The permit is issued, but work has not started yet
The decision of the центр зайнятості (employment centre) to issue a work permit is published on its website and sent to the employer by email. The permit form itself is collected at the ЦНАП (administrative service centre, TsNAP) once you are notified that it is ready. From that moment the deadlines start running, and this is exactly where employers most often relax too early.
A permit gives the right to sign an employment contract with the foreigner, but on its own it does not make that person an employee. Several mandatory steps lie ahead, and each has its own deadline.
Document checklist
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When you receive the form, compare the name, date of birth and passport number with the foreigner's passport. Then compare the position and the term of validity with the application. An error in the permit is easiest to fix at once. If it slips through, it ends up in the employment contract and the residence permit, and then three documents need correcting instead of one.
Keep a scan of the permit in the employee's file. You will need it for the residence permit, for the renewal and in case the original form is ever lost.
Sign the contract and complete the hiring
The employer signs an employment contract with the foreigner within 90 calendar days of the permit's issue date (part four of Article 42-7 of the employment law). The position and terms in the contract must match the permit. The contract carries the actual signing date, not the date that appeared in the draft.
From here the general rule of the Labour Code applies. An employee may not be allowed to work without a contract, a hiring order and a notice to the tax authority. The notice to the ДПС (State Tax Service) is filed after the order but before work actually begins, and it contains a separate field for citizenship. These steps are covered in detail in the article on employment conditions for foreigners.
Send a copy of the contract to the employment centre
Within ten days of signing the contract, a copy certified by the employer is filed with the employment centre. Missing this deadline is a ground for revoking the permit. Such a revocation does not create a year-long bar on a new permit, yet the permit has to be obtained again and the fee paid a second time.
Keep proof that the copy was filed. Should a question ever arise as to whether the employer met this obligation, the filing date will be the main evidence.
Help the employee with the residence permit
For a foreigner who has come to work long term, the work permit is a ground for a посвідка (temporary residence permit, TRP). The foreigner files the documents with the ДМС (State Migration Service, DMS) in person, but the employer still has a part to play. The package includes the permit and the employer's undertaking to notify the DMS and the employment service if the contract is terminated early. The process is described in the article on the work-based residence permit.
Timing for the TRP application is tied to how long the foreigner may stay in Ukraine, not to the date of the work permit. So if the employee is already in Ukraine on a visa or under the visa-free regime, there is no reason to delay the TRP.
If the employee is still abroad
Permits are often issued while the foreigner is still at home. The next step then depends on their citizenship. If they need a type D visa to obtain a TRP, they take the permit to a Ukrainian consulate and receive a visa issued for the purpose of employment. Only after entering Ukraine on that visa do they apply for the TRP.
Meanwhile the deadlines keep running. The employment contract has to be signed within the period counted from the permit's issue, not from the employee's arrival. If the consulate is slow, the employer should allow for this in advance, for example by agreeing the contract signing date with the employee while they are still abroad. The difference between the visa types is explained in visa C or visa D.
Plan the renewal from day one
The permit's expiry date is shown in the "Дійсний до" (valid until) field on the form. The window for a renewal application is counted from that date. Set a reminder as soon as the permit arrives, so that the deadline does not catch you in its last week. Renewal is covered in the article on work permit renewal.
Lawyer's experience
After a permit is issued, I always put together a short calendar for the employer. It shows the issue date, the last day for signing the contract, the last day for filing the contract copy and the date the renewal window opens. This single sheet saves more nerves than any other part of the case.
The most common mistake I see at this stage involves the contract copy. The contract is signed and the person is working, but nobody ever sends the copy to the employment centre. A few weeks later the permit is revoked, and the employee's TRP is put at risk along with it.
If the permit is already in hand, we carry on with the residence permit application for the employee, from the package to the card. Should a new permit ever be needed, the document list is in the article on documents for a work permit.
Official sources
Frequently asked questions
What happens if the contract is not signed in time after the permit is issued?+
If the contract is not signed and the copy is not filed on time, the employment centre revokes the permit. This ground does not create a year-long bar on a new permit, but you will have to file a new application and pay the fee again.
Can the foreigner start work on the day the permit is received?+
Only if the contract has already been signed, the hiring order issued and the notice filed with the State Tax Service on that same day. In practice it is easier to complete these steps the day before the first working day.
What should we do if there is a mistake in the permit?+
Check the form as soon as you receive it. If the details do not match the passport or the application, contact the employment centre before signing the contract, because the discrepancy will otherwise carry over into the residence permit.
Who applies for the residence permit, the employer or the foreigner?+
The foreigner applies in person. The employer provides the work permit and an undertaking to notify the State Migration Service and the employment service if the contract is terminated early.
Does the contract deadline wait until the employee arrives in Ukraine?+
No. The period for signing the employment contract runs from the date the permit was issued, not from the employee's entry. If the employee first needs a type D visa from a Ukrainian consulate, build the consulate's processing time into the plan.
This article is general guidance, not individual legal advice.