The Federal Foreign Office renewed its blanket travel warning for Ukraine on 19/20 July, noting no substantive change to risk level but updating sections on the domestic security situation. Germany’s embassy continues to offer only emergency consular services; routine visa and passport work is suspended. Travellers who must visit for essential business are reminded that visa-free stays are capped at 90 days per 180-day period. For German companies still maintaining critical-infrastructure projects, this means entry rotations must be planned around Kiev’s martial-law curfews and sporadic air-raid alerts, which can halt airport ground movement for hours. Insurers are reportedly adding 20 % war-risk surcharges to policies covering personnel stationed in Ukraine. The advisory also clarifies that stays exceeding 90 days require a D-visa obtained from a Ukrainian mission in Germany before travel – a process currently averaging four weeks due to reduced staffing. Human-resources departments arranging long-term postings should build generous lead-times and consider Lviv or Kraków as back-office hubs during the approval period. In addition, the Foreign Office warns that land borders can close without notice; travellers are urged to register in the ELEFAND crisis list and download the UA-alert app for real-time security pushes.
