The rule that applies today
For a дозвіл на застосування праці, the work permit, the law sets no special "salary for foreigners". The general rules of labour law apply. A foreigner's pay for a fully worked monthly norm cannot be lower than the minimum wage, which the state budget law sets every year. From 1 January 2026 it stands at UAH 8,647 a month.
Pay is determined by the employment contract, and the same principle of equal pay for equal work that protects Ukrainian citizens applies to a foreigner. The law today contains no special supplements and no multiple-wage requirements for foreign employees.
Where the "ten minimum wages" came from
Until October 2022 the employment law really did require that a foreigner for whom a permit was requested earn several times the minimum wage. The requirement was lower for NGOs, charities and educational institutions and higher for all other employers. Law No. 2623-IX of 21 September 2022 abolished it, and since 15 October 2022 it no longer applies.
Problems arise because the old information still lives on the internet. It can be found on the websites of some regional employment centres, in reference guides and even in certain official government guides. As a result, employers inflate the salary in the contract or give up on hiring altogether, believing it too expensive. In early 2026 the State Labour Service issued a separate clarification that the multiple-salary requirement for foreigners is no longer in force.
What the employment centre checks
The draft employment contract is filed together with the permit application. A mismatch between the contract terms and labour law is expressly named among the grounds for suspending the review of an application (Article 42-8 of the law). A salary below the minimum will therefore halt the case before any decision is made.
What the центр зайнятості (employment centre) looks at is the amount for a full working norm. If the contract provides for part-time work, pay will be proportional, but the underlying rate has to meet the minimum. The contract requirements are covered in more detail in the article on documents for a work permit.
How to check the amount in the contract
Before signing the draft contract, an employer should run through a short list:
Going through this list takes a few minutes, while a mistake on it costs a suspended review and extra days of waiting.
- find the minimum wage set by the state budget law for the year in which the documents are filed, not for the previous year;
- check that the contract states the salary for a full monthly working norm, not only the total for a reduced schedule;
- if pay is hourly, compare the rate with the minimum hourly wage, which the law sets separately;
- make sure the position and terms in the contract match those that will appear in the permit application.
Part-time work
Nothing in the law prevents hiring a foreigner for a shorter working day or a shorter week. Pay is then calculated in proportion to the time worked. There are, however, two caveats.
One concerns the permit. If working conditions change after the permit is issued, for example a full day becomes part-time, there is a risk that the foreigner is working on terms other than those set in the permit. That is a ground for revoking the permit. The other caveat concerns the єдиний внесок (single social contribution, ESV). It must be paid every month, and non-payment for two months from the date the contract was signed is also a ground for revocation.
When the minimum wage changes
The minimum wage is set for a year, and it can change. A contract drawn up on last year's minimum ends up below the limit once the minimum rises. For the employer this is already a breach of labour law, fined under Article 265 of the Labour Code, regardless of the fact that the permit was issued on the old contract.
So at the start of each year it makes sense to review contracts with foreign employees. Where the salary is below the new minimum, a supplementary agreement is signed. Whether the permit then needs amending depends on what exactly has changed, as explained in the article on amendments to a work permit.
Lawyer's experience
Employers most often come to us at one of two extremes. Some are ready to pay several minimum wages because they read about it on a website. Others put last year's minimum into the contract and do not notice that it is already below the current one. Both mistakes are fixed the same way. We check the salary against the minimum set by the budget law for the year of filing.
I also advise keeping the employer's general obligations in mind, from notifying the tax service to paying the single social contribution. They are the same for a foreigner as for a Ukrainian and are collected in the article on conditions for employing a foreigner. Breaches in pay lead to the fines described in the article on fines for working without a permit.
If you want the contract to carry the right amount from the start, we handle work permit processing together with drafting the contract.
Official sources
Frequently asked questions
Is it true that a foreigner must be paid ten minimum wages?+
No. That requirement did exist, but Law No. 2623-IX abolished it from October 2022. Today a salary no lower than the minimum wage for a full working norm is enough for a work permit, and in 2026 the minimum wage is UAH 8,647.
Can a foreigner be hired on a half-time basis?+
The law does not prohibit part-time work, and pay is then proportional to the time worked. What matters is that the contract terms match the permit and that the single social contribution is paid every month.
What if the minimum wage goes up and the contract still shows the old amount?+
A salary below the new minimum is a breach of labour law and carries the corresponding fine. Whenever the minimum wage changes, contracts with foreign employees should be reviewed and supplementary agreements signed.
Can the employment centre demand a higher salary?+
No. The employment centre checks whether the contract terms comply with labour law. It cannot impose requirements the law does not set, and outdated figures on the websites of individual authorities are no legal basis.
Does the permit fee depend on the foreigner's salary?+
No. The fee depends only on the permit's term and on whether it is an issue or a renewal. A high or low salary has no effect on it, and neither does the employee's position or citizenship.
This article is general guidance, not individual legal advice.