How to Apply for a Temporary Residence Permit in Ukraine as a Foreigner

Which foreigners can get a temporary residence permit?

Ukraine does not issue a temporary residence permit merely because a foreigner wants to remain in the country longer. The applicant must have a specific legal ground for temporary residence recognized by Ukrainian law and must be staying in Ukraine legally when applying.

Current statutory grounds include qualifying employment or a gig contract, registered international technical-assistance projects, specified religious activity, work in registered foreign-company or foreign-bank branches and representative offices, qualifying cultural, scientific, educational and volunteer activities, foreign-media work, certain investments in Ukrainian legal entities, study and family reunification. Ukrainian law also establishes several special categories, including particular military-service and wartime assistance grounds.

A temporary residence permit is different from simply extending a short lawful stay. If you do not have a residence-permit ground and instead need additional time under the rules governing temporary stay, see the separate procedure on extending legal stay in Ukraine.

What documents do you need for the application?

The core document package normally includes:

• a valid foreign passport or stateless-person identity document;
• the relevant long-term D visa when Ukrainian law requires one, with a copy of the relevant passport page;
• a Ukrainian translation of the passport or identity-document page containing personal data, certified in accordance with Ukrainian law;
• a valid medical insurance policy covering the entire permit period, unless the applicant belongs to a statutory exempt category;
• proof of payment of the required administrative charge or proof of exemption; and
• documents proving the particular statutory ground for temporary residence.

The DMS also permits applicants to provide additional documents confirming their residence-permit ground or information entered in the application, including documents concerning accommodation such as ownership or rental documents.

What extra documents depend on the reason for residence?

The supporting package is not identical for every applicant. For employment, the DMS generally requires the permit to employ a foreigner or stateless person; where employment is legally exempt from that permit, the relevant employment contract or gig contract is used instead. The employer or Diia City resident must also provide the required undertaking to notify the authorities if the employment or gig contract ends early.

For study, the educational institution must provide documents confirming enrolment and the established study period for the foreign student, together with its undertaking to notify the DMS if the student is expelled.

For family reunification with a Ukrainian citizen based on marriage, the applicant provides the document confirming the marriage. The Ukrainian spouse normally presents their Ukrainian passport personally, subject to the wartime exception specified by the DMS for a spouse who cannot attend because of military service and has supporting evidence.

For family reunification with another qualifying foreign resident, documents proving the family relationship are required, together with evidence of the host's sufficient financial means and the host's temporary residence permit where applicable.

Where do you apply?

The procedure is administered by the State Migration Service of Ukraine (DMS). The DMS states that documents may be submitted at the relevant DMS territorial body or unit, or at an authorized center of a state enterprise under the DMS or a center for administrative services at the applicant's place of residence.

Administrative service centers and state-enterprise centers accept temporary-residence applications only where they have the necessary technical capability. The permit application therefore should not be treated as a fully online procedure.

When must a first-time applicant apply?

For an initial temporary residence permit, documents must be submitted no later than 15 working days before the end of the applicant's authorized stay in Ukraine.

This deadline is important because being in Ukraine beyond the permitted period is itself a ground that can prevent issuance, subject to specific statutory exceptions. Do not wait until the final days of a visa or visa-free stay before preparing the residence-permit documents.

How much does the temporary residence permit cost in 2026?

The State Migration Service's current 2026 tariff for the standard temporary residence permit consists of:

• UAH 452 for the administrative service;
• UAH 654 for the permit form; and
• UAH 34 state duty.

The standard total is therefore UAH 1,140. Statutory exemptions apply to certain applicants. The DMS also states that a person formally recognized as stateless under the applicable Ukrainian procedure is exempt from the administrative-service and permit-form charges when obtaining a temporary residence permit for the first time.

How long does the DMS take to issue the permit?

The official processing period is 15 working days from the date the documents are accepted. The outcome is either issuance of the temporary residence permit or a refusal.

A refusal may be challenged administratively within 30 calendar days from the date the decision is communicated, or through the courts under the applicable procedure. An administrative complaint should include documents supporting the grounds for review and cancellation of the refusal.

How long is the permit valid?

The validity period depends on the legal ground and supporting documents. The general rule is a period corresponding to the submitted documents but not more than one year, unless a specific statutory exception provides a different period.

For employment, the permit is issued for the employment period stated in the foreign-worker employment permit. For a registered international technical-assistance project, it follows the project period stated in the registration card. A qualifying founder, participant or beneficial owner of a Ukrainian legal entity receives a permit for two years. A foreign student receives a permit for the study period established by the educational institution's order. Other special statutory categories have their own validity periods.

What happens when your temporary residence permit is expiring?

Ukraine's current procedure does not provide a separate legal mechanism called an extension of the temporary residence permit. Instead, an expiring permit is exchanged for a new permit when the person continues to have a valid temporary-residence ground.

Under the current DMS rules, documents for exchange because of expiry may be submitted no later than the last day of the existing permit's validity. However, if fewer than 15 working days remain before expiry, the exchange application must be submitted directly to a DMS territorial body or territorial unit. The DMS then extends the person's temporary-residence period, according to the prescribed procedure, for the time needed to consider that application.

For exchange triggered by another event, such as a change in information, the documents generally must be submitted within one month after that event. If a surname, given name or patronymic change, or a discrepancy in the records, requires the foreign passport or stateless-person identity document to be replaced first, the permit-exchange documents must be submitted no later than one month after the new identity document is received.

What if your permit is lost or stolen?

A lost or stolen temporary residence permit is handled through the permit exchange procedure. The DMS requires the applicant to provide a valid foreign passport or stateless-person identity document, a properly certified Ukrainian translation of the personal-data page, proof of payment or an applicable exemption, and the other documents required for the exchange. The old permit itself is naturally not submitted when it has been lost or stolen.

The DMS also lists an RNOKPP document and an extract from the territorial community register among exchange documents when available. If you need to obtain a Ukrainian taxpayer number, see how to get an RNOKPP in Ukraine.

Common problems that can lead to refusal

The DMS may refuse issuance when the statutory requirements are not met. Official grounds include an unlawful period of stay, incomplete documents or documents submitted outside the prescribed deadlines, information that cannot be confirmed against official databases, an invalid or fraudulent passport, knowingly false information or forged documents, and other grounds established by law.

Before applying, check that your passport remains valid, your residence ground is still active, the required D visa is present when applicable, the Ukrainian translation is properly certified and your supporting documents correspond exactly to the residence category you are using.

Does the permit automatically fix residence-registration records?

The residence permit documents your right to reside temporarily in Ukraine; address records are governed by separate procedures. If your information in Ukraine's community register is incorrect or missing, see how to correct residence data in the community register.