What documents do you need for permanent residence in Ukraine?

Two sets of documents

Permanent residence in Ukraine is obtained in two stages, and each needs its own set of documents. First the foreigner receives a дозвіл на імміграцію (immigration permit), for which the documents are listed in Article 9 of the Law "On Immigration" No. 2491-III. Next comes the посвідка на постійне проживання (permanent residence permit, PRP), and its documents are listed in paragraph 32 of the Procedure approved by Cabinet of Ministers Resolution No. 321. Which grounds give a right to permanent residence is explained in the article on grounds for permanent residence.

General documents for the immigration permit

Article 9 requires every applicant to file the following:

Applicants who file in Ukraine give biometric data, so you will need to visit the ДМС (State Migration Service, DMS) in person. For minors, the application is filed by their legal representatives.

• an application for an immigration permit on paper;
• photographs;
• a passport, or every passport if you hold several citizenships, with copies of the personal data pages and a certified translation into Ukrainian;
• a document confirming lawful stay in Ukraine, if you apply from inside the country;
• a document on your place of residence in Ukraine and abroad;
• details of your family and a copy of your marriage certificate, if you are married;
• a document confirming that you do not suffer from chronic alcoholism, drug addiction or an infectious disease on the Ministry of Health list.

Who is exempt from the medical and criminal record certificates

Part 8 of Article 9 requires most applicants to provide a certificate of no criminal record from their country of citizenship or permanent residence. Parts 6 and 8 exempt several categories from the medical certificate and from the criminal record certificate. Among them are spouses, children and parents of Ukrainian citizens, family members of fallen service members, people entitled to citizenship by territorial origin, foreigners who served in the Defence Forces, and stateless persons who have lived on a temporary residence permit for two years since being recognised as stateless. Highly qualified specialists are also exempt from the criminal record certificate.

Getting a criminal record certificate in Ukraine is covered in the article on the criminal record certificate.

Documents for your ground

On top of the general documents, you file documents for your specific ground. Spouses, children and parents of Ukrainian citizens provide documents on the family relationship and on the relative's Ukrainian citizenship. Spouses also add written consent from each of them to an interview and written tests. Foreign Ukrainians file their foreign Ukrainian certificate, and former Ukrainian citizens file documents on their previous citizenship.

For the categories in part 2 of Article 4, the documents are different. Highly qualified specialists file documents on their qualifications and support for the application. Investors file the articles of association or contracts and a bank statement showing the investment was received, and service members file documents on their service. These categories are described in the article on the immigration quota.

Legalisation and translation

Documents issued by foreign authorities must be legalised unless a law or an international treaty provides otherwise, and each needs a certified translation into Ukrainian. Whether you need an apostille or consular legalisation is explained in the article on apostille and legalisation.

Names in the translations must match your passport and your other Ukrainian documents. A permanent residence file often combines documents from different years and countries, which makes this especially important, because the DMS cross-checks all the data.

Documents for the card

After the immigration permit is granted, the foreigner files an application form for the residence permit with the DMS. Paragraph 32 of Procedure No. 321 requires the following:

Article 11 of the law requires you to apply for the card no later than 15 working days before your visa or period of stay expires, so plan the second stage as soon as the decision arrives.

• a valid passport with a D visa, where one is required;
• a certified translation of the passport's personal data page;
• a copy of the decision granting the immigration permit;
• proof that the administrative fee was paid;
• a document confirming your tax number, if you have one.

Lawyer's experience

Most delays in a permanent residence file come from documents issued abroad. A marriage certificate without an apostille, a criminal record certificate issued too long ago, a translation with a different spelling of the name. I advise collecting the foreign documents first, because they usually take the most time and cause the most stress.

My second piece of advice concerns exemptions. Spouses of Ukrainian citizens often collect a medical certificate and a criminal record certificate they do not need. We check the list against the current version of the law and do not ask for anything superfluous.

If you are preparing for permanent residence, at a migration law consultation we will draw up a list of documents for your specific ground.

Frequently asked questions