How to Apply for a State Training Voucher to Retrain or Upskill in Ukraine

Who qualifies for a training voucher in Ukraine?

The voucher programme is targeted state support rather than free training for every adult. Article 30 of Ukraine's Law on Employment of the Population provides a one-time voucher for specified categories of people to maintain their competitiveness in the labour market.

Current State Employment Service guidance identifies the main eligible groups as:

• people aged 45 or older who have at least 15 years of insurance record and have not reached the statutory retirement age;
• specified people discharged from military service and veterans who meet the applicable conditions;
• internally displaced persons who cannot find suitable work;
• people with disabilities who cannot find suitable work; and
• specified people affected by armed aggression against Ukraine, including qualifying people who were deprived of personal liberty as a result of that aggression.

The precise evidence required depends on the category under which you apply.

What education do you need before applying?

Current State Employment Service guidance requires an applicant to already have vocational, professional pre-higher or higher education. The voucher is designed for retraining, further education, specialization and professional development rather than as a substitute for the applicant's initial qualifying education.

You must also not be registered with the Employment Service as unemployed when applying under this voucher programme. If you are instead seeking unemployed status and unemployment benefit, use the separate procedure to register as unemployed and apply for unemployment benefit.

What can you study with the voucher?

Under Article 30 of the Employment Law, a voucher can support retraining for a worker profession, training in a specialty to obtain a master's degree based on a bachelor's or master's degree obtained in another specialty, training at the next education level other than the third higher-education level, specialization and professional development.

You cannot choose an arbitrary course and expect the state to pay for it. The profession or specialty must appear on the official list approved for voucher-funded training.

How many professions and specialties are available in 2026?

The approved list was updated again in 2026. Current State Employment Service information reports 161 eligible directions: 100 professions and 61 specialties.

The list includes fields such as preschool education, nursing, psychology, social work, cybersecurity, electrical engineering and fire safety, as well as many worker professions. The 2026 update added professions including diver, pumping-unit operator, construction installer, nanny, food-production line operator, emergency-repair fitter and metal-structure assembly fitter.

Always check the current official list before committing to a course because eligibility attaches to the approved profession or specialty, not simply to the fact that a course is offered by an education provider.

How much is the voucher worth in 2026?

Article 30 of the Employment Law limits the voucher to the actual training cost and no more than 10 times the subsistence minimum for able-bodied persons established by law.

For 2026, the State Employment Service confirms a maximum voucher value of UAH 33,280.

If the chosen programme costs less, the voucher covers only the applicable training cost rather than automatically paying the full ceiling. If the programme costs more than UAH 33,280, the difference can be paid by you or your employer.

The voucher is financed from the compulsory state unemployment social-insurance fund within the programme's applicable funding rules.

Can you choose where and how to study?

Yes. The Employment Law provides that the person chooses the profession or specialty from the approved list, as well as the form and place of study.

Current Employment Service guidance states that training is provided by licensed Ukrainian education institutions. Available forms can include full-time, evening, distance and dual education, or permitted combinations of study formats.

Check that both the chosen training direction and the provider's licensed educational activity fit the voucher programme before signing an agreement.

What documents should you prepare?

The exact package depends on your eligibility category, but the core documentation identified by the Employment Service includes:

• an identity document;
• RNOKPP, subject to the statutory religious-belief exception;
• an education document or duplicate;
• employment-record information or the relevant employment document; and
• documents proving the specific category under which the voucher is requested.

For example, an IDP applicant provides evidence of IDP status, while military, veteran, disability and armed-aggression categories require their corresponding status documents. For the age-based category, the Employment Service must be able to establish the required insurance record.

Can you apply for a training voucher online?

Yes. In 2026 the State Employment Service provides an online voucher application through its website and also promotes application through its digital channels. You may alternatively contact an Employment Service unit.

The formal voucher rules also allow an application to be submitted personally in paper form or electronically using electronic communications with an electronic signature based on the required qualified certificate.

An online preliminary application does not remove the need to establish eligibility and provide the documents required for your category. Current Employment Service guidance states that, after an online request is processed, a career adviser contacts the applicant to assist with the next stages.

How long does the voucher decision take?

Under the official voucher procedure, the employment center must decide whether to issue the voucher no later than the eighth working day after the required documents are submitted.

The center then informs the applicant about the decision within 3 working days after making it.

Current Employment Service information about the initial online request also states that a career adviser may contact the applicant after processing the online application, but this preliminary digital contact should not be confused with the statutory decision period that runs after the required documents have been submitted.

What happens after the Employment Service approves your voucher?

After receiving notification of a positive decision, official Employment Service guidance requires you to contact the employment center within 5 working days to receive the voucher under the applicable procedure.

You then use the voucher to formalize training with the selected eligible education provider. Current 2026 Employment Service guidance states that the training agreement must be concluded within 120 days after receiving the voucher.

Do not delay choosing a provider until this period is almost over. Confirm admission requirements, programme dates, licensing and the total tuition cost before the agreement deadline.

Who pays if the course costs more than UAH 33,280?

The state contribution cannot exceed the statutory voucher ceiling. In 2026 that ceiling is UAH 33,280.

If tuition is higher, current Employment Service guidance states that the difference can be paid by the individual or the employer. A more expensive programme is therefore not automatically excluded, but the voucher does not create state funding above its maximum value.

What obligations apply after training begins?

The education provider informs the employment center that issued the voucher about performance of the training agreement, including attendance and completion of the educational programme.

The official procedure also contains financial consequences for unjustified early termination of training. Do not treat a voucher as an unrestricted cash grant: it pays for an approved educational service under the voucher programme and training agreement.

What should you check before applying?

Before submitting the request, verify the following points:

• you belong to one of the legally eligible categories;
• you already have the required vocational, professional pre-higher or higher education;
• you are not registered as unemployed under the Employment Service voucher rules;
• you meet category-specific conditions such as the 15-year insurance record requirement for the 45-plus route;
• you have not already used the one-time voucher entitlement where the rules exclude another voucher;
• the intended profession or specialty is on the current approved list;
• the education provider is eligible and licensed for the relevant training; and
• you can cover any tuition amount above UAH 33,280 if necessary.

Does the voucher recognize a foreign diploma?

No. A voucher finances eligible retraining, further education, specialization or professional development. It does not itself recognize a qualification obtained abroad.

If your issue is whether a foreign diploma is officially recognized for use in Ukraine, follow the separate procedure to recognize a foreign education qualification in Ukraine.

Training voucher checklist for 2026

• Confirm your eligibility category and its specific conditions.
• Prepare your identity, RNOKPP, education and category-specific documents.
• Check the current list of 161 eligible training directions.
• Choose a properly licensed education provider and suitable study format.
• Check the full tuition price before applying.
• Remember the UAH 33,280 maximum voucher value.
• Apply online or through the State Employment Service.
• Allow up to 8 working days for the formal decision after the required documents are submitted.
• After approval notification, follow the 5-working-day voucher receipt requirement.
• Conclude the training agreement within the current 120-day period after receiving the voucher.