country |
| Independence Day | Sunday, Monday August 24**, 25** | Ukraine |
| Labor Day | Monday September 1 | U.S. |
| Columbus Day | Monday October 13 | U.S. |
| Veterans Day | Tuesday November 11 | U.S. |
| Thanksgiving Day | Thursday November 27 | U.S. |
| Christmas Day | Thursday December 25 | U>S. |
* - When a Ukrainian holiday falls on Saturday or Sunday, it is usually observed on Monday.
** - When a U.S. holiday falls on Saturday, it is usually observed on Friday, when on Sunday -- it is usually observed on Monday.
The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine may make additional changes in the holiday schedule during the year.
SUBSCRIPTION TO AMERICAN CITIZENS SERVICES NEWSLETTER
To subscribe to our monthly newsletter and other updates, please register with the Embassy. You can do this online through the new Internet-Based Registration System (IBRS) directly at travelregistration.state.gov/ibrs or through a link on TRAVEL.STATE.GOV. Please see above for more information on IBRS.
Published by the ACS Unit, Consular Section, U.S. Embassy Kyiv, Ukraine,
tel: (+38 044) 490-4445, 490-4422; fax: (+38 044) 490-4040; e-mail; website: kyiv.usembassy.gov; public hours: 9:00 am – 12:00 noon, Monday – Friday: notary services – Fridays only.
CONSULAR SECTION, U.S. EMBASSY KYIV, UKRAINE
6, M. PYMONENKA STR., KYIV 01901, UKRAINE
Comments or suggestions on this newsletter are welcome.
U.S. Embassy in Ukraine:
10, Yuriy Kotsyubynsky St.
01901 Kyiv, Ukraine
Consular Section:
6, Mykola Pymonenko St.
01901 Kyiv, Ukraine