All-Ukrainian Council of Churches discusses difficulties of visa procedures for religious leaders
A new procedure for issuing visas to enter Ukraine became a subject of discussion at a meeting of the Secretariat of All-Ukrainian Council of Churches and religious organizations, reports the Institute for Religious Freedom.
Vitaliy Moshkivskyi, Advisor of Visa Policy Division of Department of Consular Service of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, told about the causes of government changes, which abolished the religious visa (type “R”) together with other types of visas.
He said that religious leaders can come to Ukraine with short-term visits (up to 90 days within half a year) by single or multiple short-term visa issued for up to 5 years. The consular fee for a single visa is 85 dollars, double entry visa $130, multiple entry visa $200.
Long-term visas are now issued for a period of 45 days on condition of foreigner’s registration of compulsory permit for temporary residence in Ukraine. Since this visa is single, then its cost is $ 85.Representatives of religious organizations noted that the new procedure involves the issuance of visas to religious leaders only "for work in religious organizations" and excludes other religious activities of priests, not related to the employment and earnings, as well as students’ education in religious educational institutions of Ukraine.
Executive Director of the Institute for Religious Freedom (Kyiv) Maksym Vasin said that the Resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine # 567 dated June 1, 2011, that introduced changes contravenes the provisions of Article 24 of the Law of Ukraine "On Freedom of Conscience and Religious Organizations" in two aspects.
"At first, the Law on Freedom of Conscience provides the coordination of religious activities not with the Ministry of Culture, but with an agency that registered the statutes of a religious organization that invites a foreigner, that is for religious communities – is the regional state administrations," said Mr. Vasin.
