Work Permit in Ukraine for Foreign Companies
A work permit is obtained by the Ukrainian employer, not by the foreign employee. The State Employment Service normally decides on an initial application within seven working days, but the company should first confirm whether the employee falls within a permit category, qualifies for an exemption, and needs a temporary residence permit for the planned stay.
For international groups, the correct route depends on the deployment model: local employment, secondment, intra-corporate transfer, or work through a registered branch or representative office. Permit, contract, immigration, and post-issuance compliance timelines should be planned together.
This article is intended for foreign nationals planning to work or take up a management role in Ukraine, as well as international companies and their HR and legal teams arranging local employment, secondment, or an intra-corporate transfer.
1. When a Work Permit Is Required
2. Who Makes the Application
3. Required Documents
4. Processing Time, Validity, and Fees
5. Connecting the Work Permit to Temporary Residence
6. Employer Obligations After the Permit Is Issued
7. Risks and Penalties
8. Pre-Deployment Compliance Checklist
Frequently Asked Questions
How DLF Can Help
1. When a Work Permit Is Required
Ukraine’s Law on Employment of the Population provides for permits for six categories:
- Foreign hired employees, including gig-contract workers.
- Seconded foreign workers assigned by a foreign employer to perform work or services in Ukraine under a foreign trade agreement.
- Intra-corporate transferees relocated to Ukraine within a corporate group.
- Applicants in refugee or additional-protection procedures, including persons appealing a refusal.
- Applicants for recognition as stateless persons, including persons appealing a refusal.
- Foreign students working during their studies or after completion under the conditions set by law.
The current law does not impose a separate enhanced salary threshold specifically for foreign hired employees. Remuneration must comply with general Ukrainian labour law and the agreed employment or gig-contract terms.
Who Does Not Need a Work Permit
The statutory exemptions most relevant to international businesses include:
- permanent residents of Ukraine;
- recognised refugees, persons with an immigration permit, and persons granted additional or temporary protection;
- employees of branches and representative offices of foreign legal entities registered in Ukraine;
- accredited employees of foreign media;
- professional athletes, artists, and arts professionals;
- participants in registered international technical-assistance projects;
- invited teaching and research staff at Ukrainian educational institutions;
- representatives of foreign shipping companies and airlines servicing those companies in Ukraine.
- foreign nationals recognised as stateless persons;
- employees of emergency and rescue services engaged to perform urgent work;
- foreign clergy temporarily staying in Ukraine at the invitation of religious organisations to carry out canonical activities.
A registered branch or representative office can therefore materially change the permit analysis. The exemption applies to employees of that registered foreign legal entity structure; it should not be automatically extended to employees of a Ukrainian subsidiary or another group company.
2. Who Makes the Application
The employer — a legal entity or individual entrepreneur registered in Ukraine — files the application. The foreign employee is not the applicant.
Applications are submitted to the territorial body of the State Employment Service. The law allows filing in person, through an authorised representative, by registered post with an inventory of enclosures, through the employer’s electronic account, a Ukrainian administrative service centre, or state online services where technically available.
Security clearance for Russian, Belarusian, and other designated nationals: issuance and extension require approval from the regional office of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU). The normal processing period is extended until approval or refusal is received, and an SBU refusal is a statutory ground for refusing the permit.
A foreign employee may work part-time for the same employer without a separate permit if the part-time contract does not run longer than the main permit.
3. Required Documents
The base package for a foreign hired employee includes:
- the prescribed application form;
- one colour photograph, 3.5 × 4.5 cm;
- copies of the passport pages containing personal data, together with a duly certified Ukrainian translation;
- a draft employment agreement, employment contract, or gig contract certified by the employer;
- proof of payment of the permit fee.
For seconded workers: a copy of the foreign trade agreement between the Ukrainian and foreign businesses, plus evidence of the employee’s employment relationship with the foreign employer.
For intra-corporate transferees: a copy of the foreign company’s transfer decision and a copy of the employment agreement with the Ukrainian employer.
For students: a copy of the enrolment and study-period order, the educational institution’s written consent, a copy of the temporary residence permit, and the relevant education document.
Documents issued abroad must be legalised unless an applicable international treaty provides otherwise. Documents in a foreign language must be translated into Ukrainian, and the translator’s signature must be notarised.
An incomplete or non-compliant file may be left without movement, with a period provided to correct the deficiencies. An obvious technical error that does not distort the document’s meaning is not, by itself, a ground to suspend review.
4. Processing Time, Validity, and Fees
The statutory decision periods are:
- up to 7 working days for initial issuance;
- up to 3 working days for extension or amendment.
Maximum permit validity depends on the category:
| Category | Maximum validity |
|---|---|
| Hired employees and gig workers | 2 years |
| Seconded workers | 3 years |
| Intra-corporate transferees | 3 years |
| Applicants in protection or statelessness procedures | 1 year, renewable where the underlying certificate is extended |
| Foreign students | 1 year during the study period |
State fees are multiples of the statutory subsistence minimum for able-bodied persons as at 1 January of the application year. In 2026, this amount is UAH 3,328 (approximately USD 75).
| Permit duration | Multiples | 2026 fee |
|---|---|---|
| Up to 6 months inclusive | 3 | UAH 9,984 (approximately USD 225) |
| More than 6 months and up to 1 year | 5 | UAH 16,640 (approximately USD 375) |
| More than 1 year and up to 2 years | 8 | UAH 26,624 (approximately USD 600) |
| More than 2 years and up to 3 years | 10 | UAH 33,280 (approximately USD 750) |
The extension fee is one subsistence-minimum unit lower than the initial fee for the corresponding period.
Permits are issued and extended free of charge for specified categories, including applicants in protection procedures, eligible foreign students, applicants for recognition as stateless persons, and foreign nationals who directly participated in repelling and deterring Russia’s armed aggression against Ukraine.
The extension application must be filed between 50 and 20 calendar days before expiry. Filing outside this statutory window is a ground for refusal.
Approximate USD equivalents use the National Bank of Ukraine official exchange rate of UAH 44.6173 per USD as at 19 July 2026.
5. Connecting the Work Permit to Temporary Residence
The work permit authorises the employer to employ the foreign national; it does not itself grant a right of residence. The employee separately applies for a temporary residence permit (TRP) through the State Migration Service.
Typical sequence:
- The employer obtains the work permit.
- The employment contract is signed no later than 90 calendar days after permit issuance.
- A certified copy is submitted to the State Employment Service within 10 calendar days after signing.
- The employee applies for a TRP, submitting a copy of the work permit and the employer’s undertaking to notify the migration and employment authorities of early termination.
- The State Migration Service issues the TRP within 15 working days after accepting the documents.
- For employment, the TRP is valid for the period of work stated in the work permit.
The early termination of an employment relationship requires notification of the relevant authorities and results in the revocation of the work permit and the loss of the immigration basis for continued residence.
6. Employer Obligations After the Permit Is Issued
Once the permit is issued, the employer must maintain a compliance calendar:
| Obligation | Deadline or control point |
|---|---|
| Sign the employment contract | No later than 90 calendar days after permit issuance |
| Submit a certified contract copy | Within 10 calendar days after signing |
| Social security contributions | Avoid non-payment for two months after contract signing, subject to statutory exceptions |
| Apply for permit amendments | Within 30 days after a relevant change |
| Notify authorities and initiate withdrawal | When the employment or relevant secondment contract ends |
| Monitor actual work conditions | Role, employer, and duration must remain consistent with the permit |
Changes requiring a permit amendment include the employer’s name or reorganisation, a new passport or name change for the employee, and a job-title change or transfer to another role with the same employer.
Missing the contract-copy deadline, using the employee in a different role or for a different employer, extended non-payment of social contributions, and specified immigration or security events can result in permit withdrawal.
7. Risks and Penalties
Employing a foreign national without a permit where one is required triggers a fine of 20 monthly minimum wages per employee. The 2026 minimum wage is UAH 8,647 (approximately USD 195), so the fine is UAH 172,940 (approximately USD 3,900) per person.
Using foreign labour on conditions different from the permit, or through a different employer, triggers a fine of 10 monthly minimum wages per person.
An administrative fine of 500 to 1,000 tax-free minimum incomes of citizens (UAH 8,500 to 17,000) may be imposed on officials of the employer or on an individual entrepreneur for allowing a foreign national to work without the required permit.
A repeated violation is punishable by a fine of 1,000 to 2,000 tax-free minimum incomes of citizens (UAH 17,000 to 34,000).
Penalties apply separately to each employee. Five employees working without required permits would create exposure of UAH 864,700 (approximately USD 19,400) at 2026 rates.
The permit may be withdrawn, among other reasons, if:
- the certified employment-contract copy is not submitted on time;
- the employment, gig, or secondment agreement ends;
- the employee works on different conditions or for another employer;
- social security contributions remain unpaid for two months;
- a forced-return or expulsion decision is issued;
- a competent authority requests withdrawal due to national-security or public-order concerns.
If inaccurate data that could not have been detected during the application review is later found in the submitted documents, the permit may be declared invalid under a separate administrative procedure.
8. Pre-Deployment Compliance Checklist
Before the foreign employee starts work:
- confirm the employee’s statutory category and whether a permit is required;
- check whether a registered branch or representative office exemption applies;
- identify the correct Ukrainian employer and territorial employment authority;
- prepare the complete base package and category-specific documents;
- legalise foreign documents where required and arrange Ukrainian translations;
- assess the SBU approval route for Russian, Belarusian, or other designated nationals;
- align the permit term with the employment, secondment, or transfer documentation;
- diarise the 90-day contract and 10-day contract-copy deadlines;
- prepare the TRP application and employer undertaking;
- set the extension window from 50 to 20 calendar days before permit expiry.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a foreign company need a Ukrainian entity to obtain a work permit for an employee?
The permit applicant must be a legal entity or individual entrepreneur registered in Ukraine. A foreign company cannot file directly merely because it sends an employee to Ukraine. Depending on the structure, the employee may instead be seconded to a Ukrainian employer or may fall within the exemption for employees of a registered branch or representative office.
Does a foreign director of a Ukrainian company need a work permit?
Generally yes, where the director is employed by a Ukrainian legal entity and no statutory exemption applies. Founder, shareholder, or beneficial-owner status is not a separate work-permit category under the current law, although it may be relevant to the person’s corporate and immigration position.
How long does the full process take in practice?
The statutory decision period is up to seven working days after registration of a compliant initial application. Document preparation, legalisation and translation, SBU clearance for designated nationals, and the separate TRP process add time and should be planned before the intended start date.
What are the consequences of a foreign employee starting work before the permit is issued?
The employer faces a fine of 20 monthly minimum wages for each employee who works without a required permit. At 2026 rates, this is UAH 172,940 (approximately USD 3,900) per person. Officials of the employer or an individual entrepreneur may additionally face an administrative fine of UAH 8,500 to 17,000, or UAH 17,000 to 34,000 for a repeated violation.
How does a secondment to a Ukrainian subsidiary work from a permit perspective?
Seconded workers are a separate permit category. In addition to the base package, the employer submits the foreign trade agreement governing the assignment and evidence of the worker’s employment with the foreign company. The permit may cover the agreement term, up to three years.
What should the employer do if the foreign employee’s role or job title changes after the permit is issued?
The employer must apply to amend the permit within 30 days after a job-title change or transfer to another position with the same employer. Work on conditions different from the permit can lead to withdrawal and a fine of 10 monthly minimum wages per employee.
How DLF Can Help
DLF attorneys-at-law supports foreign companies, investors, and Ukrainian subsidiaries throughout the deployment of foreign personnel in Ukraine. The firm advises on selecting the corporate and employment structure, determining whether a permit or exemption applies, preparing and filing work-permit applications, drafting employment and secondment documents, obtaining temporary residence permits, managing extensions and amendments, and auditing ongoing immigration and employment compliance. Relevant support is provided through DLF’s Labour Law and Corporate Law / M&A practices.
Igor Dronov, Counsel, DLF attorneys-at-law
Contacts: +380 44 384 24 54, info@dlf.ua
This material is for general information purposes. The application of the approaches described depends on the circumstances of each specific situation and requires a separate legal assessment.