Are U.S. Citizens prohibited from travel to Crimea?
I have family in Crimea and would like to visit them. I've read Executive Order 13685, but am unsure how to interpret it. Are U.S. nationals prohibited from traveling or spending money in Crimea? Does spending money count as "investment"? Would I have to declare to Customs on the way back that I traveled to Crimea, and if so, would I be subject to Treasury Department/OFAC investigation for this travel? I've heard that simply saying that I didn't spend money, and that all resources I consumed were gifts, would get me through Customs fine. Is this a valid loophole?
Best Answer
The US State Department website indicates (updated after the executive order):
The Department of State warns U.S. citizens to defer all travel to the eastern regions of Donetsk and Luhansk. In addition, Russian military forces continue to occupy the Crimean Peninsula and are present on the eastern border of Ukraine.
It does not explicitly ban it, however.
Indeed, certain members of the Russian state have had travel bans imposed on them by the US government, Canada and the EU, however, there's nothing currently stopping you travelling to Crimea.
To compare, their page for Cuba still says travel is unlawful for US Nationals, while their similar page for Ukraine just describes the visas available.
So for now, while you need to be careful, the US State Department has not outlawed travel there.
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Can a us citizen travel to Russia right now?
Natasha Vinogradov, with the passport and visa commercial expediting firm Russian Agency, said that as of now, there are no restrictions for travel to Russia for American citizens. A travel ban, triggered by COVID-19, was lifted in July 2021 and the country has remained accessible.Can foreigners travel to Crimea?
Ukrainian authorities will refuse entry to foreigners who attempt to enter Ukraine from Russia through Crimea or separatist-controlled areas in Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts. If you choose to travel to these areas despite the current risk level, you must first obtain a special permit from Ukrainian authorities.Can I travel to Crimea?
Crimea is under the de facto control of the Russian Federation. Any visit will require a Russian visa, and most visitors will reach the area via Russia. To the Ukrainian government, entering Crimea on a Russian visa is illegal entry to Ukrainian territory.Can us citizens go to Ukraine right now?
Ukraine - Level 4: Do Not Travel. Do not travel to Ukraine due to Russian military invasion and COVID-19. U.S. citizens in Ukraine should depart immediately if it is safe to do so using any commercial or other privately available ground transportation options.The True Cost of Crimea
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