Guide to Ukraine : Guide to Ukraine helpful information for foreign visitors www.softheme.com
Slide 2 : Table of Contents - General information
- Time zone
- Public holidays
- Political system
- Banking system
- Education in Ukraine
- IT outsourcing
- Visas and customs www.softheme.com Outsourcing to Softheme™ Guide to Ukraine: helpful information for foreign visitors - General information
- Arriving in Kiev
- Top hotels
- Public transport
- Restaurants
- Sightseeing
- Mailing and calling
- Car rental
- Foreign embassies Ukraine: Kiev, the capital:
Slide 3 : Ukraine: General information - Second-largest country in Europe after Russia
- Population: 45.7 million (2009 est.)
- Workforce: 23 million (2009 est.)
- Situated in the heart of Europe:
- strategic position between Europe and Asia on the intersection of major transport and trade routes www.softheme.com Outsourcing to Softheme™ Guide to Ukraine: helpful information for foreign visitors
Slide 4 : Ukraine: Time zone - Ukrainian time zone is GMT +2 hours
- Time difference between Ukraine and other countries has become a significant advantage for IT outsourcing
- Ukrainian time zone also provides effective use of proximity to Western European countries:
- air flights to major European capitals take from 1 to 4 hours Table 1.1: Time difference between Ukraine and other locations www.softheme.com Outsourcing to Softheme™ Guide to Ukraine: helpful information for foreign visitors
Slide 5 : Ukraine: Public holidays - January 1 – New Year’s Day
- January 7 – Orthodox Christmas Day
- March 8 – International Women’s Day
- April 4 – Orthodox Easter
- May 1-2 – International Labor
- May 9 – Victory Day
- May 23 – Orthodox Pentecost
- June 28 – Constitution Day
- August 24 – Ukrainian Independence Day Calendar 2010: Public Holidays in Ukraine * In red – public holidays and the days off transferred to Mondays or Tuesdays. - Ukraine’s public holidays in 2010: www.softheme.com Outsourcing to Softheme™ Guide to Ukraine: helpful information for foreign visitors
Slide 6 : Ukraine: Political system - The powers of the government of Ukraine are specified by the Constitution of Ukraine and are divided into three branches:
1. The legislative – the Verkhovna Rada (Supreme Council of Ukraine):
- consists of 450 peoples’ deputies who are elected for a term of 4 years
- the majority of seats in Verkhovna Rada are held by:
2. The executive – the Cabinet of Ministers:
- responsible to the President of Ukraine
3. The judicial – the Supreme Court of Ukraine Party of Regions Yulia Tymoshenko Bloc and www.softheme.com Outsourcing to Softheme™ Guide to Ukraine: helpful information for foreign visitors
Slide 7 : Ukraine: Banking system - The Ukrainian banking system is a two-tier structure consisting of the:
National Bank of Ukraine
Commercial banks of various types and forms of ownership, including:
- the state-owned Export-Import Bank
- specialized commercial Savings Bank - As of January 1, 1998, the banking system of Ukraine has transferred to the international accounting and statistics standards
- The official currency of Ukraine is Hryvnia Table 2.1: Popular currency exchange rates (as of April 6, 2010) www.softheme.com Outsourcing to Softheme™ Guide to Ukraine: helpful information for foreign visitors
Slide 8 : Ukraine: Education - Ranked 32nd in Education on the 2009 Legatum Prosperity Index of 104 countries
- About 70% of adult population have secondary or higher education
- Nearly 60% of Ukrainian universities have graduates with majors in physics, mathematics and programming Table 3.1: Sources of IT Employees in Ukraine www.softheme.com Outsourcing to Softheme™ Guide to Ukraine: helpful information for foreign visitors
Slide 9 : Ukraine: IT outsourcing - Ukraine has become an attractive outsourcing destination for many companies around the world, due to : - growing pool of qualified human resources
- European mentality
- competitive outsourcing rates - Outsourcing accounts for more than 70% of software development work in UA
- Steady growth of IT outsourcing market in the past 5 years
- Ranked 4th after Russia with almost 40% growth and over $3.4 billion in volume in 2007
- The highest IT industry growth rate among CEE countries in 2007 www.softheme.com Outsourcing to Softheme™ Guide to Ukraine: helpful information for foreign visitors
Slide 10 : Ukraine: Visas and customs - The citizens of the following countries can enter Ukraine visa-free and stay up to 90 days:
- the countries of EU, Andorra, Canada, Iceland, Japan, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Mongolia, Norway, San Marino, Switzerland, the USA, Vatican, and the countries of the CIS - What you can import free of customs duties and taxes: 1 liter of hard alcohol 2 liters of wine 200 cigarettes or 50 cigars or 250 grams of tobacco food products valued no more than €50 goods valued less than €200 www.softheme.com Outsourcing to Softheme™ Guide to Ukraine: helpful information for foreign visitors
Slide 11 : Kiev: General information - Kiev (also spelled «Kyiv») is the capital and the largest city of Ukraine located on the Dnieper River - Population: 2.8 million (2009 est.)
- Ethnic composition of inhabitants:
- Ukrainians (70%)
- Russians (20%)
- others (10%) Kiev-Pechersk Lavra - Kiev is an important industrial, scientific, educational and cultural centre of Eastern Europe
- Has an extensive infrastructure and highly developed system of public transport, including the Kiev Metro (subway) www.softheme.com Outsourcing to Softheme™ Guide to Ukraine: helpful information for foreign visitors
Slide 12 : Kiev: Arriving in Kiev - Kiev offers four main ways of arrival:
By plane – arrival to Boryspil State International Airport - located 34km east of Kiev
- taxi to the city center: 30-45 minute ride costing about 150-200 UAH (20-25 USD) 2. By train – arrival to the Kiev Central Railway Station - located on the edge of the city center
- taxi to the city center: 5-10 minute ride costing about 50 UAH (6-7 USD) www.softheme.com Outsourcing to Softheme™ Guide to Ukraine: helpful information for foreign visitors
Slide 13 : Kiev: Arriving in Kiev 3. By bus – arrival to the Kiev Central Bus Station - taxi to the city center: 10-15 minute ride costing around 50 UAH (6-7 USD) 4. By car - foreign cars are allowed to stay on Ukrainian territory for no more than 2 months
- automobile insurance is obligatory in Ukraine
- it is advised to purchase green car insurance valid for Ukraine in your home country www.softheme.com Outsourcing to Softheme™ Guide to Ukraine: helpful information for foreign visitors
Slide 14 : Kiev: Top hotels - On arriving to Kiev you will need a place to stay. Check some of Kiev’s best hotels: Service level: 5*
Price (single/day): €278-325
Phone: (+30 44) 537 4501
E-mail: reservation@premier-palace.com
URL: www.premier-palace.com 2. Radisson SAS Service level: 4*
Price (single/day): €360
Phone: (+30 44) 492 2200
E-mail: reservations.kiev@radissonsas.com
URL: www.kiev.radissonsas.com 1. Premier Palace www.softheme.com Outsourcing to Softheme™ Guide to Ukraine: helpful information for foreign visitors
Slide 15 : Kiev: Top hotels Service level: 4*
Price (single/day): €214-263
Phone: (+30 44) 581 2828
E-mail: reservation@rivierahotel.com.ua
URL: www.rivierahotel.com.ua 4. Khreschatyk Hotel Service level: 3*
Price (single/day): €76-80
Phone: (+30 44) 229 7193
E-mail: reservation@khreschatik.kiev.ua
URL: www.khreschatik.kiev.ua 3. Riviera Hotel www.softheme.com Outsourcing to Softheme™ Guide to Ukraine: helpful information for foreign visitors
Slide 16 : Kiev: Public transport - Kiev offers a variety of public transportation means to get you around the city:
Metro (subway) - most popular transport in Kiev (timeliness, speed and convenience)
- cost of one trip is 1.70 UAH 2. Trolleybuses, trams and buses - not very fast and reliable due to traffic jams
- cost per one trip is 1.50 UAH www.softheme.com Outsourcing to Softheme™ Guide to Ukraine: helpful information for foreign visitors
Slide 17 : Kiev: Public transport - Kiev offers a variety of public transportation means to get you around the city:
3. Marshrutkas - the most popular surface means of transport (speed and frequency)
- cost per one trip ranges from 2 to 3 UAH 2. Funicular - functions since 1905
- offers a spectacular panorama of the Dnieper River
- cost of one trip is 1.50 UAH www.softheme.com Outsourcing to Softheme™ Guide to Ukraine: helpful information for foreign visitors
Slide 18 : Kiev: Restaurants - Restaurants in Kiev offer cuisines nearly from all corners of the world: - Japanese sushi
- Italian pizza
- Mexican Chili Diablo
- Caucasian shashliks - Rewarding waiters in Kiev’s restaurants is up to you, yet, most visitors leave around 10% of their bill as tips
- Some restaurants include a service charge of 5-10%, so reading bills or asking a waiter will be helpful - German schnitzels
- Russian pelmeni
- Ukrainian varenyky
- and more… - Most of Kiev’s eating places will offer prices lower than in other European cities www.softheme.com Outsourcing to Softheme™ Guide to Ukraine: helpful information for foreign visitors
Slide 19 : Kiev: Sightseeing - Kiev belongs to one of the most spectacular sightseeing places in Europe - gold-domed churches and cathedrals
- magnificent sanctuaries
- ancient caves
- museums and historical monuments - Kiev has the highest number of square kilometers occupied by park zones in Europe
- Don't forget to take some unique souvenirs back home – the city’s famous Andriivskyi Uzviz offers a wide selection of beautiful reminders of Kiev - Take your time to see Kiev’s famous: www.softheme.com Outsourcing to Softheme™ Guide to Ukraine: helpful information for foreign visitors
Slide 20 : Kiev: Mailing and calling - Mail and phone services in Ukraine are lower in cost than those in Europe - located in the very city center
- all types of mail – letters, packages, faxes, telegrams
- rich selection of postcards and stationary
- 24-hour Internet café - Mobile phones - Post and Internet – Kiev Central Post Office - most popular means of phone connection in Ukraine (cheapness and reliability)
- main mobile service operators in Ukraine (country-wide presence, roaming service): Beeline life:) MTS KyivStar www.softheme.com Outsourcing to Softheme™ Guide to Ukraine: helpful information for foreign visitors
Slide 21 : Kiev: Car rental - According to Ukrainian law, to drive a car foreign drivers should have: - International Driving License in addition to the license from the home country
- medical certificate confirming ability to drive a car - Kiev offers a wide selection of car rental agencies. Some of them: Europcar Hertz SIXT - Car rentals usually request the renter to have driving license and passport valid in Ukraine www.europcar.ua www.hertz.ua www.sixt.ua www.softheme.com Outsourcing to Softheme™ Guide to Ukraine: helpful information for foreign visitors
Slide 22 : Kiev: Foreign embassies - More than 60 states have their embassies in Ukraine
- The below table shows the selected embassies of foreign countries in Ukraine and their contact information in Kiev: Table 4.1: Foreign Embassies in Kiev www.softheme.com Outsourcing to Softheme™ Guide to Ukraine: helpful information for foreign visitors
Slide 23 : Thank you! 2010 | Softheme Team | Kyiv, Ukraine | Software Outsourcing Solutions www.softheme.com » Outsourcing to Softheme™ Questions? ? info@softheme.com For more information about Ukraine, visit www.software-outsourcing-ukraine.com