Residence permit in Ukraine

What should you know about staying in Ukraine for more than usual tourist’s 90 days? You will have to get a residency in Ukraine.

There are two types of residency permits in Ukraine: temporary residence permit and permanent residence permit, which differ in the procedure of acquiring (grounds for the issue) and the scope of rights that are granted with such a document.

Temporary Residence Permit

The temporary residence permit is the official document, that gives the right to the holder to legally stay in Ukraine, leave and reenter the territory of Ukraine an unlimited number of times within the term of validity.

The temporary residence permits’ validity varies: from several months up to several years (for example, in case of the work or long-lasting international project, etc. permits are given for a 3-year validity term).

The law of Ukraine provides the following list of grounds for getting temporary residence permit:

♦  Official employment;
♦  Participation in international projects for technical support (such programs should be registered);
♦  Performance of religious activity or invitation by a religious organization (officially registered and with permission to involve foreigners);
♦  Employees of affiliated companies or representative offices of non-governmental organizations of foreign countries, registered under the legal procedure in Ukraine;
♦  Employees of representative offices of foreign business entities, banks;
♦  Participants of international cultural, educational or scientific activities, given in international contracts of Ukraine or specific programs, participants of international or regional volunteer programs, or participation in work of Ukrainian organizations that are permitted to involve foreign volunteers (there is a special governmentally approved list of such organizations);
♦  Education in Ukraine (it must be already arranged, not just an intent)
♦  Investing at least 100 000 EUR in Ukrainian business;
♦  Marriage with the citizen of Ukraine.

Moreover, before applying for a temporary residence permit the applicant will have to get a D type visa (read more about visas to Ukraine).

Permanent Residence Permit

The permanent residence permit is another type of a document that gives a foreigner the right to stay in Ukraine legally for a long period. It has no validity limits (has an indefinite duration, but the document itself has to be renewed in certain cases). Likewise the temporary residence permit, the permanent residence permit allows staying in Ukraine, easily leave and enter its territory, employment by any company without obtaining a work permit. Therefore, the legal status is quite similar to citizenship, but a bit reduced – no voting rights, no title rights to agricultural land, no option to benefit from the visa-free entry to EU due to the Visa Waiver Treaties, etc.

The grounds for acquiring permanent residence permit are the following:

♦  Being a highly qualified specialist (that are highly demanded by the Ukrainian economy);
♦  Being a scientist and/or cultural figure, whose immigration corresponds to the interests of Ukraine;
♦  Being an investor (who has invested at least 100 000 USD) in Ukrainian economy;
♦  Being a sibling, grandchild, or grandparent of Ukrainian citizens;
♦  Being a spouse of the Ukrainian citizen (the marriage shall last at least for two years);
♦  Being a former Ukrainian citizen;
♦  Being a parent, spouse, or minor of an immigrant to Ukraine;
♦  Being a military member in the Armed forces of Ukraine (for 3 and more years);
♦  Being overseas Ukrainians;
♦  Being a legal guardian of Ukrainian citizens or person, warded by Ukrainian citizens;
♦  Being a legal guardian of Ukrainian citizen(s) or being a person, which is under guardianship and is warded by a Ukrainian citizen(s).

Before applying for permanent residency, the applicant obtain the immigration permit first.

It is worth noting that there is a duty to register the place of residency in Ukraine within 30 calendar days after the residence permit is issued.

Information update:  expired residence permit are valid during the wartime.