Departure of artists and media workers abroad: The Cabinet approved new rules
Kyiv • UNN
The Cabinet updated the procedure for leaving the country for cultural workers and media during martial law. New requirements for documents have been established, and the duration of stay is limited to 60 days with the possibility of extension.
The Cabinet of Ministers has made changes to the procedure for crossing the border by artists and media representatives. This is reported by UNN referring to government resolution No. 244 dated March 4, 2025.
Departure abroad for artists
According to the resolution, during martial law, men who are in labor relations with institutions, enterprises, organizations in the cultural sphere, educational institutions in the cultural sphere, enterprises, institutions, organizations engaged in cinematography activities recognized as critically important enterprises, may cross the border provided they comply with the rules for crossing the state border and have supporting documents.
The following documents may be provided for crossing the border:
- a letter from the MKSK to the State Border Guard Service regarding the participation of such persons in the event, indicating the planned date of crossing the state border for departure, the approximate date of return to Ukraine, the name of the checkpoint through which the crossing of the state border for departure is planned, as well as the type of vehicle;
- an invitation from a foreign organization for the participation of such persons in the event translated into Ukrainian;
- a military registration document with the appropriate marks from the TCC or a military registration document in electronic form.
The letter is provided to the MKSK based on a request from the Ministry of Culture, the Ukrainian Institute of National Memory, the State Film Agency, or regional and Kyiv city military administrations with recommendations regarding the advisability of artists' participation in the relevant events.
The request is provided by:
- The Ukrainian Institute of National Memory - in case of crossing the border for departure by persons who are in labor relations with a cultural institution that belongs to the sphere of management of the MKSK, which operates in the field of museum affairs;
- The Ministry of Culture - in case of crossing the border for departure by persons who are in labor relations with a cultural institution that belongs to the sphere of management of the MKSK, which operates in the fields of arts, specialized artistic education, or library affairs;
- The State Film Agency - in case of crossing the border for departure by persons who are in labor relations with subjects of cinematography and are involved in the creation and production of films, or individual entrepreneurs engaged in professional cinematographic activities and participating in international artistic events included in the work plan of the State Film Agency;
- regional and Kyiv city military administrations - in case of crossing the border for departure by persons who are in labor relations with a cultural institution or educational institution in the cultural sphere that belongs to the communal property of the respective territorial community.
The letter must also contain the following data: type of transport, approximate date of return to Ukraine, order of the institution for the business trip of employees abroad, documents confirming labor relations, a personal obligation "to be aware of the responsibility to the Ukrainian people during wartime and the duty to return to Ukraine within the specified timeframes", a copy of the first page of the passport.
It should also contain a description of the event in which participation is planned (purpose of the trip, references to public announcements regarding the events), motivation and expected results from participation in the event, financial conditions of stay abroad, names of countries and settlements where events will be held according to the travel program, names of events, places and dates of their holding, contact details of the person.
Artists-entrepreneurs additionally provide an extract from the Unified State Register of Legal Entities, Individual Entrepreneurs, and Public Formations, as well as materials confirming the conduct of such activities over the past three years.
Documents are submitted to the email address or through information and communication systems to the MKSK no later than 10 working days before the date of crossing the state border for departure, to the Ukrainian Institute of National Memory, the Ministry of Culture, the State Film Agency, or regional and Kyiv city military administrations - no later than 15 working days before the date of crossing the state border for departure
The maximum duration of stay for artists is no more than 60 calendar days from the date of crossing the state border, but the period may be extended by up to 30 calendar days if such persons participate in another event.
Crossing the border by media workers
Letters to the State Border Guard Service for the crossing of the border by a media representative may be submitted by the Ministry of Culture or the Ministry of Digital Transformation.
To the Ministry of Culture, letters are submitted by organizations that belong to the sphere of management of the MKSK, belong to the sphere of management of the State Committee for Television and Radio Broadcasting, as well as those for which the State Committee for Television and Radio Broadcasting directly performs functions of managing the state’s corporate rights in the charter capital, as well as those that belong to the communal property of the respective territorial community, as well as legal entities or individual entrepreneurs engaged in activities in the field of strategic communications, media, and information sphere.
To the Ministry of Digital Transformation - in case of participation of a media representative in events related to ensuring the functioning of the multimedia platform "UNITED 24".
In letters to the ministries, it is necessary to provide:
- a request sent to the email address or through information and communication systems, justifying the need for participation in planned international events;
- an invitation from a foreign organization with a translation into Ukrainian and/or accreditation and/or a description of the event in which participation is planned, indicating the conditions of stay abroad;
- an editorial assignment or order for a business trip from the main place of work;
- a handwritten personal obligation regarding awareness of responsibility to the Ukrainian people during wartime and the duty to return to Ukraine within the specified timeframes;
- copies of the passport;
- documents confirming labor relations.
In case of being in labor relations, a decision on determining the enterprise, institution, organization as critically important for the functioning of the economy and ensuring the vital activity of the population in a special period or critically important for meeting the needs of the Armed Forces and other military formations in a special period, duly certified must also be provided
Demchenko spoke about the border crossing by men05.03.25, 16:33 • 20934 views
Documents to the ministries must be submitted within 10 days before the date of crossing the state border for departure. Media representatives may continuously stay abroad for no more than 60 calendar days from the date of crossing the state border, but it may be extended for another 30 days only in cases related to force majeure circumstances or the holding of significant international events for Ukraine.