Russia or Ukraine
Two countries side by side across the same rows as the full comparison. A dash means the value is missing: fields are not filled with guesses. about the data
| Russia | Ukraine | |
|---|---|---|
| Salary in IT | $ 25 036 | — |
| Citizenship | 5 years | 5 years |
| Partner can work | yes | — |
| Parents | difficult | — |
| Pets | no trouble | no trouble |
| Pet limit | 2 | 5 |
| Quarantine | no | — |
| Residence permit fee | — | — |
| Rent, 2 bedrooms | $ 1 024 | $ 688 · estimate |
| Basket | $ 28,3 | $ 19,6 |
| Life expectancy | 73.44 | 74.69 |
| Homicides/100k | 7.82 | 3.78 |
| Natural hazards, 0–10 | 5.1 | 3 |
How the two sets of routes differ
Long-stay routes in this reference: Russia — 36, Ukraine — 28. Types present in both: work, study, family, investment, talent and repatriation. The set of types is identical — the difference is in how many routes there are and on what terms, not in the types themselves.
Fees, thresholds and deadlines
Russia: fees range from 1,920 to 6,000 RUB. Routes with a published decision deadline: 27; the shortest is 10 days. Ukraine: fees range from 452 to 496 UAH. Routes with a published decision deadline: 28; the shortest is 7 days.
Beyond the first permit
Permanent status: Russia after 1 year; the other country publishes no term. Citizenship: both after 5 years. Russia allows a second citizenship, Ukraine does not.
Russia in brief
Russia is the largest country in the world by area; the main job market and the highest salaries are concentrated in Moscow and St. Petersburg. A temporary residence permit (RVP) is issued for three years; after at least a year of residence on it, a residence permit (VNZh) can be obtained, which has been valid indefinitely since 2019. Admission to citizenship under the general procedure requires five years of continuous residence on a VNZh, command of the Russian language and knowledge of the country's history; a simplified procedure for obtaining an RVP outside the quota applies to spouses of Russian citizens with three years of marriage or a shared child. Citizens of EAEU states work without a work permit or a patent. Bringing in up to two dogs or cats requires no permit and no quarantine, but, unlike several EAEU neighbours, laboratory confirmation of rabies antibody titre is mandatory. International sanctions and restrictions on cross-border payments and part of air travel are in force; the homicide rate is noticeably higher, and life expectancy noticeably lower, than the European average, and the World Bank's control-of-corruption score is negative.
Ukraine in brief
Ukraine is a country where martial law has been in effect since 24 February 2022 (Presidential Decree No. 64/2022, regularly extended by the Verkhovna Rada); special rules for crossing the state border, set by the State Border Guard Service, are tied to it. Part of the territory — the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol (since 2014), and parts of Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson oblasts (since 2022) — is not controlled by the government of Ukraine, and this guide does not collect data for these territories. The grounds for foreigners to stay and work are: a long-stay type D visa, a posvidka na tymchasove prozhyvannia (temporary residence permit; for work under an Employment Service permit, study, family reunification, or a gig contract with a Diia.City resident), and a dozvil na immihratsiyu (immigration permit) followed by a posvidka na postiyne prozhyvannia (permanent residence permit), which is issued outside the quota for close relatives of Ukrainian citizens. Obtaining Ukrainian citizenship generally requires five years of continuous residence, a state-language exam, and renunciation of foreign citizenship; 2025–2026 legislation (Law No. 4730-IX) expanded the list of cases in which multiple citizenship is recognised — mainly for refugees, Armed Forces of Ukraine service members, persons of outstanding merit, and certain other categories. Demographic statistics, including city populations, are pre-war: last updated by the State Statistics Service as of 1 January 2022 and not officially revised since for most cities due to population displacement during the war.
Other comparisons
Russia or… Belarus · Moldova · Iceland · Albania · North Macedonia · Bosnia and Herzegovina · Kosovo
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This material is for reference and is not legal, tax or immigration advice. Visa rules, tax thresholds and prices change. Before deciding anything, check the official sources and consult a licensed professional in the relevant country.