The European Union will issue a special permit to enter the Schengen area for citizens of countries with which the EU has concluded a visa-free regime, including for Ukrainians. For obtaining permission to cross the border, you will have to pay 7 euros. The relevant decision was taken by the ambassadors of the European Union at the meeting on April 25, but it still needs to be approved by the European Parliament and the EU Council, the Mirror of the Week.

According to the website of the European Council, residents of third countries, including Ukrainians, will need to undergo a check before the trip, which aims to promote increased internal security and prevent illegal immigration, as well as reduce border delays. To do this, they must fill in the application form in advance on the Internet, the cost of which will be seven euros.

After checking the data in the EU and Interpol database and not revealing the comments, a person will receive a permit to enter the Schengen area. It is noted that the time for consideration of an application with making an appropriate decision will not exceed 96 hours, and most applications will be approving. However, if there are suspicions or information will require additional analysis, the application will be processed manually by the competent authorities. However, the European Council noted: the existence of a permit will not be a 100% guarantee for entry into Europe, and the final decision will be taken by the border guard.

The entry permit will be valid for three years or until the expiration date of the passport or other document registered at the time of registration of the application, whichever occurs first.

Recall, on November 20, 2017 the Council of the European Union approved the introduction of a new system of registration of entry and exit at the external borders of the Schengen area. EES will register information about citizens of non-EU countries, in particular, the name, travel document, fingerprints, face image, date and place when they cross the border or are refused entry into the Schengen area will be registered. It is expected that the new system will work in 2020.