Guide to Ukraine: helpful information for foreign visitors

Guide to Ukraine
helpful information for foreign visitors
www.softheme.com

Table of Contents
Ukraine:
Kiev, the capital:
General information
Arriving in Kiev
Top hotels
Public transport
Restaurants
Sightseeing
Mailing and calling
Car rental
Foreign embassies
General information
Time zone
Public holidays
Political system
Banking system
Education in Ukraine
IT outsourcing
Visas and customs
www.softheme.com Outsourcing to Softheme Guide to Ukraine: helpful information for foreign visitors

Ukraine: General information
Second-largest country in Europe after Russia
Population: 45.7 million (2009 est.)
Workforce: 23 million (2009 est.)
Situated in the heart of Europe:
strategic position between Europe and Asia on the intersection of major transport and trade routes

Ukraine: Time zone
Ukrainian time zone is GMT +2 hours
Time difference between Ukraine and other countries has become a significant advantage for IT outsourcing
Ukrainian time zone also provides effective use of proximity to Western European countries:
air flights to major European capitals take from 1 to 4 hours
Table 1.1: Time difference between Ukraine and other locations

Ukraine: Public holidays
Calendar 2010: Public Holidays in Ukraine
Ukraines public holidays in 2010:
January 1 New Years Day
January 7 Orthodox Christmas Day
March 8 International Womens Day
April 4 Orthodox Easter
May 1-2 International Labor
May 9 Victory Day
May 23 Orthodox Pentecost
June 28 Constitution Day
August 24 Ukrainian Independence Day
* In red public holidays and the days off transferred to Mondays or Tuesdays.

Ukraine: Political system
The powers of the government of Ukraine are specified by the Constitution of Ukraine and are divided into three branches:
The legislative the Verkhovna Rada (Supreme Council of Ukraine):
consists of 450 peoples deputies who are elected for a term of 4 years
the majority of seats in Verkhovna Rada are held by:
The executive the Cabinet of Ministers:
responsible to the President of Ukraine
The judicial the Supreme Court of Ukraine
and
Party of Regions
Yulia Tymoshenko Bloc

Ukraine: Banking system
TheUkrainian banking system is a two-tier structure consisting of the:
National Bank of Ukraine
Commercial banks of various types and forms of ownership, including:
the state-owned Export-Import Bank
specialized commercial Savings Bank
As of January 1, 1998, the banking system of Ukraine has transferred to the international accounting and statistics standards
The official currency of Ukraine is Hryvnia
Table 2.1: Popular currency exchange rates (as of April 6, 2010)

Ukraine: Education
Ranked 32nd in Education on the 2009 Legatum Prosperity Index of 104 countries
About 70% of adult population have secondary or higher education
Nearly 60% of Ukrainian universities have graduates with majors in physics, mathematics and programming
Table 3.1: Sources of IT Employees in Ukraine

Ukraine: IT outsourcing
Ukraine has become an attractive outsourcing destination for many companies around the world, due to :
growing pool of qualified human resources
European mentality
competitive outsourcing rates
Outsourcing accounts for more than 70% of software development work in UA
Steady growth of IT outsourcing market in the past 5 years
Ranked 4th after Russia with almost 40% growth and over $3.4 billion in volume in 2007
The highest IT industry growth rate among CEE countries in 2007

Ukraine: Visas and customs
The citizens of the following countries can enter Ukraine visa-free and stay up to 90 days:
the countries of EU, Andorra, Canada, Iceland, Japan, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Mongolia, Norway, San Marino, Switzerland, the USA, Vatican, and the countries of the CIS
What you can import free of customs duties and taxes:
goods valued less than 200
200 cigarettes or 50 cigars or 250 grams of tobacco
1 liter of hard alcohol
food products valued no more than 50
2 liters of wine

Kiev: General information
Kiev (also spelled Kyiv) is the capital and the largest city of Ukraine located on the Dnieper River
Population: 2.8 million (2009 est.)
Ethnic composition of inhabitants:
Ukrainians (70%)
Russians (20%)
others (10%)
Kiev-Pechersk Lavra
Kiev is an important industrial, scientific, educational and cultural centre of Eastern Europe
Has an extensive infrastructure and highly developed system of public transport, including the Kiev Metro (subway)

Kiev: Arriving in Kiev
Kiev offers four main ways of arrival:
By plane arrival to Boryspil State International Airport
located 34km east of Kiev
taxi to the city center: 30-45 minute ride costing about 150-200 UAH (20-25 USD)
2. By train arrival to the Kiev Central Railway Station
located on the edge of the city center
taxi to the city center: 5-10 minute ride costing about 50 UAH (6-7 USD)

Kiev: Arriving in Kiev
3. By bus arrival to the Kiev Central Bus Station
taxi to the city center: 10-15 minute ride costing around 50 UAH (6-7 USD)
4. By car
foreign cars are allowed to stay on Ukrainian territory for no more than 2 months
automobile insurance is obligatory in Ukraine
it is advised to purchase green car insurance valid for Ukraine in your home country

Kiev: Top hotels
On arriving to Kiev you will need a place to stay. Check some of Kievs best hotels:
1. Premier Palace
Service level: 5*
Price (single/day): 278-325
Phone: (+30 44) 537 4501
E-mail: reservation@premier-palace.com
URL: www.premier-palace.com
2. Radisson SAS
Service level: 4*
Price (single/day): 360
Phone: (+30 44) 492 2200
E-mail: reservations.kiev@radissonsas.com
URL: www.kiev.radissonsas.com

Kiev: Top hotels
3. Riviera Hotel
Service level: 4*
Phone: (+30 44) 581 2828
E-mail: reservation@rivierahotel.com.ua
URL: www.rivierahotel.com.ua
4. Khreschatyk Hotel
Service level: 3*
Phone: (+30 44) 229 7193
E-mail: reservation@khreschatik.kiev.ua
URL: www.khreschatik.kiev.ua

Kiev: Public transport
Kiev offers a variety of public transportation means to get you around the city:
Metro (subway)
most popular transport in Kiev (timeliness, speed and convenience)
cost of one trip is 1.70 UAH
2. Trolleybuses, trams and buses
not very fast and reliable due to traffic jams
cost per one trip is 1.50 UAH

Kiev: Public transport
Kiev offers a variety of public transportation means to get you around the city:
3. Marshrutkas
the most popular surface means of transport (speed and frequency)
cost per one trip ranges from 2 to 3 UAH
2. Funicular
functions since 1905
offers a spectacular panorama of the Dnieper River
cost of one trip is 1.50 UAH

Kiev: Restaurants
Restaurants in Kiev offer cuisines nearly fromall corners of the world:
Japanese sushi
Italian pizza
Mexican Chili Diablo
Caucasian shashliks
German schnitzels
Russian pelmeni
Ukrainian varenyky
and more
Most of Kievs eating places will offer priceslower than in other European cities
Rewarding waiters in Kievs restaurants is up to you, yet, most visitors leave around 10% of their bill as tips
Some restaurants include a service charge of 5-10%, so reading bills or asking a waiter will be helpful

Kiev: Sightseeing
Kiev belongs to one of the most spectacular sightseeing places in Europe
Take your time to see Kievs famous:
gold-domed churches and cathedrals
magnificent sanctuaries
ancient caves
museums and historical monuments
Kiev has the highest number of square kilometers occupied by park zones in Europe
Don't forget to take some unique souvenirs back home the citys famous Andriivskyi Uzviz offers a wide selection of beautiful reminders of Kiev

Kiev:...