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Temporary residence permit through employment: step by step

Updated: November 2026
 
Employment is the most common basis on which foreigners get a temporary residence permit in Ukraine. There are two routes: join a Ukrainian company that already operates, or set up your own LLC and become its director. The procedure has six consecutive steps, and a mistake at any one of them stops everything that follows.
 
Who can get a residence permit through employment
The permit is issued to a foreigner whose employer has obtained a permit to employ them. How that permit is issued is set out in the Law of Ukraine “On Employment of the Population” (in Ukrainian). The right of residence comes from the Law of Ukraine “On the Legal Status of Foreigners and Stateless Persons” (in Ukrainian).
 
The law sets no minimum salary for foreigners. The only limit is that their pay cannot be lower than that of a Ukrainian citizen in the same position. This means a foreigner can be employed by a small company, including one they founded themselves.
 
Step 1. Tax number
Everything else starts with the tax number: it is needed to register a company, sign an employment contract and apply for the residence permit. The tax authority assigns it under the Tax Code of Ukraine (in Ukrainian). The foreigner does not have to be in Ukraine: a notarised copy of the passport and a power of attorney are enough. The number is usually issued within one business day. See the tax number for foreigners page for details.
 
Step 2. Company registration
This step is needed when the foreigner will work for their own company. An LLC is registered under the Law of Ukraine “On State Registration of Legal Entities, Individual Entrepreneurs and Public Associations” (in Ukrainian). Before filing, you need to decide on the name, registered address, share capital, business activities and director. If the founder is a foreign company, you also submit an extract from its home register, legalised or apostilled, and documents on the ultimate beneficial owner.
 
The main practical point: a foreigner can become director only after getting a work permit. Until then, the post is held by a Ukrainian citizen or a foreigner who already has a permit, and the director is changed once the permit is issued. Plan this change from the start, while preparing the charter and the founder’s decision. How to register an LLC is described in LLC registration in Ukraine for foreign individuals and companies. The company also needs a bank account to pay salary and taxes.
 
Step 3. Work permit
The employer applies for the permit, not the foreigner. It files an application with the regional employment centre, together with a copy of the foreigner’s passport with a translation, a photo and a draft employment contract. The permit is issued for the term of the employment contract, but for no more than two years. For seconded foreign workers and intra-corporate transferees, the maximum term is three years. The permit can be extended. The state fee depends on the permit term.
 
Once the permit is issued, the employer has 90 days to sign the employment contract and 10 days after signing to file a copy with the employment centre. Missing these deadlines can lead to the permit being cancelled, and the procedure has to start again. Documents, deadlines and extensions are described on the work permit for a foreigner page.
 
Step 4. Type D visa
A long-stay visa is obtained from a Ukrainian diplomatic mission abroad under the Rules for issuing visas for entry into Ukraine and transit through its territory (in Ukrainian). You cannot apply for it while in Ukraine. For entry for employment, the work permit is the basis for the visa. A type D visa allows a single entry and is valid for 90 days, and the residence permit application must be filed within that time.
 
Whether citizens of visa-free countries need a type D visa depends on their citizenship and the basis for their stay, so check this before entry. For citizens of India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, China and other countries that need a visa for Ukraine, consular review often takes a long time, so plan the visa as a separate step and the longest one. See the visa to Ukraine page for details.
 
Step 5. Temporary residence permit
Documents are filed with a regional office of the State Migration Service under the Procedure for issuing a temporary residence permit (in Ukrainian). The foreigner must attend in person, because biometric data is collected. The application must be filed before the lawful period of stay in Ukraine ends. Do not leave it to the last days: if a mistake is found in the file, there will be no time to fix it.
 
The permit is issued for the term of the work permit. Along with the documents, the employer gives an undertaking to notify the migration service and the employment centre if the employment contract ends early. The list of documents and the permit exchange procedure are on the temporary residence permit page.
 
Step 6. Residence registration
After receiving the permit, the foreigner must register their place of residence within 30 days. The procedure is set by Law of Ukraine No. 1871-IX (in Ukrainian). Registration requires the owner’s consent or a document confirming the right to use the property, such as a lease. See the residence registration page for details.
 
Foreign documents
Documents issued abroad must be apostilled or legalised, translated into Ukrainian, and the translation certified, unless an international treaty provides otherwise. The requirements depend on the foreigner’s citizenship, the country that issued the document and the company’s ownership structure. For this reason, we set each client’s document list before the procedure starts, not during it.
 
Our services
  • obtaining a tax number for a foreigner without travel to Ukraine;
  • LLC registration and change of director after the work permit is issued;
  • obtaining and extending a work permit;
  • preparing documents for a type D visa;
  • obtaining a temporary residence permit;
  • residence registration;
  • opening a bank account.
Fees
Legal support in obtaining a temporary residence permit through employment: EUR 2,500.
 
The fee does not include state and consular fees, translation, notary services, apostille or legalisation.