Explanations on crossing the border by children
Since the beginning of summer, appeals to the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine with questions about crossing the border by children have increased.
Ihor MATVIYCHUK — Deputy Chief of Staff — Head of the Department of Border Control Organization of the Western Regional Administration, announced this at a press conference held yesterday in Lviv. He recalled that the other day the Government had changed* the requirements for crossing the border by organized groups of children. In these cases, an important role in the preparation of documents is assigned to the National Social Service. In particular, through regional military administrations, consular and diplomatic institutions of Ukraine, it will check organizations that are ready to accept children, check the conditions of their rest and recovery.
Igor Matviychuk also recalled that during the period of the legal regime of martial law, a child under 16 years of age can cross the border accompanied by one of the parents, grandmother, grandfather, adult brother, sister, stepmother, stepfather. Other persons authorized by the parents of the child may also accompany. To do this, they need either a statement certified by the guardianship and trusteeship authority, or a notarized consent of both parents of the child.
*Recall that the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine by Resolution No. 661 of June 10, 2022 amended the Resolution of January 27, 1995. No. 57 “On Approval of the Rules for Crossing the State Border by Citizens of Ukraine” and from November 10, 2021 No. 1167 “On approval of the Procedure for organizing the departure of children abroad for health and rest”. According to them, it is assumed that during the state of war, groups of children will be able to go abroad for recovery and rest only with the consent of the National Social Service. At the same time, when submitting a package of documents to the authorized body, it is no longer necessary to notarize them.
Therefore, for the period of introduction of a state of emergency or martial law on the territory of Ukraine, during the departure of a group of children from Ukraine, border control is carried out with the presentation of the following documents:
- consent of the National Social Service for the departure of a group of children;
- lists of a group of children going abroad for health and rest and persons accompanying a group of children abroad for recovery and rest, in the appropriate form;
- passport of a citizen of Ukraine for traveling abroad of the child or birth certificate of the child;
- approval by the children's affairs service of the consent of the legal representatives of each child to her departure abroad for recuperation and rest in accordance with the list of categories of children defined by the Rules for crossing the state border by citizens of Ukraine;
- applications of parents for the departure of the child abroad, certified by the children's services (can be carried out without the notarized consent of the second parent if there is a passport of a citizen of Ukraine for the child's travel abroad or a child's birth certificate).
The official of the State Border Guard Service, upon completion of the inspection of the group of children and persons accompanying the group of children, documents for the right to enter Ukraine or leave Ukraine, affixes stamps on the list with the marks “Departure” or “Entry”, as well as “The state border crossed” and notes the total number of persons, who have left and returned, including persons accompanying a group of children.
Such changes are made in order to ensure the organized departure of children on vacation abroad in a short time, as well as to make this process controlled and safe and to have guarantees of their return to Ukraine.
Press service of the State Fiscal Service of Ukraine
