Those Ukrainians who wish to visit the EU's Schengen visa area will now have to appear in person at a visa center in order to provide biometric data, such as fingerprints and digital photographs. Children under 12 will be exempt from fingerprinting.
Earlier, it was possible to obtain a visa "in absentia", by just handing over the necessary documents to a tour operator or agency.
It was reported that the introduction of the new regulations, stipulated by the Schengen Information System, is aimed at strengthening security measures.
According to the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry's Policy and Communications Department, the introduction of stricter rules "aims to enhance security in the Schengen area".
In 2014, a total of 7.6 billion dollars have been transferred by Ukrainian migrant workers to their families in Ukraine from EU countries, mainly Germany and Greece.