How long can a foreigner stay in Ukraine, and how do you extend the stay?

The limit depends on your ground for stay

How long a foreigner may lawfully remain in Ukraine depends on the ground on which they are here. The Law "On the Legal Status of Foreigners and Stateless Persons" No. 3773-VI draws a line between temporary stay and residence. Foreigners who arrive visa-free or on a visa are on a temporary stay. Foreigners who hold a посвідка (residence permit), temporary or permanent, are residents.

Specific periods of temporary stay are set by the Procedure approved by Cabinet of Ministers Resolution No. 150. The same Procedure explains how to extend your stay when you cannot leave on time. Whether you need a visa at all is covered in the article on visa requirements for your country.

Periods for each ground

Paragraph 2 of Procedure No. 150 and the Rules for issuing visas set the following periods.

Visa-free stay

Nationals of countries with a visa-free regime may stay in Ukraine no longer than 90 days within any 180-day period, unless the law or an international treaty sets a different period. The method for counting this period is set by the МВС (Ministry of Internal Affairs). How to count the days in practice is explained in the article on the 90/180 rule.

What matters most about this rule is that days are counted in a rolling window, not from the start of the year or from each new entry. Leaving and coming back does not reset the counter. A foreigner who travels in and out often can use up the limit even if every single trip was short.

Visa-free entry does not give you the right to work or live in Ukraine. Work requires a work permit, residence requires a residence permit, and for that most foreigners need a visa D first.

Visas

Nationals of visa countries may stay in Ukraine for the period the visa allows, unless international treaties provide otherwise. The length of stay and the validity of the visa are two different things. A visa C can remain valid for years, yet you may stay on it only 90 days within any 180 days. The difference between the visas is explained in the article on visa C and visa D.

A visa D is valid for 90 days and exists so that you can enter and apply for a residence permit. It cannot be extended the way a residence permit can. If you do not apply for a permit within that time, you are in breach of the rules of stay. How to obtain the visa is explained in the guide to getting a Ukrainian visa.

Registration on arrival

Tourists and visitors do not have to register separately after arriving. Article 16 of Law No. 3773-VI provides that foreigners entering Ukraine are registered by the border authorities at the crossing point. The registration mark in the passport or on the immigration card is valid throughout Ukraine, wherever the person happens to be.

That is why the entry stamp in your passport matters. Your period of stay is counted from its date, and it is the stamp the migration service checks when it considers an extension application. Ask the border guard to make the stamp legible, and keep your ticket or boarding pass in case the stamp turns out to be hard to read.

Registration at the border does not replace registration of your place of residence. Residence permit holders arrange the latter after receiving the document, a step described in the article on registering your place of residence.

The receiving party

An extension of stay requires a приймаюча сторона (receiving party). This may be an individual with whom the foreigner is staying, or a legal entity, such as an employer, a university or an organisation that invited the foreigner. The application is filed jointly, and the receiving party adds its passport or the document of its representative.

With that role comes liability. If the foreigner overstays, administrative liability falls not only on the foreigner but on the receiving party as well. Companies that invite foreigners should therefore keep track of the permitted stay of their guests and employees.

When the stay is shortened

A period of stay can be shortened, not only extended. Paragraphs 38 to 40 of Procedure No. 150 provide for shortening where a decision on forced return has been taken in respect of the foreigner. Such a decision may come from the migration service, the SBU (Security Service of Ukraine) or the border authority, and the stay is cut to the period set in that decision.

You can appeal against a decision to shorten the stay in the same way as against a refused extension, that is, to the State Migration Service or to a court within 10 working days, as paragraph 41 of the Procedure provides. Documents supporting a review are attached to the complaint.

Students

International students come to Ukraine on a visa D with purpose code D-13, study. It is issued on the basis of an invitation to study from a higher education institution, registered under the procedure of the МОН (Ministry of Education and Science). After arrival the student applies for a temporary residence permit for the period of study.

For a student, then, the period of stay is defined by the residence permit, not by a day count. Between entry and the permit application, however, the visa D period applies, and the university has to prepare its documents in time. The process for students is explained in the article on the residence permit for students.

Residence permits

A holder of a посвідка на тимчасове проживання (temporary residence permit, TRP) lives in Ukraine for the term of that permit. The visa-free day count does not apply to them, and they may enter and leave as long as the permit is valid. The term of the permit is tied to its ground, for example the term of a work permit, and is renewed together with it.

Permanent residence gives the right to live in Ukraine without a time limit. The card itself is exchanged in the cases provided by law, but the right of residence does not lapse because of that. How the temporary permit works is explained in the guide to the temporary residence permit.

When the stay can be extended

Paragraph 4 of Procedure No. 150 allows a period of temporary stay to be extended where there are well-founded grounds. The Procedure names the following:

The stay is extended for as long as such grounds exist, and only if they are supported by documents. The Procedure does not provide for an extension without a ground.

• medical treatment, childbirth or caring for a sick family member;
• a forced stopover in Ukraine due to extraordinary circumstances;
• formalities related to an inheritance;
• grounds for obtaining a temporary or permanent residence permit;
• an application for an immigration permit or for Ukrainian citizenship;
• other circumstances that make it impossible to leave.

How to apply

Extension applications are filed in person by the foreigner, together with the receiving party. It goes to the territorial office or unit of the ДМС (State Migration Service, DMS) for the place where the foreigner is staying. The deadline is no later than three working days before the permitted stay ends.

Paragraph 6 of the Procedure lists the documents. They are documents proving the ground for staying longer, the foreigner's passport with copies of the personal data pages and a certified translation, the receiving party's passport, documents on funds or the receiving party's guarantees, and proof of payment of the administrative fee. Foreign documents are legalised, unless a treaty provides otherwise, and filed with a notarised translation.

Once the documents are accepted, the DMS gives you the registration number of the application. A decision is made within three working days of the date the documents were accepted.

If you apply late

The Procedure distinguishes between two situations. If the application is filed after the deadline but before the period of stay has ended, you attach documents showing that you cannot leave. In other words, the delay has to be explained.

Where the period of stay has already expired, the application is accepted only after the foreigner and the receiving party have been held administratively liable. The costliest mistake here is putting off the visit until the last day.

The extension mark

A foreigner is considered to have had their stay extended only once the corresponding mark is in the passport. The validity of the mark can be checked on the DMS website, including through the QR code it carries. Keep the passport with the mark and carry it when you travel around the country.

Why extensions are refused

Paragraph 25 of Procedure No. 150 lists the grounds for refusal. They include insufficient funds or no guarantees from the receiving party, good reason to believe that the purpose of the stay differs from the stated one, and a lack of evidence for the grounds. Refusals also follow where register data do not confirm the information provided, where false information or forged documents were submitted, where court decisions remain unenforced, and on grounds of security or public health.

A refusal can be appealed to the DMS, if a territorial office took the decision, or to a court. The deadline for an appeal under paragraph 41 of the Procedure is 10 working days, and it runs from the day the foreigner was notified of the decision. Attach documents that confirm your grounds for staying.

If you overstay

Staying in Ukraine after the permitted period has ended breaches Article 203 of the КУпАП (Code of Ukraine on Administrative Offences), which Law No. 3196-IX restated in 2023. If you have overstayed by no more than 30 days, part 1 applies and the fine is 100 to 200 tax-free minimum incomes, that is UAH 1,700 to 3,400. An overstay of more than 30 days falls under part 2 with a fine of 200 to 300 tax-free minimum incomes, that is UAH 3,400 to 5,100, and a repeat breach within a year under part 3 with a fine of 300 to 400 tax-free minimum incomes, that is UAH 5,100 to 6,800. Cases under Article 203 are decided by the DMS.

If the ground for your permit disappears

A temporary residence permit lasts only as long as its ground. If an employee is dismissed, a marriage is dissolved or studies come to an end, the permit may be cancelled, and the foreigner is then back on a temporary stay. That means either finding a new ground or planning to leave.

Do not wait for the DMS to tell you about a cancellation. As soon as your ground changes, find out what is happening with your permit and how much time you have left. Cancellation is explained in the article on cancellation of a residence permit, and moving to a new employer is covered in the article on changing employer.

Travelling abroad with a residence permit

A holder of a valid residence permit may leave Ukraine and return without a visa while the permit is in force. The permit's term keeps running during the trip, so if it expires while you are abroad, you cannot come back on it. Before travelling, check the date on the card and, if renewal is close, file the documents before you leave. More detail is in the article on travelling abroad with a residence permit.

What to carry with you

While in Ukraine, carry your passport with the entry stamp. If your stay has been extended, the extension mark should be in the passport as well. A residence permit holder carries the permit, either the plastic card or in Дія (Diia, the state services app) if the permit has been added there.

Copies or photos of your passport are not always accepted during a document check, so it is better to have the original on you. If your passport is lost, inform the DMS and your country's consulate straight away.

Martial law

Under martial law most foreigners are subject to the same periods of stay as always. Special rules cover only certain groups. Cabinet of Ministers Resolution No. 1202 recognises that permanent residence permits that expired after 24 February 2022 confirm the right of residence and entry for the period of martial law and 30 calendar days after it ends. This rule does not apply to Russian citizens.

Temporary residence permits have had no such guarantee since May 2026. Their holders need a current document. Details are in the article on entry and stay under martial law.

Foreign journalists have a separate concession. Procedure No. 150 provides that limits on the period of temporary stay do not apply to correspondents and representatives of foreign media for the period of martial law and 30 days after it ends. More on this in the article on the residence permit for foreign journalists.

Volunteers under martial law

Law No. 4816-IX allowed volunteers and staff of humanitarian organisations to obtain a residence permit without a visa D. This exception applies for the period of martial law and one year after it ends. For foreigners who entered visa-free and applied for a residence permit from inside the country, it means they do not have to leave to get a visa. Details are in the article on the residence permit through volunteering.

How to plan your dates

The most reliable way to avoid trouble is to keep your own calendar. Write down the date of entry, the date your permitted stay ends and the date by which you must apply for an extension. If you are visa-free, recount your days before every trip, because earlier visits also count.

When you plan to apply for a residence permit, file as early as you can within the permitted stay. Preparation takes time, and the DMS may ask for extra documents. Having a ground for a residence permit is in itself a ground to extend your stay, but only if you apply on time.

Companies that hire foreigners should keep such a calendar for every employee. It should show the visa term, the work permit term and the residence permit term. A missed date for one employee turns into a fine for both the employee and the employer.

Lawyer's experience

People most often come to me when only a few days remain before their stay ends. They have found a job, enrolled at a university or fallen ill, and leaving on time is not possible. If there is a ground and the documents can be gathered, we manage to file the application. Once the period has already expired, the situation becomes much harder.

A second typical mistake concerns visa-free travel. Foreigners assume that each new entry gives them fresh days. In fact the limit is counted within a window, and frequent trips use it up. Before every longer trip I advise recounting your days.

My third piece of advice is for those who plan to stay. Extending your period of stay is a temporary fix. If you intend to live in Ukraine, look for a ground for a residence permit, and we will help you identify it.

If your stay is ending and you cannot leave on time, we prepare a stay extension application with a justification and file it with the DMS.

Common mistakes

• Assuming that re-entering Ukraine resets your visa-free days.
• Confusing the validity of a visa C with the permitted length of stay.
• Assuming that a visa D lasts a year, like a residence permit.
• Applying for an extension on the last day or after the stay has ended.
• Filing an application without documents that prove the ground.
• Assuming that an expired temporary residence permit protects you under martial law.

All articles on this topic

• [The 90/180 rule](/knowledge/entry-border/90-180-rule)
• [Do citizens of your country need a visa](/knowledge/visas/do-i-need-visa)
• [Entry and stay under martial law](/knowledge/entry-border/entry-martial-law)
• [Crossing the border as a foreigner under martial law](/knowledge/entry-border/border-crossing-martial-law)
• [Visa C and visa D](/knowledge/visas/visa-c-vs-d)
• [Extending your stay](/knowledge/entry-border/stay-extension)
• [Documents for entry](/knowledge/entry-border/documents-for-entry)
• [Overstaying](/knowledge/entry-border/overstay)
• [Fines for foreigners](/knowledge/entry-border/fines-for-foreigners)
• [Forced return and expulsion](/knowledge/entry-border/forced-return)
• [Entry ban](/knowledge/entry-border/entry-ban)
• [How to check for an entry ban](/knowledge/entry-border/check-entry-ban)

Frequently asked questions