The Constitution of Ukraine guarantees everyone the right to freely collect, store, use and distribute information.

The procedure for implementing and ensuring the right of everyone to access information in the possession of subjects of authority, other managers of public information and information of public interest is defined by the Law of Ukraine “On Access to Public Information”.

Public information — reflected and documented by any means and on any media information that was received or created in the process of performing its duties by the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine or which is in the possession of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine.

Request for information — a person's request to the Ministry of Internal Affairs to provide public information that is in his possession. The requester has the right to contact the information manager with a request for information, regardless of whether this information concerns him personally or not, without explaining the reason for the request.

The Ministry of Internal Affairs may refuse to satisfy a request for information if:

• The Ministry of Internal Affairs does not own and is not obliged, in accordance with its competence provided by law, to possess the information for which the request is made;
• the requested information belongs to the category of information with limited access (confidential, secret, official);
• the person who submitted the request for information did not pay the actual costs associated with copying or printing;
• the requirements for the request for information were not met.

The request for information must contain:

• the name (s) of the requester, postal address or e-mail address, as well as the number of the means of communication, if any;
• a general description of the information or the type, title, details or content of the requested document, if the requester is aware of it;
• signature and date in case of submission of a request in writing.

A response to a request for information shall be provided no later than five working days from the date of receipt of the request, except where the request concerns information necessary to protect the life or liberty of a person, regarding the state of the environment, the quality of food and household items, accidents, disasters, etc., when the response is given no later than 48 hours from the date of receipt of the request.

If the request concerns the provision of a large amount of information or requires the search for information among a significant amount of data, the period for consideration of the request may be extended to 20 working days, as notified to the requester.

If the request for information in its content is an appeal, its consideration takes place according to the procedure provided for by the Law of Ukraine “On the Appeal of Citizens”, about which the applicant is informed within five days.

If the request for information contains questions, some of which are a request for information, and some are an appeal, its consideration is carried out taking into account the requirements of the legislation regarding the consideration of requests and appeals, respectively.

Order of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine dated 05.05.2021 № 339 “On approval of the Procedure for drawing up and submitting requests for information in the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine and the Form for submitting such requests”