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Migration Quotas for IT, part 2
Requirements for IT specialists who want to apply for Ukrainian immigration permit are amended!(Order №1847 as of September, 09, 2020)
Read Part I of the article at our Facebook page
Now, there are mandatory qualification requirements and additional ones. The quotas were also redistributed:
• Manager of information security system – 100 applicants;
• Specialist in information security organization (that includes now Specialists in organization of protection of the restricted data, Professionals in information security organization and Professionals in organization of protection of the restricted data) – 300 applicants;
• Software engineers (Senior software engineers, Design Engineer (in electronics), Software Engineer) – 3000 applicants;
• Analysts (consolidated data analysts, analysts in computer systems, analysts of computer communications, Analysts of operation and application software) – 200 applicants;
• Chief Technical Officer – 500 applicants;
• Professionals in computer technologies – 800 applicants;
• Information and Software Operators – 100 applicants.
Managers of information security system and quality systems must have not less than 3 years of experience in the respective field.
Additional requirements:
University/college diploma, proven income received for the work as manager of information system/ manager of the quality systems, proven income received in the preceding calendar year not less than 24,000 USD, CISSP, CISA, CISM, ITIL Master, CompTIA Security + certificates.
Chief Technical Officer must have at least 3 year of experience at the respective position.
Additional requirements are:
University/college diploma in technical sciences, proven income received in the preceding calendar year not less than 24,000 USD, MIT certificate.
Specialist in information security organization must have at least 3 year of experience at the respective position.Diploma in technical sciences, proven income received in the preceding calendar year not less than 24,000 USD, CISSP, CISA, CISM, ITIL. Master certificates are additional requirements to the candidate.
Software engineers must have at least 3 years of experience. In addition, diploma in technical sciences can be presented, proven income received in the preceding calendar year not less than 24,000 USD, MIT certificate.
Computer system engineers, design engineers (in electronics) must have at least 3 year of experience at the respective position; additional requirements are diploma in ‘Computer engineering’, ‘Cybernetics’, ‘Mathematics’, ‘Applied Mathematics’, ‘Informatics’, proven income received in the preceding calendar year not less than 24,000 USD, MIT certificate.
Professionals in computer technologies also must have at least 3 year of experience. The same is applicable to Information and Software Operators. Additional requirements for both categories is proven income received in the preceding calendar year not less than 24,000 USD.

How to get a visa to Ukraine
Before paying a visit to Ukraine, foreigners have to obtain an entry visa. However, Ukrainian legislation provides visa-free entry for the citizens of countries that ratified the Visa Waiver Treaties with Ukraine (more).
In some cases, foreigners who entered Ukraine on the grounds of Visa Waiver Treaties have to leave the country to get a visa of a special type.
Entry visas to Ukraine are issued by the Consulates of Ukraine located abroad. Since 2019, citizens of some countries can get an E-visa before a trip to Ukraine, which is valid for up to 30 days and single entry only. If you are a citizen of a country on the list, you can get an E-visa through the online application system, please check for more details here.
Ukrainian visas are issued within the following 3 types:
● Transit (B type) visa;
● Short-term (C type) visa;
● Long-term (D type) visa.
More about visa types:
Short-term (C type) visas. C type visas are issued in cases where a foreigner intends to stay in Ukraine for up to 90 days within 180 days starting from the first entry to Ukraine. C type visas are issued as a one-entry, two entries or multiple entries.
C type visas are the most commonly issued visas to Ukraine for the following purposes: tourism, business travel or private visits.
Nowadays, C type visas are not issued to the citizens of the countries participating in the Visa Waiver Treaties.
Long-term (D type) visas. D type visas are issued as multiple entry visas valid for 90 days. There are limited grounds for long-term visa, and it is required for the foreigners who plan to get residency in Ukraine. Visa D is obtained by foreigners intending to apply for a temporary residence permit due to work, family reunification, studying in Ukraine or other reasons. More about D type visa here.
Transit (B type) visas. B type visas are issued in cases where Ukraine is not the country of the traveler’s final destination and passengers/cargo are to transit through Ukraine by car/coach. Each transit period should not exceed 5 days. B type visas are issued as a one-entry/two entries/multiple entries visas.
Documents required for visa to Ukraine
To get a visa to Ukraine a foreigner must provide Ukrainian consulate with the following documents:
1) Passport, valid for at least 3 months after the intended date of departure from Ukraine;
2) Visa application form;
3) Medical insurance valid in Ukraine, with at least 30,000 Euro coverage;
4) Proof of sufficient funds to cover the costs of stay (e.g. bank statement or ATM receipts);
5) One photo 35 х 45 mm;
6) Paid visa fee receipt;
7) Document confirming the purpose of the trip to Ukraine.
For instance, for getting a Short-term (C type) visa, an applicant has to submit an invitation letter, a document confirming the tourist purpose of the stay.
For a Long-term (D type) visa, an applicant should submit a work permit, an immigration permit, an invitation from a university, an invitation from an international NGO, a document proving family ties (for family reunification), confirming the purpose of the trip. More about D type visa here.
Visa fee
The visa fee depends on 1) citizenship; 2) age of the applicant.
Citizenship criteria: the basic visa fee for processing visa applications via regular service is $65.00. Fees are doubled for all applications filed upon expedited service, which means $130 for urgent case consideration. Visa fees for certain visa types for applicants from some countries might differ from the basic visa fee above, due to the reciprocity principle.
Age criteria: visas for minors are issued free of charge.
A foreigner may apply for a visa irrespective of the previous duration of stay in Ukraine: even if there was an overstay, a visa can be issued. Please note, if the fine was imposed for the breach of the law, it shall be paid prior to the visa application submission. However, the visa is not issued to the individuals banned from entering.
Visa processing time
Up to 10 working days from the day of application within regular service, unless the additional check is necessary.
Up to 5 working days from the day of application within expedited service.

Permits for rep. office employees
Foreign legal entities have the right to register a representative office in Ukraine and involve foreign nationals to work in Ukraine.
The Inviter, i.e. a representative office of foreign legal entity in Ukraine, is responsible for the legal entry, residence, employment, and departure of foreigners who were invited to work after the expiration of their stay in Ukraine.
Foreign citizens and stateless persons who arrived in Ukraine to work in representative offices, may obtain a temporary residence permit.
One of the issues faced when hiring a foreigner to a Ukrainian company is getting a work permit. Good news, as in case of the employment of foreigners by the representative office of a foreign legal entity, no work permit is required.
Acquiring the residential status of an employee of the foreign legal entity’s representative office in Ukraine involves the following:
1. Obtaining the documents from the foreign legal entity representative office, registered in Ukraine (a request for assistance in visa and temporary residence permit issuance and representative office registration certificate);
2. Applying for D type visa in the consulate of Ukraine abroad based on working in the foreign legal entity representative office in Ukraine. More info about this type of visas here.
3. Submitting required documents to the Migration Service office in Ukraine for a temporary residence permit. Read more about the temporary residency by this link.

Business quarantine in Ukraine
The Ukrainian legislation is being amended extremely fast these days. Parliament is providing the business with the instruments to get ready for the quarantine, that was approved last night by the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine.
How this affects business:
For the period from March 18 – April 03, 2020
– railway, air and bus intercity and interregional passenger transport services are suspended (except for the possibility to travel by private transport only);
– the public overland transport continues to operate – transportation is allowed for 10 passengers max simultaneously;
– the operation of the subway is suspended in Kyiv, Dnipro, and Kharkiv.
City malls, cafes, restaurants, beauty salons, fitness centers shall remain closed for the period from March 17 – April 03, 2020. Food delivery is allowed.
As these measures are harsh, especially for small business, the Parliament has passed the following changes to the legislation:
• Such quarantine is considered a force majeure event;
• Employees are allowed to be put on unpaid leave; place of work and the working hours can be changed, with the option to work remotely (distance work);
• All the deadlines for submission of declarations have been changed (annual declaration can be submitted till July 01, 2020), cash register installation has been postponed (from October 01, 2020, to January 01, 2021, for those who sell technically sophisticated production and medicines, or whose income exceeds 1 mln. UAH) and extended through April 01, 2021, for other business entities (if they accept cash, bank cards).
• Persons, who fail to comply with the new regulation can be fined (17000 – 34000 UAH), plus criminal liability may be applied;
• PEs are relieved from the duty to pay the social tax (for March and April);
• No fine is applied in case the entity fails to pay in full or in time the social tax in March and April;
• No inspections by the state authorities, that were not preliminarily scheduled till May 31, 2020 (except for the pricing policy inspection, sanitary control).
For more details and how the new rules will affect your business, please contact our business administration team.

Countries of Visa-Free Regime
Under the Ukrainian legislation, the visa-free entry regime, or non-visa regime, implies that nationals of the list below do not have to obtain a visa to enter Ukraine.
Citizens of the countries below are allowed to stay on the territory of Ukraine without a visa for up to 90 days within 180 days term. If the trip is planned for more than 90 days, the foreigner shall get a long-term D-type visa.
Visa-free regime applies to citizens of the following countries:
Albania
Andorra
Antigua and Barbuda
Argentina
Austria
Belgium
Bosnia and Herzegovina*
Brazil
Brunei Darussalam*
Bulgaria
Canada
Chile
Croatia
Cyprus
Czech Republic
Denmark
Estonia
Finland
France
Germany
Greece
The Holy See
Hong Kong (China)*
Hungary
Iceland
Ireland
Israel
Italy
Japan
Kazakhstan
Kyrgyzstan
Latvia
Lichtenstein
Lithuania
Luxemburg
Macedonia
Malta
Monaco
Montenegro
Netherlands
Norway
Panama
Paraguay
Poland
Portugal
Qatar
Republic of Korea
Romania
Saint Kitts and Nevis
San Marino
Serbia*
Slovakia
Slovenia
Spain
Sweden
Switzerland
Tajikistan
Turkey
UAE
UK
Uruguay
USA
* Please note some countries have specifics, e.g. for citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia visa-free stay on the territory of Ukraine is allowed for up to 30 days during 60 days term; for citizens of Brunei Darussalam – up to 30 days; for citizens of Hong Kong – up to 14 days.
Pursuant to the Ukrainian visa regulations, citizens of a number of countries may stay in Ukraine for not more than 90 days within 180 days term and are exempt from the obligation to obtain any visa type to enter Ukraine (business visa or spouse visa for further residency). 8 countries fall under this rule: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova, Mongolia (only for service, tourist, private trips), Russian Federation, Uzbekistan.
Ukrainian visa rules also allow citizens – holders of diplomatic or service passports from different countries to enter Ukraine without obtaining a visa.
See also: Non-visa stay in Ukraine. 90 days rule.

Temporary residency in Ukraine
The legislation on obtaining a temporary residence permit and what you should know about that.
Usually, foreigners from the EU, USA, UK, Canada, South Korea, Turkey and some other countries have the right to stay legally in Ukraine without any visa (90 calendar days during 180 day-term). To find out more about visa-free countries please follow this link. Citizens of other countries who intend to stay temporarily in Ukraine need a visa. The list of countries, whose citizens need to obtain a visa to enter Ukraine, please see here.
The procedure of calculating the 90-day visa-free stay in Ukraine follows the relevant rules. You can get more information about it here.
So, how to extend your stay in Ukraine for more than 90 days?
The answer is simple – to obtain a temporary residence permit in Ukraine.
The temporary residence permit is an official document that gives the right to stay in Ukraine legally, as well as to leave the territory of Ukraine and return to Ukraine for an unlimited number of times during its validity, with the right to extend it. The validity of a temporary residence permit varies – from several months to several years. For example, 3-year valid permits are issued in case of work or a long-lasting international project, etc.
Current Ukrainian legislation provides the following list of reasons for a temporary residence permit:
♦ official employment;
♦ participation in international technical support projects (such projects must be registered);
♦ religious activity based on the invitation from a religious organization (officially registered, with а permission to involve foreigners);
♦ participation in activities of representative offices and other structural units of foreign non-governmental organizations;
♦ work in representative offices of foreign business entities or representative offices / branches of foreign banks;
♦ international cultural, educational or scientific activities under international contracts of Ukraine or specific programs, participation in international or regional volunteer programs, as well as participation in work of Ukrainian volunteer organizations (a special list of such organizations is approved by the government);
♦ study in Ukraine (not intended but already arranged);
♦ work as a correspondent or a representative of foreign media;
♦ investing at least 100 thousand euros in business in Ukraine;
♦ marriage with a citizen of Ukraine;
♦ family reunification with citizens of Ukraine or persons legally residing on the territory of Ukraine (holders of a temporary or permanent residence permit).
Before applying for a temporary residence permit, the applicant (if not a citizen of a visa-free country) will have to get a D-type visa (read more about visas to Ukraine).
A Temporary Residence Permit Due to Employment in Ukraine
The most common and transparent way is official employment in Ukraine. Any foreigner has a right to be employed in Ukraine if they obtain a work permit in accordance with the legislation of Ukraine. After receiving a work permit, a foreign citizen is eligible to apply for a temporary residence permit in Ukraine. The permit is issued for a term of validity of the work permit of a foreigner (and it can be up to three years).
Being an Employee versus Registering One’s Own Business
Using employment at a company as a means of legalizing the stay in Ukraine does have certain risks. The foreigner is dependent on the employer and can lose the residency right in case of dismissal from the position. The employment as the ground to legalize the stay in Ukraine is much easier and safer for those foreigners, who register their own business in Ukraine and hold a position of the director or a deputy director of their own company. By using this method, potential investors and foreigners who intend to run a business in Ukraine (no matter how big or small) won’t have any problems maintaining a temporary residence in Ukraine for as long as they need.
Family Reunification and Marriage
Family reunification is another reason for a temporary residence permit. This can include reunification with parents, a spouse who is Ukrainian and those persons who have already obtained permission to stay legally in Ukraine. For instance, if a foreigner has started a business in Ukraine, received a work permit and a temporary residence permit, then his/her family may join him and acquire legal status in Ukraine without a need to obtain a work permit or some other legal grounds for staying in Ukraine.
For residence permits based on family reunification, applicants need to apply for a D-type visa and afterward – for a temporary residency. That is how family reunification works. It is much easier to obtain residency if you have some family ties in Ukraine, for example, marriage to a Ukrainian, having a child who is a citizen of Ukraine or having relatives who are (were) Ukrainians or were born on the territory of Ukraine. The existence of family connections must be verified (through marriage certificate, birth certificate, etc.). If such documents are obtained abroad, please pay attention to the rules of legalization and apostillation of the documents issued in a foreign country for their further legal use in Ukraine. A temporary residence permit for family reunification is issued for a period of 1 year with the right to extend it.
When the marriage with a citizen of Ukraine lasts for more than 2 years, a foreigner has the right to obtain a permanent residence permit in Ukraine.
Education in Ukraine – an Opportunity for Getting a Temporary Residence Permit
A temporary residence permit can be issued to foreigners, who come to Ukraine for study at Ukrainian universities and colleges. The list of accredited Ukrainian universities and colleges is available on the website of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine.
A foreigner, who intends to study in Ukraine and get a temporary residence permit based on studying, has to receive an invitation from the Ukrainian university registered with the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine.
It is also important to check whether all the documents for studying comply with the rules of legalization and the apostilling for their future use in Ukraine.
Based on the invitation for studying in Ukraine, a foreigner gets a D-type visa at the Consulate of Ukraine located abroad. Afterward, all the necessary documents must be filed with the State Migration Service of Ukraine for temporary residence permit issuing.
Submitted documents shall confirm the fact of studying in Ukraine (duly certified copies of the university admission order with studying term details of such foreign student) and the university’s obligement to inform the State Migration Service of Ukraine in the event of student’s expulsion.
Temporary residence permit validity depends on the study term of such foreign student in Ukraine. Usually, this kind of a temporary residence permit is valid for up to 1 year, and after the expiration date, it can be prolonged (or exchanged) based on a new document confirming the fact of studying in Ukraine. There is no need to get a new D-type visa if the legal deadline for prolongation (or exchanging) of the temporary residence permit is met.
Documents for temporary residence permit exchange have to be filed at the latest 15 working days before the end of the studying term, specified in the university’s admission order of the foreign student.
Temporary Residence Permit for Overseas Journalists
Foreigners, working as journalists at the foreign mass media outlets can obtain a temporary residence permit, if they arrive in Ukraine for work, and have the letter from their employer – foreign mass media outlets.
The procedure of the issue of the temporary residence permit for the overseas journalist includes the following steps:
1. Obtaining a D-type visa based on the letter from the foreign mass media.
2. Filing a request to the Ministry of Information Policy of Ukraine with letter from the foreign mass media regarding the application to the State Migration Service of Ukraine for a temporary residence permit.
Please note the specific requirements for the foreign mass media request filed to the Ministry of Information Policy of Ukraine for receiving the application to the State Migration Service of Ukraine.
3. Submitting the documents to the State Migration Service of Ukraine, including the foreign mass media request on the issue of the temporary residence permit.
Usually, a temporary residence permit for the overseas journalist is valid for up to 1 year with the right to prolong it.
Temporary Residence Permit for Overseas Sportsmen and Cultural Workers
Ukrainian legislation also allows foreigners to get a temporary residence permit due to cultural, scientific, and educational activities. When foreigners arrive in Ukraine, they need to obtain the petition (application) from the corresponding state authority. Such activity (cultural, scientific, educational, etc.) has to be specified in international treaties between the Government of Ukraine and the government of such foreign country of citizenship or has to be foreseen at the specific state programs.
As an example, the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports can invite a foreigner for professional sports activities in Ukraine, or a foreign cultural worker can arrive in Ukraine upon the invitation of the Ministry of Culture of Ukraine and then obtain a temporary residence permit on this ground.
Moreover, foreign volunteers have the possibility of getting a temporary residence permit in Ukraine for volunteer programs, but only if they have the corresponding invitation from a volunteer organization, registered by the Ministry of Social Politics of Ukraine. Temporary residence permit issued for overseas volunteers, sportsmen, scientific and cultural workers is valid for up to 1 year.
To sum up, obtaining a temporary residence permit in Ukraine grants foreigners rights to stay within the territory of Ukraine, leave and enter the country whenever needed, work, study, and receive state services within the validity term of their temporary residence permit. However, foreign citizens, willing to get legal status in Ukraine, need to remember that any breach of Ukrainian laws related to the foreigner’s legal status (including overstaying in the country, providing the forged documents, or false information) may result in forced expulsion from Ukraine and a ban on re-entering.

90 day stay in Ukraine
How to count 90 days stay in Ukraine?
Nowadays, Ukrainians enjoy a visa-free regime for traveling to the EU, which has become a prominent event for the Ukrainian society a while ago. From the other side, Ukraine grants a right to the nationals of the European Union member countries and many other countries for visa-free entry. (Please check the list of visa-free states here). At the same time, oftener stories and more questions occur related to troubles of foreigners violating the laws of Ukraine in the sphere of border crossing, due to misinformation. Let us make a sense of it.
Ukrainian guests are getting concerned that they will be banned from entering Ukraine because of the so-called ‘overstay’. These difficulties are related to the requirements of the EU, the Security Service of Ukraine in order to guarantee that the foreigner stays in Ukraine legally and is not dangerous neither to Ukraine nor to its EU-partners. Therefore, more foreigners are being denied entry or even banned to enter Ukraine. The establishment of entry regulations for Russian nationals is a vivid example of the Ukrainian government seeking to tighten control over the Ukrainian border.
1. What is an overstay and how it occurs? And how to calculate 90 days of stay in Ukraine?
According to Ukrainian legislation, the citizens of many countries have a right to stay in the territory of Ukraine without obtaining a visa for 90 days within the 180-days term. How is it calculated?
1. The specific date of control must be chosen. For example, it may be the date of planned entry to or departure from Ukraine (when the journey happened).
2. Starting from this date, one has to count down 180 days (back). Only within this period, the foreigner may legally stay in Ukraine for 90 days without obtaining a visa.
3. Next is to check 90 “visa-free” days within this 180 days. The foreigner has to count the days of stay by the stamps of entry and departure from Ukraine indicated in the passport documents.
If the foreigner counts more than 90 days of stay within the 180-days term, it means that the law has been violated and the ‘overstay’ occurred.
You can easily check your days of stay here using the migration calculator. Please refer: https://dmsu.gov.ua/en-home/e-services/duration-of-stay-calculation.html
2. What happens if the foreigner has overstayed?
This information is easily checked at the border control. Please take note, nowadays the border control system allows combining information on foreigners using two passports of the same country.
According to article 203 of the Code of Administrative Offences of Ukraine, the foreigner will be fined for 1700-5100 UAH.
The overstay is not covered by the fine, therefore, the foreigner will have to wait 90 days before re-entering Ukraine. Moreover, a foreigner may also be banned from entering Ukraine.
3. How to stay in Ukraine for more than 90 days?
As per Ukrainian legislation, there are several ways to stay in Ukraine for more than 90 days for non-Ukrainian citizens:
1) get a temporary residency;
2) get a permanent residency;
3) extend a stay in Ukraine up to 180 days.
More about residency in Ukraine
Using one of the given ways a foreigner may enter and leave Ukraine legally (for some period or constantly) with no limitations. For those, who consider obtaining one of the aforementioned statuses without breaching border rules before applying, it is also worth noting that you will have to cross the border before getting one of them.
4. What to expect in the future?
The border crossing regime is not getting easier. We expect new rules to be introduced for Russian citizens visiting Ukraine. More foreigners are currently seeking legal status in Ukraine due to the political situation in the neighboring countries. The situation in the East of Ukraine though makes the issue more complicated, as well as the requirement of EU policies that Ukraine has undertaken to perform.

Visa D to Ukraine
How to get D type Visa in Ukraine?
THE NEW RULES ARE NOT BEING APPLIED NOW AND WILL NOT COME INTO FORCE IN THE IMMEDIATE FUTURE.
Under these rules, foreigners from countries that ratified the Visa Waiver Treaties with Ukraine (listed below) will not have to leave the territory of Ukraine to get a long-term visa (D type visa). Read more about the D type visa here. Since June , 2019, D type visa will be issued at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Department of Consular Service) in Kyiv as well as at the Consulate of Ukraine abroad.
We kindly remind that D type visa is required for those foreigners who intend to get residency in Ukraine. A long-term visa is used for getting temporary and permanent residence permits.
The procedure of getting D type visa is simplified only for those foreigners who plan to obtain a temporary residence permit in Ukraine on the following grounds:
– employment;
– participation in international technical assistance projects;
– employment at representative offices of foreign businesses in Ukraine;
– employment at branches or representative offices of foreign banks;
– implementation of cultural, scientific, educational activities on the grounds and in the manner prescribed by the international agreements of Ukraine or special programs, as well as participation in the international and regional volunteer programs, or activities of voluntary organizations registered in Ukraine;
– in cases when a foreigner is a founder or participant or beneficiary owner (controller) of a legal entity registered in Ukraine and whose share is not less than 100 thousand euros;
– education.
Unfortunately, simplification of procedure does not appeal to the issuance of D type visa on the ground of family reunification (foreigners who arrive in Ukraine for reunification either with persons who are Ukrainian nationals or foreigners who’ve got a temporary residence permit and are legally staying within the territory of Ukraine).
The list of documents required for visa remains unchanged (more info here). For a Long-term visa – a work permit, an invitation from a university, an invitation from an international NGO are the documents, confirming the purpose of the trip.
Visa fee under new rules
To issue a long-term visa without leaving Ukraine, a foreigner shall pay approximately 97 USD within regular service (194 USD within expedited service) that is more expensive than issuance in the Consulate of Ukraine abroad (within regular service — 65 USD).
Visa processing time
Up to 10 working days from the day of application within regular service. Up to 5 working days from the day of application within expedited service.
Countries that ratified the Visa Waiver Treaties with Ukraine:
• Albania;
• Andorra;
• Antigua and Barbuda;
• Argentina;
• Austria;
• Belgium;
• Bosnia and Herzegovina;
• Brazil;
• Brunei Darussalam;
• Bulgaria;
• Canada;
• Chile;
• Croatia;
• Cyprus;
• Czech Republic;
• Denmark;
• Estonia;
• Finland;
• France;
• Germany;
• Greece;
• Hong Kong;
• Hungary;
• Iceland;
• Ireland;
• Israel;
• Italy;
• Japan;
• Kazakhstan;
• Latvia;
• Lichtenstein;
• Lithuania;
• Luxemburg;
• Macedonia;
• Malta;
• Monaco;
• Montenegro;
• Netherlands;
• Norway;
• Panama;
• Paraguay;
• Poland;
• Portugal;
• Qatar;
• Republic of Korea;
• Romania;
• Saint Kitts and Nevis;
• San Marino;
• Serbia;
• Slovakia;
• Slovenia;
• Spain;
• Sweden;
• Switzerland;
• Tajikistan;
• Turkey;
• UAE;
• UK;
• USA.

Non-visa stay in Ukraine
Nowadays, Ukrainians enjoy a visa-free regime for traveling to the EU, which has become a prominent event for the Ukrainian society a while ago. From the other side, Ukraine grants a right to the nationals of the European Union member countries and many other countries for visa-free entry. Please check the list of visa-free states here.
At the same time, oftener stories and more questions occur related to troubles of foreigners violating the laws of Ukraine in the sphere of border crossing , due to misinformation. Let us make a sense of it.
Ukrainian guests are getting concerned that they will be banned from entering Ukraine because of the so-called “overstay”. These difficulties are related to the requirements of the EU, the Security Service of Ukraine in order to guarantee that the foreigner stays in Ukraine legally and is not dangerous neither to Ukraine nor to its EU-partners. Therefore, more foreigners are being denied entry or even banned to enter Ukraine. The establishment of entry regulations for Russian nationals is a vivid example of the Ukrainian government seeking to tighten control over the Ukrainian border.
1. What is an overstay and how it occurs?
According to Ukrainian legislation, the citizens of many countries have a right to stay within the territory of Ukraine without obtaining a visa for 90 days within 180 days. How is it calculated? The officials take a specific date and count down 180 days back. After that, they check whether you have used 90 “visa-free” days within this term. If so and you are still in Ukraine it means you have violated the law and “overstayed”. You can easily check your “number of days” here.
2. What happens if the foreigner has overstayed?
This information is easily checked at the border control. Please take note, nowadays the border control system allows combining information on foreigners using two passports of the same country. According to article 203 of the Code of Administrative Offences of Ukraine, the foreigner will be fined 1700-5100 UAH for it.
The overstay is not covered by the fine, therefore, the foreigner will have to wait 90 days before re-entering Ukraine. Moreover, a foreigner may also be banned from entering Ukraine.
3. How to stay in Ukraine for more than 90 days?
As per Ukrainian legislation, there are several ways to stay in Ukraine for more than 90 days for non-Ukrainian citizens:
1) get a temporary residency;
2) get a permanent residency;
3) extend a stay in Ukraine up to 180 days.
More about residency in Ukraine.
Using one of the given ways a foreigner may enter and leave Ukraine legally (for some period or constantly) with no limitations. For those who consider obtaining one of the aforementioned statuses without breaching border rules before applying, it is also worth noting, that you will have to cross the border before getting one of them.
4. What to expect in the future?
The border crossing regime is not getting easier. We expect new rules to be introduced for Russian citizens visiting Ukraine. More foreigners are currently seeking legal status in Ukraine due to the political situation in the neighboring countries. The situation in the East of Ukraine though makes the issue more complicated as well as the requirement of EU policies that Ukraine has undertaken to perform.

Visa regime countries
Citizens of countries with a visa regime of entry may stay in Ukraine only on the basis of a visa (short- or long-term) obtained at the Ukrainian consulate abroad. More about visa types.
Ukraine has established a visa regime of entry for nationals of the following countries:
Australia
Algeria
Angola
Afghanistan
Bahamas
Bangladesh
Barbados
Bahrain
Belize
Benin
Bolivia
Botswana
Burkina Faso
Burundi
Butane
Vanuatu
Venezuela
Vietnam
Gabon
Guyana
The Gambia
Ghana
Guatemala
Guinea
Guinea-Bissau
Honduras
Grenada
Djibouti
Dominica (Commonwealth)
Dominican Republic
Ecuador
Equatorial Guinea
Eritrea
Ethiopia
Egypt
Yemen
Zambia
Zimbabwe
India
Indonesia
Iraq
Iran
Haiti
Jordan
Cape Verde
Cambodia
Cameroon
Kenya
China (PRC)
DPRK
Colombia
Congo (Democratic Republic)
Congo (People’s Republic)
Costa Rica
Ivory Coast
Cuba
Kuwait
Laos
Liberia
Lebanon
Libya
Lesotho
Mauritius
Madagascar
Malaysia
Malawi
Mali
Morocco
Mexico
Mozambique
Myanmar
Namibia
Nepal
Nigeria
Niger
Nicaragua
New Zealand
Oman
Pakistan
Palestine
Papua New Guinea
Peru
South Africa
Puerto Rico
Rwanda
El Salvador
Sao Tome and Principe
Saudi Arabia
Swaziland
Senegal
Sierra Leone
Syria
Singapore
Sudan
Thailand
Tanzania
Timor-Leste
Togo
Tunisia
Turkmenistan
Uganda
Uruguay
Philippines
Central African Republic
Chad
Sri Lanka
Jamaica

Marriage in Ukraine
What is “marriage” as per Ukrainian legislation?
As per Ukrainian legislation, marriage is a willful, equal right union of a man and a woman aiming to create a family, registered by the authority of the state registration of civil status acts (Registrar).
A man and a woman residing as one family without marriage are not considered to be spouses.
Legal regulation of marriage
The law of Ukraine defines the procedure of marriage registration in Ukraine between a citizen of Ukraine and a foreigner or a stateless person as well as a marriage between foreigners or stateless persons.
As per current law, foreigners and stateless persons have equal rights and obligations regarding marriage and family relations as well as citizens of Ukraine.
What conditions should be observed for marriage?
According to the law, the marriage procedure in Ukraine is not complicated. It is necessary to comply with the following conditions to register a marriage in Ukraine:
– a bride and a groom should be of the marriage age (18 years old, a right to marry can also be obtained by a court decision – following the petition filed by persons who are of the age of 16);
– a bride and a groom should not be married to another person;
– no other drawbacks for a marriage, such as: marriage between siblings is forbidden, between relatives of direct line ascending, between an adoptive parent and adoptive child).
Documents you need for marriage in Ukraine
When compared to a marriage between Ukrainian citizens, a marriage procedure with the foreign citizens in Ukraine is far more complicated.
Foreigners willing to register their marriage in Ukraine have to provide the Registrar (department of the Ministry of Justice) with the following documents:
1. Original passport or other specified documents (with a notion, confirming the legality of their stay atin the territory of Ukraine, unless otherwise provided by the current Ukrainian legislation).
2. If the foreigner’s passport doesn’t contain information about his marital status, the foreigner should submit the legalized certificate, confirming that he is not married, issued by the authorized body in a country of his origin with a translation into the Ukrainian language.
3. Foreign citizens, who were previously married, will be able to register a repeated marriage only if they provide documents confirming the termination of their previous marriage. For example, a court decision of marriage dissolution, if it is final, a certificate of marriage dissolution, a spouse’s death certificate, or other documents confirming the termination of a previous marriage, provided for by foreign legislation. Such documents must be issued by the authorized body and appropriately legalized with a further translation into the Ukrainian language.
The procedure of marriage registration with foreign citizens
The procedure of marriage registration for foreigners in Ukraine is as follows:
1. Personal application submitting to the Registrar. In case, the person attempting to enter into marriage is not able to submit an application personally for valid reasons, his/her signature upon the application must be notarized. A notarized application shall be submitted by a representative acting on the grounds of a notarized power of attorney.
2. The Registrar accepts the application, explains to the applicants their rights and obligations, the procedure of marriage registration, duty to provide the correct information and the outcomes of the submitting of false information.
3. The actual date of marriage registration is appointed on the grounds of agreement with the applicants. Generally, a marriage with a foreigner shall be registered in 1 (one) month after the application. Earlier marriage registration shall be performed for valid reasons, confirmed by the documents (pregnancy, serious illness, etc.)
4. Marriage is registered in the presence of both applicants.
The procedure of check of the foreigner’s legality of stay in Ukraine
The principal point, which is vital for marriage registration with the foreign citizen, is that a foreigner must stay in Ukraine legally as of the day of marriage registration.
After obtaining all the above-mentioned documents, the Head of the Registrar subdivision shall send a request to the State migration service verifying whether a foreigner’s stay in Ukraine is legal and finding out the number of days, he has before leaving Ukraine.
Based on the inspection results the State migration service issues a conclusion on a legal stay of foreign citizens in Ukraine notifying of a number of days he/she stayed in Ukraine legally.
Urgent marriage procedure
A marriage procedure, when a man and a woman willing to marry are citizens of different countries can be both general and urgent.
Since 2016 the project called “Marriage for a day” (Marriage within 24h) has been performed in several cities of Ukraine. The price for such service shall amount to 2 500,00 UAH during working days, and 3 500,00 UAH at weekends and holidays. This price also includes the payment for Registrar services and the state fee.
For an urgent marriage procedure, it is necessary to conclude an agreement with an institutor (commonly it is a state institution) and submit a general application for marriage registration. The future spouses shall apply to the Registrar district subdivision (at the institutor’s location area), where a marriage registration will be carried out only after payment of services and when all necessary documents have been obtained (conclusion issued by the State migration service, receipts, agreement, application form, passport translation).
After a marriage registration, a married couple obtains the marriage certificate.
Visa agreement procedure after marriage
After the marriage registration, a foreign citizen, if planning to reside in Ukraine, shall apply for a temporary residence permit. A foreigner should leave Ukraine to obtain a new type “D” visa (on the grounds of a marriage certificate). The purpose of visiting Ukraine shall be family reunification. This procedure (of the re-entering) should be carried out even though a foreigner is a citizen of a country, that ratified the Visa Waiver Treaties with Ukraine.
Permanent residence permit
A marriage with a citizen of Ukraine is a ground for obtaining a residence permit in Ukraine. For two years being married to Ukrainian citizen, a foreigner can get a permanent residence permit, and later – will obtain citizenship of Ukraine.
If a foreigner enters into marriage with a person who is not a citizen of Ukraine but is a foreigner, who has a permanent residence permit, he will be able to obtain such a permit without observing these two years. But for becoming a citizen of Ukraine in such circumstances, a foreigner should wait five years, observing a variety of other conditions.
A Marriage outside of Ukraine
A marriage between a citizen of Ukraine and a foreign citizen, which wass registered outside the territory of Ukraine, is considered to be valid in Ukraine. This marriage should not be registered in Ukraine repeatedly. Though, a marriage certificate issued to a foreigner and a citizen of Ukraine outside its territory should be properly certified (legalized/apostilled) in a country of its consignment and translated into the Ukrainian language with a notarization.
Dissolution of marriage
A marriage can be dissolved in a judicial or non-judicial manner (through the offices of the Registrar) depending on certain circumstances (common children and their age, parties’ motivation, definiteness with children, alimony, and division of property matters).
Division of Conjoint property
A property that has been acquired by the spouses in marriage belongs to both wife and husband on the joint ownership title.
Usually, in case of marriage dissolution, a spouses’ property is divided between them into equal parts. At the same time, the separate private property of a wife or a husband is: a property acquired: before marriage, in marriage but on the grounds of a gift agreement or as an inheritance, in marriage but purchased with his/her own money, an apartment or a land property purchased as a result of privatization.
Marriage contract
A married couple may conclude a marriage contract. This contract can be concluded both before and after marriage registration (in this case a marriage contract shall be valid as of the day of marriage registration) and shall be notarized. A marriage contract regulates spouses’ property relations, defines their property rights and obligations.

How to extend visa in Ukraine?
Any foreign citizen, who comes for a visit to Ukraine can stay in Ukraine either for the term specified in a visa or for 90 days visa-free term (for the citizens of countries that ratified the Visa Waiver Treaties with Ukraine). In both cases, a foreign citizen can stay in Ukraine for a maximum of 90 days within the last 180 days’ period.
How to calculate 90 days of stay in Ukraine properly?
When this 90 days term expires foreign citizen has two options:
1) leave Ukraine with the right to re-enter after 90 days period;
2) extend a stay in Ukraine.
Legislation of Ukraine provides the following options for the extension of stay of any foreign citizen:
1) get temporary residence permit;
2) get permanent residence permit;
3) to be granted a decision by migration service office on permission to extend the stay on the territory of Ukraine.
Such a decision (3) shall be granted only when there are serious grounds, such as illness, pregnancy or childbearing, illness of the family member who has to be taken care of, waiting for the official documents being issued (such as immigration permit, obtainment of the citizenship of Ukraine, etc.), force majeure events that do not allow to leave Ukraine within the legally permitted terms of stay. All the aforesaid facts have to be supported with the respective documents.
The application for extension of stay on the territory of Ukraine shall be submitted to the local migration service office and, what is important, at least three days before the expiry of the visa or 90 days’ term. The special stamp is inserted in the passport when the migration service body grants with the decision on the extension of the term of stay on the territory of Ukraine. The maximum period of extension is 90 calendar days. If you leave Ukraine before the 90 days term, you will not be permitted to re-enter Ukraine, so you will have to either wait for 90 days or get the new visa.

New rules for LLC in Ukraine
The new law of Ukraine that came into effect on June 17 changes the regulations of the Limited Liability Companies activity in Ukraine
Due to new rules, all limited liability companies have 1 year to amend the constitutional documents as per the new requirements.
What are the changes?
The new law makes the Articles of Association (Charter of the company) shorter. From now on this document has to contain only the provisions on the name of the company, governing bodies and their competence, the procedure of the entry/exit for the members. All the rest can be omitted from the Charter.
The law heavily amends voting procedures.: Important issues must be voted unanimously by all members of the company, such as redistribution of shares, approval of the member’s contribution value (in a non-monetary form), the number of votes necessary for approval. Making amendments to the constitutional documents, increase/decrease of the authorized capital amount shall be supported by 75% of votes, but this number can be changed by unanimous decision of all members.
It also gets more difficult to leave the company for a member holding 50 and more percent of the limited liability company’s share. Such action must be supported by all the other members.
It is worth noting that the member of the company can’t be expelled from the company except for the case he/she fails to contribute in full.
Even though all business entities were given one year to amend the constitutional documents, all of us have to obey the requirements of the new law now.
Therefore, please check how these new rules impact your business and make sure you are well-prepared in advance.
Planning to set up a business in Ukraine? Read our article regarding on the first steps.

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.

Entry into Ukraine during the COVID-19 restrictions mitigation
The authorities of Ukraine have begun the gradual easing of COVID-19 quarantine measures.All foreign citizens are now allowed to enter Ukraine having proper medical insurance and after passing the observation (if travelling from the countries with a high prevalence of COVID-19).
On June 12, 2020, the Resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine No. 477 repealed the order of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine on the temporary ban on entry of foreigners into Ukraine.
Another Resolution of the CMU, under No. 480, stipulates that foreigners entering the territory of Ukraine, need to have appropriate medical insurance to cover the costs related to COVID-19 treatment. For citizens coming from the countries with significant coronavirus infection spread, the observation shall be required. Please note the foreigners with the PRP (permanent residence permit) as well as the persons recognized as refugees or persons in need of additional protection don’t need such medical insurance. But the foreigners with the TRP (temporary residence permit) need the medical insurance to cover the costs related to COVID-19 treatment.
The Ukrainian Government determined that obligatory observation must be required from the citizens of (or arriving from) the countries with a high incidence of COVID-19.
Countries with a high incidence of COVID-19 are the states where the number of active cases of COVID-19 is more than 40 people per 100 thousand population. The list of such states will be provided to the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine every 3 days by the Ministry of Health of Ukraine.
Therefore, foreign citizens are permitted to enter Ukraine from the day of Resolutions No. 477 and No. 480 entry into legal force, if having legal grounds for such visit and ready to comply with sanitary and epidemiological norms.
Not subject to observation are those citizens of the countries with a high incidence of COVID-19, that have not been on the territory of these states for at least the last 14 days, as well as the employees of diplomatic missions and consular posts of foreign countries, members of official international missions, organizations accredited in Ukraine, their members, families, drivers and crew members of freight vehicles, crew members of aircraft and ships, river vessels, members of train and locomotive crews, participants of external independent evaluation, each accompanied by one person, if there is no reason to believe that they were in contact with a person infected with COVID-19. Furthermore, the persons who gave consent to enter into self-isolation by means of the electronic service “ДІЙ вдома” (Act at Home) [DIY vdoma] are not subject to obligatory observation.
Please click here for more information on the electronic service ДІЙ вдома / DIY vdoma (Act at Home app) and self-isolation rules and regulations in Ukraine.

Early Withdrawal from Self-Isolation
On June 25, 2020, the Resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine No. 522 repealed the Order No. 392 on self-isolation or mandatory observation for foreign citizens entering the territory of Ukraine.
The Resolution stipulates that foreigners who were tested negative by means of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for COVID-19 can be released from self-isolation or observation.
A foreigner who came from a country with a high prevalence of coronavirus infection has to take a test after crossing the border, then immediately move to expected self-isolation or observation location and after a negative test result, the foreigner can cease isolation at once.
According to the information provided at the hotline of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine, the procedure for ceasing isolation is as follows:
After the Act at Home [DIY vdoma / Дій вдома] application installed and the appropriate geolocation evidenced, you need to take a PCR test at one of the accredited private clinics. Please find out if a clinic has a mobile medical team, if so you have to call them.
If the clinic does not provide a mobile medical team, you need to call 102 to report that you are in self-isolation, and you need to go to the hospital to pass a PCR test to quit self-isolation. This message is necessary in order to record the fact of departure, for no fine to be imposed.
Please notify the medical workers at the clinic of your intention to take a PCR test to be released from isolation (you will be given a special medical form to be completed). After the PCR test has been passed, the clinic sends the test results to the public health center, which in turn resends it to the Ministry of Health. Within 5 days, you will receive a message from the Ministry of your self-isolation release (if tested negative for COVID-19).
Despite aforementioned, all the foreigners entering Ukraine are obliged to have appropriate medical insurance to cover the costs for treatment of COVID-19 (in case if any).
On a positive note, if a foreigner comes from a country with the nonsignificant spread of infection, she/he does not need to be observed.
Worth noting, not subject to observation are those citizens of the countries with a high incidence of COVID-19, that have not been in the territory of these states during the last 14 days, as well as the employees of diplomatic missions and consular posts of foreign countries, members of official international missions, organizations accredited in Ukraine, their members, families, drivers and crew members of freight vehicles, crew members of aircraft and ships, river vessels, members of train and locomotive crews, participants of external independent evaluation, each accompanied by one person, if there is no reason to believe that they were in contact with a person infected with COVID-19. Also, the persons who gave consent to self-isolate using the Act at Home application are not subject to observation.
Besides, no self-isolation is necessary for the foreigners with the residence permit, both permanent and temporary, as well as the persons with the refugee status, and persons in need of protection, who are already based on the territory of Ukraine.