Ukraine seeks to maintain access to the EU market.

The government is completing internal preparations for negotiations with the EU on signing an agreement on industrial visa-free travel. Ukraine also seeks to extend economic visa-free travel and consolidate it permanently through amendments to the Association Agreement, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said. He added that 60% of everything that Ukrainian businesses sell abroad goes to the EU.

“Last year, we exported goods there for almost $25B (+6% compared to 2023). One of the success factors was economic visa-free travel, in which most Ukrainian goods enter the EU without customs duties, tariffs, and quotas,” Shmyhal emphasized.

Ukraine will also discuss extending transport visa-free travel, thanks to which Ukrainian road carriers no longer need special permits. The industrial visa-free regime is a unique tool to support Ukrainian business and Ukraine’s integration into the European economy, establishing mutual recognition of product certification. This will increase export opportunities and reduce bureaucracy, as well as the time required for Ukrainian goods to enter the European market.