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40 results for “work permit”
Guides
How to get a work permit for a foreigner in Ukraine?The work permit is obtained not by the foreigner but by the employer: the company files an application with the regional employment center. Review takes up to 7 working days, and the permit is issued for one, two or three years depending on the employee category. This permit then becomes the legal ground for the temporary residence permit.How to get a temporary residence permit in Ukraine?To get a temporary residence permit a foreigner needs a legal ground (work, study, family or business), a long-term type D visa for citizens of visa countries, and a document package filed with the State Migration Service. Review takes 7-15 working days, and the permit is usually valid for 1 year with renewal.
Articles
Does a sole trader (FOP) employer need a work permit for a foreigner?Yes. A Ukrainian sole trader (FOP) has the same employer rights and duties towards a foreigner as a company: the FOP files the application with the employment center, obtains the work permit and signs the employment contract. The procedure, timing and fee are the same as for legal entities.How do I check whether my residence permit or work permit is ready in Ukraine?You can track a residence permit in the document status service on the State Migration Service (DMS) website, starting the day after you file. The employment centre publishes its work permit decision on its own website and emails it to the employer. If no status appears for a long time, contact the office where you filed.How can a foreign priest or religious worker get a residence permit in Ukraine?A foreigner invited by a religious organisation to preach, perform rites or carry out other canonical activity gets a temporary residence permit from the State Migration Service on that organisation's submission, with approval from the authority that registered its statute. Clergy invited for canonical activity with such approval work within the organisation without a work permit.How do you get a temporary residence permit in Ukraine based on a work permit?The State Migration Service issues a work-based temporary residence permit to a foreigner whose employer has obtained a work permit for them. The package adds the work permit and the employer's undertaking to report early termination. The residence permit runs for the term in the work permit, so both are renewed together.What must an employer do after a foreign employee's work permit is issued in Ukraine?The employer checks the permit form, signs an employment contract within 90 calendar days of issue, issues a hiring order and notifies the State Tax Service before the first working day. Within ten days of signing, a copy of the contract goes to the employment centre. The foreigner then applies for a residence permit.What documents are needed for a foreigner's work permit in Ukraine?For a work permit, the employer submits to the employment centre an application, a copy of the foreigner's passport with a certified translation, a colour photo 3.5 × 4.5 cm, a draft employment contract and proof of fee payment. Seconded workers, intra-corporate transferees and students add their own documents under Article 42-2 of the Law "On Employment of the Population".What minimum salary must a foreigner be paid for a Ukraine work permit?A foreigner in Ukraine must be paid at least the minimum wage for a fully worked monthly norm, which in 2026 is UAH 8,647. The rule requiring several minimum wages for a work permit was abolished by Law No. 2623-IX from October 2022. The employment centre checks the salary in the draft contract before the permit is issued.How do you amend a foreigner's work permit in Ukraine?The employer amends a work permit through the employment centre when the company's name, the foreigner's passport or name, or the job title changes. The application is due within 30 days of the change, and no fee is charged. A new employer cannot be added by amendment and needs its own permit.When is a foreigner's work permit revoked in Ukraine, and what can you do about it?The employment centre revokes a work permit on the employer's application once the employment ends, or on its own initiative on the grounds in Article 42-10 of the employment law, such as a contract copy not filed or unpaid social contribution. The decision is taken within three days and puts the foreigner's residence permit at risk.How much does a work permit for a foreigner cost in Ukraine, and who pays?The employer pays the work permit fee, which Article 42-4 of the employment law counts in subsistence minimums as of 1 January of the filing year. In 2026 it runs from UAH 9,984 for up to six months to UAH 33,280 for over two years. Renewal costs one subsistence minimum less, and some foreigners pay nothing.What should you do if a foreigner's work permit in Ukraine is lost or damaged?If a work permit is lost, the employer notifies the employment centre that issued it and files a free-form application for a duplicate. The employment centre decides and issues the duplicate within seven working days, free of charge. For a damaged permit, the damaged form is attached to the application. Losing the form does not end the permit itself.Which foreigners can work in Ukraine without a work permit?Foreigners in the categories listed in part six of Article 42 of the Law "On Employment of the Population" can work in Ukraine without a work permit. They include permanent residents and holders of an immigration permit, refugees, accredited journalists of foreign media, staff of branches of foreign companies and invited university lecturers. Everyone else needs a permit.What fine does an employer in Ukraine face for a foreigner working without a work permit?An employer is liable twice for a foreigner working without a permit. Article 53 of the employment law sets a fine of 20 minimum monthly wages per person, and Article 41 of the Code of Administrative Offences fines officials and sole proprietors 500 to 1,000 tax-free minimum incomes. Work on terms that differ from the permit carries a smaller fine.Does a foreigner who directs their own company in Ukraine need a work permit?Yes. A foreigner who is the director of their own Ukrainian LLC needs a work permit, even if they own the entire company. The separate category for founders was removed from the Law "On Employment of the Population" on 15 October 2022, so an owner-director is treated as an ordinary employee and receives a permit for up to two years.Does a foreign gig specialist in Diia City need a work permit?Yes. Under the current Law "On Employment of the Population", a foreigner on a gig contract with a Diia City resident needs a permit from the employment centre. The permit is issued for the term of the gig contract, which is up to two years. The 2021 rule allowing gig work without a permit is gone from the law.How do you get a Ukraine work permit for an intra-corporate transferee?An intra-corporate transferee is a foreigner moved to a Ukrainian company of the same group. The employment centre issues the work permit for the term of the transfer decision and the employment contract, capped at up to three years. The application includes the transfer decision and an employment contract already signed with the Ukrainian company.Why does the employment centre refuse a work permit, and what can you do?The employment centre may refuse a work permit only on the six grounds listed in Article 42-9 of the employment law. The usual causes are defects not fixed after a suspension and renewal applications filed outside the window. You can appeal to the State Employment Centre within 15 calendar days or go to court, or fix the cause and refile.How do you renew a foreigner's work permit in Ukraine?The employer renews a work permit by applying to the employment centre no earlier than 50 calendar days and no later than 20 calendar days before expiry. The package is shorter than for a first permit, and the fee is lower by one subsistence minimum. Filing outside this window leads to refusal, and after expiry only a new permit remains.How do you get a Ukraine work permit for a seconded foreign worker?A seconded foreign worker is a foreigner sent to Ukraine by a foreign employer to perform work under a contract between a Ukrainian and a foreign company. The employment centre issues the work permit for the term of that contract, capped at up to three years, and the contract replaces the draft employment contract.How long is a foreigner's work permit valid in Ukraine?The employment centre issues a work permit for the term of the employment contract. For an ordinary employee that term is up to two years, for seconded workers and intra-corporate transferees up to three years, and for students up to one year. The permit term also sets the term of a work-based residence permit, so the choice needs some planning.Which documents do you need for a temporary residence permit?The basic package for the permit has six items: a passport with a notarized translation, an application form, a supporting document, a health insurance policy, proof of place of residence and the fee receipt. The exact list depends on your ground: work requires a work permit, study a university certificate, family the marriage or kinship documents.Insurance for the residence permit: what are the policy requirements?A health insurance policy is part of the mandatory document package for the temporary residence permit. It must be valid in Ukraine and cover the entire permit period. A policy bought for a few days of border crossing will not work for the Migration Service: you need a contract covering a full year.How to renew a temporary residence permit?The temporary residence permit is renewed yearly through the local Migration Service office. Documents can be filed no earlier than 4 months and no later than 15 working days before the permit expires. The package mirrors the initial application, plus the current permit card. The key condition: your ground of residence (work, study, family) must still be valid.What does a temporary residence permit give a foreigner in Ukraine?A temporary residence permit lets a foreigner stay in Ukraine beyond a visa or the visa-free 90/180 rule and cross the border while it is valid. With it you can register your address, become a sole proprietor, open a bank account and bring your family. On its own it does not allow employment, which needs a work permit.What are the grounds for a temporary residence permit in Ukraine?The State Migration Service issues a temporary residence permit only on a ground listed in Article 4 of Law No. 3773-VI, most often work, marriage to a Ukrainian, study, volunteering or a business stake. Each ground is proved by its own document under paragraph 33 of Procedure No. 322, and the permit lasts as long as its ground.How does an employee of a foreign company's branch or representative office get a residence permit in Ukraine?A foreigner who comes to work at a Ukrainian-registered branch or representative office of a foreign company gets a temporary residence permit from the State Migration Service on that office's submission. No work permit is needed, because the law exempts staff of branches and representative offices of foreign legal entities from it.How can an investor get a temporary residence permit in Ukraine?A founder, participant or beneficial owner of a Ukrainian company whose stake in the authorised capital is at least EUR 100,000 can get a temporary residence permit as an investor. The package for the State Migration Service adds the company's founding document, its undertaking and proof of the investment. Working in the company still needs a work permit.How can a foreign journalist get a temporary residence permit in Ukraine?A foreign correspondent gets a temporary residence permit on a request from their media outlet and a submission from the State Committee for Television and Radio Broadcasting. Accredited staff of foreign media need no work permit. Limits on the length of temporary stay do not apply to them for the period of martial law and 30 days after it ends.Temporary residence permit through marriage to a Ukrainian citizenMarriage to a Ukrainian citizen gives a foreigner a ground for a temporary residence permit under family reunification. Besides the base package, you need the marriage certificate and your spouse's documents. The permit term is usually 1 year, and working on it still requires a work permit. Once the marriage has lasted two years, immigration outside the quota opens up.How can a foreigner of Ukrainian descent get a residence permit in Ukraine?Ukrainian law has no separate residence permit ground for Ukrainian descent. Instead, a person of Ukrainian origin can obtain foreign Ukrainian status from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which brings work without a work permit, a simplified visa and immigration outside the quota. The permit itself is issued on a general ground, usually employment.How long is a temporary residence permit in Ukraine valid?Paragraph 4 of Procedure No. 322 ties the term of a temporary residence permit to its ground. A work-based permit runs for the period in the work permit and a student permit for the study period set by the institution's order. Company founders get two years, and instructors and servicemembers have separate terms. The permit lasts while its ground does.How can a foreign volunteer get a temporary residence permit in Ukraine?A foreigner engaged by a non-profit organisation listed by the National Social Service of Ukraine can get a temporary residence permit on that organisation's submission. Volunteers other than Russian citizens need no type D visa for the period of martial law and one year after it ends. Volunteering does not give the right to paid work.How does a foreigner get a Ukraine work visa D?A Ukrainian consulate issues work visa D, code D-04, against a certified copy of the work permit that the employer obtains from the employment centre, under paragraph 8 of the Rules approved by Cabinet of Ministers Resolution No. 118. The visa is valid for 90 days, and within that time the foreigner enters Ukraine and applies for a residence permit.How can a foreigner change employers in Ukraine without losing the residence permit?You can change employers without leaving Ukraine if the new employer first obtains its own work permit from the employment centre and only then both employers notify the State Migration Service in writing. The old permit is revoked last. If the order is broken, the residence permit may be revoked at the old employer's request, and you start over.
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Glossary
Work permitOfficially: the permit to employ foreign workers. Obtained by the employer at the employment center; serves as the ground for a work-based residence permit.PRP (permanent residence permit)An indefinite permit granting the right to live and work in Ukraine without a separate work permit. Issued based on an immigration permit.