How do I check whether my residence permit or work permit is ready in Ukraine?

Checking a residence permit on the DMS website

The ДМС (State Migration Service, DMS) runs an online service for checking the status of documents. It shows which stage your посвідка (temporary residence permit, TRP) has reached. A check becomes possible from the day after you file. On the day of filing the service usually shows nothing, and there is no reason to worry about that. Under paragraph 5 of Procedure No. 322 the permit itself is issued within 15 working days of the date your documents are accepted, so that is the window in which the status should change.

To search, you need the details you received when filing, such as the application number. If you filed through a ЦНАП (administrative service centre, TsNAP), your data may reach the system a little later than if you had filed directly with the DMS. The whole TRP process is described in the residence permit guide, and other first steps are collected in the guide to first steps.

What the statuses mean

The service shows the stages your case passes through. First the documents are accepted and registered, then the DMS makes a decision. The status that matters most says that permission has been granted to personalise the document. It means the decision to issue your TRP has been made and the card has gone for printing.

If no status appears

Sometimes the service shows that no information was found for a long time. First make sure you are entering your details correctly. If everything is correct and the status still has not appeared, contact the DMS office or TsNAP where you filed. A delay may point to a technical problem with data transfer, or it may mean the case needs an additional check.

During an additional check the foreigner may be invited to an interview at the DMS. In that case the status stays unchanged for longer, which is a normal part of the procedure and not a sign of refusal. Prepare your housing documents and make sure the address in your lease matches the address in the application form.

Why a review sometimes takes longer

Some delays are built into the procedure itself. For citizens of Russia, Belarus and other states recognised as a threat, the центр зайнятості (employment centre) issues a дозвіл на застосування праці (work permit) only with the approval of the СБУ (Security Service of Ukraine, SBU), and the review period is extended until that approval arrives. In such cases the status may not change for a long time, and this does not mean your application has been forgotten.

Volunteer cases carry their own checks. The DMS checks the host organisation in open sources and sends a request to the SBU. If the application was filed without a D visa, the DMS also verifies the letter from the National Social Service. These checks add time as well, so it pays to check the organisation in advance rather than once the status has already stalled. Details are in the article on a residence permit through volunteering.

Exchanging or extending a residence permit

The status of an exchange or extension is checked in exactly the same way. Once your documents are accepted, the old card is returned to you, and you keep using it until you receive the new one. You hand in the old TRP when you collect the new card. So while you are tracking an exchange, do not rush to give up your valid card early. The exchange process is described in the article on exchanging a residence permit.

If the answer is a refusal

When the DMS refuses, a copy of the decision with the reasons is sent to you by email or by registered letter, or handed over in person. A complaint to the DMS is filed within 30 calendar days of the day the decision was brought to your attention, so keep the letter or the delivery note. What to do next is explained in the article on a residence permit refusal.

Checking a work permit

There is no separate service on the DMS website for a work permit, because it is issued by the employment centre. After filing, the employer receives a list of the documents accepted. The employment centre publishes its decision on issuing, extending or amending the permit, or on suspending the review, on its official website and sends a notice to the employer by email. That is why the email address given in the application should be checked every day.

You can usually find the decision on the website by the number of the document list. If the review has been suspended, the notice will list the shortcomings. A review of an application for a new permit is suspended for seven working days, and one for a renewal or amendment for three working days, and that is the time you have to put things right. What to do in that case is described in the article on a work permit refusal.

Side by side, the two checks look like this:

Lawyer's experience

Clients worry most in the first days after filing, when the service is still empty. I always explain that it makes sense to check the status no earlier than the next day, and then once a day. Checking more often speeds nothing up.

A real reason to act comes when the status stays unchanged for longer than usual, or when an interview invitation arrives. At that point what matters is to find out the reason quickly from the office where you filed and to get the documents ready. After every new status we send the client a short message, so nobody has to keep watching the service on their own.

If your case is delayed and it is unclear why, at a migration law consultation we will find out which stage it has reached.

Frequently asked questions