General Info

[Bez Bezarra]

Yes you can use FEDEX.

Just contact them and they can tell you every city
in a country that they have service to.

I sent round trip Kiev-Florida-Kiev airplane tickets
to a blond university student in Simferopol way back
in 1998, she got them with no problem.

I think sending the tickets cost about $75.

[German]

Hello everybody,

Can someone give me some advice on sending important docs, such as tickets from Germany to private persons in UA.

I do not trust the public mail system.

Are there alternatives to UPS and FEDEX?

Thanks

[Nemez]

Stereo=radio? You can buy this in every town here.

[Rendorseg]

changing subjects...
Guys - I will be bringing a small stereo in a moderate size box in for an amigo in Ukraine. If I bring it with me as luggage which would show it being a stereo and/or if I wrap it in inconspicuous brown paper do you think the customs bastards will give me heck at Kiev/KBP?

Or perhaps I should take it out of the box and pack it in my suitcase...?

Thoughts/experiences appreciated.

thanks!
Rendorseg

[Vegamars]

The best choice would be to get a two-year multi-entry business visa and then you wouldn't have any kind of problems.

You don't require so many documents for such a visa and the important thing is just the fee.

You can expect all kinds of scams from everywhere including adultfriendfinder.com

Surprisingly enough, the completely free sites such as date.com and loveme.ru are much more reliable.

[Budgie]

What are the visa requirements for a European to visit the Ukraine.
I am planning to visit via a cruise from Turkey to the Crimea, then fly back into Europe.

Any advice will be welcome.

In my earlier posts i questioned the intentions of a Lugansk girl, she has since sent me 2 nude / semi nude pictures of herself and asked for some money towards her internet costs.

Is this the sort of actions I can expect from a contact from adult Friendfinder?

[Budgie]

Not heard from her for 3 weeks, so I was right to suspect she was looking for cash at least.

Glad No money was sent and No gifts.

She mentioned she had nude photos to send and wanted a threesome!

Thanks to all who offered advice.

[Uke Boy]

Beansed

I go in and out of the country all the time. Dealing with Customs is like playing a game of chance with respect to inspections.

First, and most important, is that you MUST fill out a customs declaration especially if you are carrying more than $1,000 and over in cash or traveller's checks. The written form makes it easier for the customs officer and that way you start on the right foot. The reason for the declaration is that what you take in, you can take out the same things (and the same amount of money) with no problems. If you bring in $2,000, spend nothing of that, and lose the form, you will be allowed to take out $1,000 and the rest goes to the "state."

Anything you declare in the area of $1,000 or more will generally have customs ask you at the border, sometimes coming in, most of the time going out, to take out ALL your money and have you count it out in front of them. If they don't like your looks, are having a bad day or just want to bust your balls or just suspect you are lying, they will ask you to go with them to another room. There they will read you the laws about smuggling and then do an inspection of your luggage. I have had that "pleasure" but since I come in and out often, my chances of this increase. I also don't play games and play by the rules since the alternatives are both unpleasant and costly. Don't forget that customs still operates with many folks who started as Soviet customs agents and they still have the same attitude.

Gifts coming in are a duty free maximum of 200 Euros. For the most part, if the value is around that, they will ask you verbally, no need to declare it on the form and it is fine. With anything more valuable, you might have some problems.

The computer is a problem and duties are very steep. The solution here is that Ukraine allows you to carry your own laptop without needing to declare it since it is considered personal property, which does not need to be declared, not even on the declaration form. Therefore if you have one laptop going in, (and make sure it is not in a box but looks like it is for your use) then who is to say you had one if you leave without it?

I would not suggest your first trying to bribe a customs agent if you have a problem. That could get you into bigger trouble. Make sure he makes the first move or he suggests payment for settling a problem.

ATMs are all over the place but they give out Grivna at rates better than exchange kiosks. In all retail places and restaurants only Grivna are accepted. However, if you run out of grivna when paying, or even if all you have is dollars, they will gladly take dollars. The ladies will take anything but dollars are preferred. Agencies such as Gia and others quote in dollars and prefer dollars. They will take Grivna but if the street exchange rate is 5.35, they will quote you a Grivna price at a rate of say 5.45.

[Doctor_Skank]

ATMs are very common in any city of any size, at least in the center. Very common in Kiev. So are exchange offices. Either drawing UAH (Grivnya) from an ATM or exchanging dollars into UAH is no problem whatsoever.

I personally doubt you'll have to bribe the customs personnel, but others seem to have other experiences.

Having a small amount of local cash is always a good idea, or a larger anount if you are arriving late. Exchange offices often close around 9-10pm or sometimes earlier.

You will have to pay most things in UAH (grivnya), so exchange some $ into UAH when you arrive. I usually exchange in groups of $200-300 to keep a steady supply of local currency on hand without exchanging all of it, as I never know how much I'll need. Pros you can pay in US$. Some places will also exchange for you, although many will not.

ATMs have a good exchange rate, so if you are comfortable with this than you can freshen your supply of UAH this way by having the ATM pay you in UAH.

[Nauskas]

ATMs

I found AMEX has contract offices in Kiev and DNPER, but how prevalent are ATM machines. Any tips on exchanging $

I am flying via Warsaw into Kiev, just wondering if I should change some, handy for cutoms or whatever if needed.

Also, can I use USD or should I exchange as much UKR currency as I expect to spend ? For palces not accepting credit cards, i presume i must pay in UKR currency.

I got some travellers checks as a backup.

TIA

[Doctor_Skank]

Beansed:

I think "definitely" is too strong a term... my recent excursion to Kiev and Odessa was without any search whatsoever... and I was carrying a laptop, a big camera and gifts. They sent it through the x-ray machine as always, but weren't interested in inspecting anything and doubt they even looked at the x-ray machine...

[Vegamars]

Just like Russia if you're entering Ukraine for the first time,especially through Odessa airport or by way of train or car in every location, your luggage,gifts,portable computers,etc will definitely be searched.
No need to worry,the process is just in anticipation of 50Grv.

[Nauskas]

Customs question-

I have read mostly about declaring and departing with money. But how does customs treat gifts and specifically computers.

I have a receipts for gifts. I hear its a 200 Euro max, but the tax or graft can be pretty good.

I have a multi-entry private visa based on the US Embassy descriptive sheet.

Does customs tend to take apart your luggage as the US does to entering foreigners or is it more like Russia where they don't even look at you most of the time ?

[Budgie]

To all who took the time to reply thanks.

I will give it a little longer, but the mails are getting suspicious, from her.

Budgie

[Toscana]

Budgie,

It’s always a difficult one to call. But I have had good experience with meeting girls from Ukraine (or Kazakhstan) in Turkey. It’s a good option because of the lack of visa problems for both.

First comment: most East European girls interested in meeting someone i.e. not interested in selling themselves, try Friendfinder or others, NOT Adult Friendfinder. (It doesn’t mean, however, that they are not going to give you a good time or will come with the wrong attitude). But AFFinder is generally a different, hotter but also riskier bazaar. So, your wariness is not out of place. It’s good she is not raising the subject of money. But she will probably not be able to fund a trip to meet you herself, and ultimately only you can judge whether this girl may be trustworthy or not. There are no guarantees.

Getting the passport should be her problem. Given time it should not be a big expense. Visas two years ago (last time I did it) were obtainable on the border for everyone, you too (USD 20?). You just fight with 50 others in a “queue” at a counter, hand over your money to a sweating cashier and get the paper you need. I don’t think this has changed, check the embassy sites, maybe WSG Forum Turkey section. So that should not be a financial problem in advance, and you could reimburse when you meet her. Ditto taxi if you cannot meet her at the airport.

You will probably have to pay for the girl’s flight. On the three occasions I met girls in Turkey I twice had to do this. The amounts for them are usually too great to simply borrow from friends, so the question arises “do I send her money or not?” Try not to, for obvious reasons. If she says she needs money for the border to show she can support herself, reject this – and be suspicious. Not necessary in my experience. Return flight and copy evidence of hotel booking will be enough in the unlikely event of questions.

I booked the flights for the girls with Turkish Airlines (flights to Istanbul from Ukraine, with onward connections to the south coast possible) from their office in Frankfurt (see website), with the instruction that the ticket be picked up against passport identification at their Odessa office. I paid the airline directly. This insured that, at least, she had invested in a passport, and received no – perhaps for her - tempting fortune in cash. It was a budget ticket, so virtually non-transferable and therefore difficult to sell. It worked a treat, I picked the beauties up at the airport, the gonads sizzled and I had some very good times.

But before you do all that, perhaps check that she isn’t on the list of scammers on
http://agencyscams.com/