Ukraine - UK money transfer problem

inna

Hi Bellx15, here is the link to the customs page http://www.customs.gov.ua/dmsu/control/uk/publish/article?art_id=304317&cat_id=295957 i know it's in ukrainian, but your wife should be able to read it.

It looks like your wife can take up to 10,000 US dollars (or equivalent) out of the country by cash. She needs to fill in a declaration form at the airport. And obviously use her ukrainian passport (if she uses it then she doesn't need the 01 form) and keep quiet about the british one.

if you have family / friend flying to/from Ukraine you can ask them to take some cash?

i'm sure you've heard about people sending parcels back home by ukrainian couriers - for a small fee they can take cash as well.

hope this helps.

Bellx15

Yes - thanks a lot for that. I am sure it will be of interest.

The problem we have at this time is that the dual identity my wife has had to adopt will make it impossible for her to get permission at the airport. She went to Ukraine on her British passport, so on the way out again she will have to show that. She can't afford to get arrested for illegally passing through customs with a false passport (Ukraine doesn't recognise dual nationality, so her Ukrainian passport is actually invalid now). So it is all too risky.

I wouldn't trust Ukrainian couriers with a bag of peanuts. Sorry.

Voyager2002

An interesting problem...

Perhaps she should just invest the money within Ukraine. Or ask her daughter (who presumably is able to use a Ukrainian passport to travel) to bring the money out with her.

If there is a way to move the money through the banking system, the commercial section of the British embassy would know. This is the kind of thing that would be important to British companies working in Ukraine, and so information about it would be available from those giving advice to businesses, rather than to individuals.

Bellx15

That is probably worth investigating - thanks. I did contact the British Embassy in Kiev, but only about the limits to what she could take out in cash. They told me $3,000, which now seems (possibly) not to be a very comprehensive reply. Anyway, I could contact the people you suggest, and see what comes of that.

inna

yes, you are right, if she entered ukraine on her british passport she can't take cash out of the country without all the extra hassle. i know that ukraine doesn't recognise dual nationality - i'm in the same situation. Maybe next time when she goes to ukraine she should travel on her ukrainian passport instead.
I am sure her ukrainian passport is still valid, as long as it hasn't expired. i think she just can't have both (british and ukrainian) at the same time in ukraine.

Bellx15

The problem there is that she hasn't used her Ukrainian passport for years, so presented with an apparently Ukrainian woman sporting a Ukrainian passport, they are going to want to know what she has been doing out of the country for so long.

inna

I assume she has indefinite leave to remain in her Ukrainian passport? Usually when they ask me the purpose of my visit I just say that I live & work in England and it’s been sufficient for them to let me through. The last time I travelled (not too long ago), it was 7 years since I left Ukraine.

Hopefully you had a few suggestions here that you can explore further. Good luck.

Bellx15

inna wrote: »

I assume she has indefinite leave to remain in her Ukrainian passport?

Yes, thinking about it, that should be the case. Her nationality change came after that. I'll check.

Bellx15

The way things are unfolding, it is looking quite likely that we will end up resorting to transferring the money from Ukraine via Moneygram, after all the fuss. Every other way is just too complicated. Anyway, I have a question:

The Moneygram website says that usually the recipient is paid in the official currency of their own country (i.e. Sterling if you go into a British Post Office). Does anyone know whether it is possible to receive your money via Moneygram in Dollars, rather than Sterling?

Failing that, does anyone know how the rate of exchange is calculated by the Moneygram collection point before they pay you in Sterling? If they use their usual 'Buying dollars at ...' rate, it costs you about 6%.

Thanks.