Temporary residence permit. Residence permit in Ukraine for foreigners.

How to obtain a residence permit?

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Changes in Ukrainian legislation

In January 2018, amendments affecting the immigration of non-residents to Ukraine came into force. The main ones are:

• A residence permit can be issued in the form of an ID card;
• forms of the old sample remain valid for the entire period for which they were issued;
• the certificate is issued regardless of age; children receive their own document;
• a permanent residence permit certificate must be reissued every 10 years.

Temporary residence permit in Ukraine

A temporary residence permit is issued to foreigners who have reached the age of 16 and who need to stay in Ukraine for a long period — from 6 months to 3 years. During the validity of the residence permit, a non-resident may stay in the country and cross the border an unlimited number of times.

To obtain a residence permit, you must submit an application and a package of documents confirming the grounds for long-term stay in the country to the Migration Service at the place of future registration. Among the main grounds for obtaining a temporary residence permit are employment, study, marriage to a citizen of Ukraine or an immigrant, etc.

At the end of the temporary residence permit’s validity, it can be extended. This should be done if there are grounds to continue staying in Ukraine. They may be the same as at the initial issuance or different. If there is no need to remain in the country beyond the validity of the residence permit, the document must be surrendered to the Migration Service unit that issued it.

Documents required to obtain a residence permit

The package of documents submitted for immigration to Ukraine consists of:

• an application for immigration;
• a copy of an identity document;
• a certificate with information about the place of residence;
• 3 photographs;
• a certificate of family composition;
• a marriage certificate;
• a certificate of no criminal record;
• a certificate that the person does not suffer from chronic alcoholism, drug addiction, substance abuse or infectious diseases listed by the Ministry of Health.

The last two do not need to be submitted by foreigners and stateless persons who: have been married to a Ukrainian for more than two years, are children or parents of a citizen of Ukraine, or can obtain citizenship by territorial origin.

This is a general list of documents. It may be supplemented depending on the category of persons wishing to immigrate:

• cultural and scientific figures (by quota) – a document from a state authority supporting the non-resident’s petition;
• highly qualified specialists and workers in demand by the Ukrainian economy (by quota) – confirmation of qualifications;
• foreign investors – confirmation of investment registration in an amount of at least USD 100,000;
• former citizens of Ukraine – confirmation of Ukrainian nationality;
• close relatives of Ukrainians – confirmation of family ties;
• a spouse, parents, minor children of the applicant – a document confirming family relations with the immigrant, the applicant’s written confirmation of consent to joint immigration and a guarantee of their financial support not less than the subsistence minimum;
• guardians and custodians of a Ukrainian, persons under the guardianship or custody of a citizen of Ukraine – copies of documents establishing guardianship or custody;
• persons whose immigration is of state interest – a petition from the central executive authority of Ukraine;
• refugees, victims of trafficking – confirmation of status and continuous residence in Ukraine for 3 years;
• non-residents who wish to obtain Ukrainian citizenship by territorial origin – confirmation that one of the parents, grandfather or grandmother, brother, sister previously lived on Ukrainian territory (the list can be found in the Law of Ukraine “On Immigration”).

Documents for immigration with children

Sometimes minors migrate to Ukraine together with their parents. If a child immigrates with one parent, the other must provide a notarized consent. If there is no consent, the mother (father) must provide a decision of the competent authority of the country from which they arrived stating that after divorce the children remained with her (him). It will be considered valid only if legalized, unless otherwise provided by international treaties of Ukraine.

Documents for replacing a residence permit in Ukraine

A permanent or temporary residence permit in Ukraine must be replaced in the following cases:

• discrepancies were found between the information in the residence permit and other records;
• the non-resident’s passport data have changed (surname, name, patronymic);
• damage to the residence permit making it unusable;
• reaching the relevant age.

A permanent residence permit certificate must be renewed every 10 years and when its holder reaches the ages of 25 and 45. This is due to the need to replace the photograph of the foreigner or stateless person.

A temporary residence permit must be extended upon its expiry. To do this, an application is submitted with the list of documents that were provided to obtain the temporary residence permit. Failure to do so on time will result in a fine.

The following documents are required to replace a residence permit:

Processing times

The processing time for a residence permit application depends on its type. A temporary residence permit is issued no later than 15 days after submitting the documents. An application for a permanent residence permit may be considered for up to 1 year.

The list of documents may change depending on amendments to Ukrainian legislation.

Depending on the grounds for obtaining and the internal rules of individual OVIRs in different regions, submission of the following additional documents may be required:

1. An application for paid services related to the issuance of a temporary residence permit on the territory of Ukraine.
2. A notarized application or a letter of guarantee from the host party undertaking all financial obligations related to the foreigner’s stay in Ukraine and their return to their homeland.
3. Documents confirming the sufficient financial standing of the host party to cover expenses related to the foreigner’s stay in Ukraine.

Timeframes for obtaining a residence permit in Ukraine

Ukrainian legislation sets maximum processing times for residence permit applications:

• for obtaining a temporary residence permit – up to 15 days;
• for obtaining a permanent residence permit – up to 1 year.

Residence permit in Ukraine for Russian citizens

From January 1, 2018, the rules for entry of Russian citizens into Ukraine changed. They were tightened within the framework of Presidential Decree of Ukraine No.256/2017 implementing the decision of the National Security and Defense Council (NSDC) dated 10.07.2017 “On strengthening control over the entry into Ukraine, exit from Ukraine of foreigners and stateless persons, and compliance with their rules of stay in the territory of Ukraine”. Now biometric control must be passed to cross the border, which consists of three stages:

1. Pre-registration for entry into the country – one month before the trip you must fill out an electronic questionnaire on the MFA website (the system is under development, so at the moment submitting the questionnaire is not required).
2. Recording biometric data at the border – since January 1 you can enter and exit using an international passport.
3. Registration at the place of stay – Russian citizens are required to register with state authorities at their place of location.

The maximum period of visa-free stay for Russian citizens in Ukraine is 90 days within 180 days from the date of entry. The right to re-enter appears after 90 days. To visit Ukraine again, you will have to go through all three stages again.

If a Russian citizen needs to stay in Ukraine for more than three months, it is recommended to obtain a residence permit. It allows unhindered border crossing, provides the opportunity to study, be employed and conduct business in Ukraine.

We assist in obtaining a residence permit in Ukraine for Russian citizens. We provide consultations or full support throughout the residence permit acquisition process. If necessary, we will help with registration of the place of residence (propiska).

Residence permit verification

Residence permit verification is a separate or accompanying service that we provide to foreign citizens to check the readiness of the document.

Obtaining permission to stay in Ukraine is not possible for every foreigner. The requirements set out in the Law of Ukraine “On the Legal Status of Foreigners” must be met. What does the process of obtaining a residence permit in Ukraine consist of, and how long does the procedure take? These questions surely trouble people who have decided to obtain a residence permit.

Our legal company Nakaz in Kyiv is ready to provide its services for preparing legal documents for both legal entities and individuals. We also carry out checks of the readiness of documents submitted to the migration service for obtaining citizenship. You do not have to prepare all the officially required documents yourself and visit various authorities; it is enough to submit the business documents from the minimal list that we will provide upon your request, and our lawyers will take care of the remaining steps.

Procedure for checking the readiness of the residence permit

Most foreigners who wish to immigrate abroad, after submitting an application for status, wait for the readiness of the permitting documents. Sometimes the procedure takes a long time and waiting for notification from state services is very tiring.

Even if the data is entered correctly and a response has been received that the submitted residence permit documents have passed the check and there is a result, a new obstacle arises. The system does not provide a means of receiving an answer indicating whether the decision made is positive or negative. Therefore, the foreigner must again go to the migration service to obtain the result.

The legal company Nakaz can simplify the steps that a person has to go through while waiting for the permitting documents. We will provide a quality consultation clearly explaining the residence permit procedure, or we will take all concerns upon ourselves. We will submit the necessary papers and independently monitor the process of checking your documents. By contacting us, you will not need to visit government agencies multiple times to obtain the desired answer. Our specialists will notify you of the readiness of the permit as soon as a decision is made.

Processing times and cost

Our company can arrange a residence permit in Ukraine on an expedited basis. The processing time for documents takes from 5 to 8 working days. The cost of this service is quite affordable.

The payment amount for the required documents includes:

• insurance contract;
• document translation;
• state fee.

The final cost is calculated individually in each case and depends on the complexity of the situation, the client’s documentation base and the required timeframes.

For the quick and proper preparation and submission of the package of documents for temporary residence to the Ukrainian Embassy, you must submit all documents to our company according to the official list. Then you only need to wait for a response from the embassy. You can find out about the ready residence permit by calling our company or by visiting the official website of the migration service.

The validity period of a temporary residence permit according to Ukrainian legislation is from 1 up to 3 years. If there are valid grounds, the period of temporary residence may be extended.

Our company’s assistance in obtaining a residence permit

For many years our company has been assisting foreign citizens and stateless persons in obtaining residence permits in Ukraine. We invite you to contact our specialists who will prepare the necessary documents for obtaining a temporary or permanent residence permit.

Our advantages:

• we put the client’s interests first;
• we provide services in the shortest possible time;
• we monitor the latest changes in legislation;
• we provide consultations on matters accompanying our services;
• we fulfill obligations in a timely manner;
• we provide services not only in Kyiv, but also in the Kyiv region — in all districts without exception.