Ukraine
Ukraine · Europe · updated 22.08.2026
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.
Some descriptions for this country are still Russian only: 79% translated. Numbers, prices and timelines are complete.
Entry
Entry rules depend on citizenship. Choose a passport to see the requirement for that one.
Work and visas
- Visa speed
- Posvidka na tymchasove prozhyvannia (temporary residence permit) — 15 working days from the date documents are accepted (Cabinet of Ministers Resolution No. 322 of 25 April 2018, as amended by Resolution No. 1523 of 27 December 2024). Posvidka na postiyne prozhyvannia (permanent residence permit) — also 15 working days (Cabinet of Ministers Resolution No. 321 of 25 April 2018). Work permit for foreigners — reviewed by territorial employment centres (Cabinet of Ministers Resolution No. 68 of 24 January 2023; the exact review period under the current version could not be confirmed).
- Changing employer
- The work permit is issued for a specific employer (Cabinet of Ministers Resolution No. 68 of 24 January 2023); changing employer requires a new permit or an amendment to the existing one.
Visa types: A long-stay visa (type D visa) is required for entry for the purpose of subsequently obtaining a residence permit (Law 'On the Legal Status of Foreigners and Stateless Persons' No. 3773-VI, art. 5-2) · Posvidka na tymchasove prozhyvannia (temporary residence permit) on the basis of a work permit for foreigners and stateless persons — the permit is issued by the regional employment centres of the State Employment Service for a specific employer (Cabinet of Ministers Resolution No. 68 of 24 January 2023) · Posvidka na tymchasove prozhyvannia (temporary residence permit) on the basis of a gig contract with a Diia.City resident — Diia.City does not create a separate immigration category: the basis remains the same work permit, with the gig contract merely listed separately as a grounds in the State Migration Service's list (dmsu.gov.ua) · Posvidka na tymchasove prozhyvannia (temporary residence permit) for study at a Ukrainian educational institution · Posvidka na tymchasove prozhyvannia (temporary residence permit) for family reunification · The immigration permit (dozvil na immihratsiyu) and the subsequent permanent residence permit (posvidka na postiyne prozhyvannia) (Law 'On Immigration' No. 2491-III) — outside the quota for spouses, parents, and children of Ukrainian citizens, Ukrainians abroad, and certain other categories
The system of residence grounds has two tiers. A temporary residence permit (posvidka na tymchasove prozhyvannya) is issued for a specific ground from art. 4 of the Law «Pro pravovyi status inozemtsiv ta osib bez hromadyanstva» No. 3773-VI — work, a gig contract, study, family reunification, a share in a Ukrainian legal entity and others — and does not by itself lead to permanent residence. A permanent residence permit is arranged separately and only on the basis of an immigration permit (Law «Pro immihratsiyu» No. 2491-III): outside the quota for spouses, parents and children of Ukrainian citizens, ethnic Ukrainians abroad and a number of other categories, and within the immigration quota for everyone else — a quota formed by the Cabinet of Ministers on proposals from the ministries. That is why this reference carries no single number of years to permanent residence: no official source giving such a number for all categories could be found. Common to the cards below. Both kinds of residence permit are issued within 15 working days from the day the documents are accepted (the procedures approved by Cabinet resolutions No. 322 and No. 321 of 25.04.2018); the terms in the cards are given in calendar days, as this reference does throughout. Every ground except the military ones requires a valid medical insurance policy covering the whole term of the permit. As a general rule a temporary residence permit is issued for the term supported by the documents filed, but for no more than a year; the exceptions are named in the cards themselves. The work permit is obtained by the employer for a specific position and a specific person — changing employer requires a new permit or an amendment to the existing one. The charge for the permit is set in subsistence minimums and recalculated every year, so it is not carried into the numeric fields. Those who need a visa enter on a long-stay type D visa; the electronic visa at evisa.mfa.gov.ua has nothing to do with long stays — it is single or double entry for 30 days and is issued for six short-stay purposes. Martial law has been in force since 24 February 2022 and changes part of the procedures — for each act listed below the edition in force on 22.08.2026 is given. Cabinet resolution No. 1232 of 01.11.2022 (edition of 10.05.2026) suspends, for the period of martial law and 30 calendar days after it, the examination of applications by citizens of the Russian Federation for an immigration permit, for permanent and temporary residence permits and for their exchange, and the migration service replies to new applications with a refusal to accept the documents — until a law regulating relations involving persons connected with the aggressor state comes into force. The exceptions are listed in item 2 of the same resolution and cover, among others, work under a permit, marriage to a Ukrainian citizen, family reunification, contract military service and assistance to units during martial law. Cabinet resolution No. 1202 of 21.10.2022 (edition of 07.05.2026) provides that permanent residence permits whose term expired after 24 February 2022 confirm lawful grounds for residence and the right of entry throughout martial law and for 30 calendar days after it — except those issued to citizens of the Russian Federation; that exception was introduced by resolution No. 141 of 05.02.2026. Issuing and renewing work permits for citizens of the Russian Federation, the Republic of Belarus and other states recognised as threatening the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine require the agreement of the regional bodies of the Security Service, and the processing term is extended until that agreement or a refusal is received (Law «Pro zaynyatist naselennya» No. 5067-VI, arts. 42 and 42-6). Foreigners who took direct part in repelling and deterring the armed aggression of the Russian Federation are issued and renewed work permits free of charge. The migration service warns on its site that administrative services are not provided in its units during an air-raid alert, and the Foreign Ministry that the diplomatic missions and consular posts of Ukraine on the territory of the Russian Federation have ceased operations.
Long-term visas and residence permits
Long-term visa (type D)
OtherWork permit for a hired employee and temporary residence permit
WorkWork permit for a gig specialist of a Diia.City resident
WorkWork permit for a seconded foreign employee
WorkWork permit for an intra-corporate transferee
WorkWork permit for a higher-education student
WorkWork permit for asylum and statelessness applicants
WorkTemporary residence for staff of a branch or representative office
WorkTemporary residence for foreign media correspondents
WorkTemporary residence for international technical assistance projects
WorkTemporary residence for a founder or beneficial owner of a Ukrainian company
InvestmentTemporary residence for study
StudyTemporary residence for the family of a Ukrainian citizen
FamilyTemporary residence for the family of a foreign resident
FamilyTemporary residence for religious activity
OtherTemporary residence for cultural, scientific, educational and volunteer programmes
OtherTemporary residence for wartime medical and rehabilitation volunteers
OtherTemporary residence for contract military service
OtherTemporary residence for instructors who assisted units in the ATO area
OtherTemporary residence for those who assisted units during martial law
OtherTemporary residence for recognised stateless persons
OtherImmigration permit for investors
InvestmentImmigration permit for highly qualified specialists, scientists and cultural figures
TalentImmigration permit outside the quota for close relatives of Ukrainian citizens
FamilyImmigration permit for foreign Ukrainians
RepatriationImmigration permit by origin and family ties
RepatriationImmigration permit for those who served in the Ukrainian forces
OtherPermanent residence permit
OtherProgramme terms change, and the final decision rests with the consulate or the country migration service. The data is collected from official sources on the date shown and is not legal advice.
Residence and citizenship
- Citizenship after
- 5 years
- Language
- Ukrainian language — an exam at a level set by the National Commission for State Language Standards; exceptions for children, legally incapacitated persons, and persons with specified health impairments (Law 'On Citizenship of Ukraine', art. 9).
- Dual citizenship
- not allowed
Dual citizenship: As a general rule, an applicant for citizenship is required to submit an undertaking to terminate their foreign citizenship, or a declaration renouncing it (Law 'On Citizenship of Ukraine', art. 9). The law recognises multiple citizenship (art. 5-1) only in specific cases: acquiring another citizenship by birth, by adoption, or automatically as a result of marriage — and for categories eligible for a simplified procedure for acquiring Ukrainian citizenship by declaration without an undertaking to renounce existing foreign citizenship (art. 10-1): refugees, Armed Forces of Ukraine service members, medically evacuated persons and their families, persons of outstanding merit to Ukraine, citizens of aggressor states who have suffered persecution, and family members of service members killed in action. These provisions (arts. 5-1 and 10-1) were introduced by Law No. 4730-IX of 17 December 2025, in force since 10 May 2026; before this, dual citizenship was not recognised for ordinary naturalisation in Ukraine.
The general condition is 5 years of continuous lawful residence in Ukraine (Law 'On Citizenship of Ukraine' No. 2235-III, art. 9, as amended by Law No. 4730-IX of 17 December 2025, in force since 10 May 2026). The period is reduced to 3 years for refugees and stateless persons; it does not apply to those who are (or were, for more than 3 years, where the marriage ended in the death of the other spouse) married to a Ukrainian citizen for more than 3 years, nor to contract service members of the Armed Forces of Ukraine/State Special Transport Service/National Guard discharged on specified grounds. The conditions for admission also include a state-language proficiency exam (not required of children, legally incapacitated persons, and persons with specified health impairments) and a document confirming termination of foreign citizenship (see `dualCitizenshipNote`). One of the conditions under art. 9 is holding an immigration permit (dozvil na immihratsiyu); this guide did not find a single waiting period for such a permit that applies to all categories (see `work.notes`).
Documents
- Document certification
- apostille
The country is party to the 1961 Hague Convention: a degree or certificate is authenticated with a single apostille in the country that issued it.
Family
Partner
- Timeline
- 15 working days from the date documents are accepted for a posvidka na tymchasove prozhyvannia (temporary residence permit) on family reunification grounds (Cabinet of Ministers Resolution No. 322 of 25 April 2018, as amended by Resolution No. 1523 of 27 December 2024)
The basis is marriage to a Ukrainian citizen or another recognised family relationship (Law 'On the Legal Status of Foreigners and Stateless Persons' No. 3773-VI, art. 4). Marriage to a Ukrainian citizen for more than 3 years shortens/removes the continuous-residence requirement when applying for citizenship (see `residency.citizenshipNote`). Whether a posvidka na tymchasove prozhyvannia (temporary residence permit) obtained through family reunification exempts the holder from needing a separate work permit to work in Ukraine — no official confirmation could be found, so `canWork` is left empty.
Parents
Partner's parents
Pets
- Limit
- 5
- Antibody titre test
- needed
About the limit: Non-commercial movement of animals (dogs, cats, domestic ferrets) — up to 5 animals in total per owner; the definition applies both to bringing animals into Ukraine and taking them abroad (State Service for Food Safety and Consumer Protection, dpss.gov.ua, section 'Requirements for the non-commercial movement of animals').
Bringing a pet into Ukraine requires an international-format veterinary passport with vaccination records (rabies first and foremost), an ISO-standard microchip, a rabies antibody titre test, and a veterinary health certificate (State Service for Food Safety and Consumer Protection, dpss.gov.ua/news/vvezennia-domashnikh-tvaryn-v-ukrainu). The source does not publish specific timeframes (how many days/months must elapse between vaccination, the test, and entry; whether there is quarantine on entry) or a list of banned breeds — these fields are left empty rather than filled in by guesswork.
Safety
- Situation
- conflict
Martial law has been in effect in Ukraine since 24 February 2022 (Presidential Decree No. 64/2022), regularly extended by the Verkhovna Rada; the version in force as of the research date is from 25 July 2026 (basis — Decree No. 596/2026, zakon.rada.gov.ua). 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; this guide does not collect data for these territories.
Climate
Quality of life
Cities
Kyiv
tech hubThe capital and largest city of Ukraine, the country's main business, education, and IT centre. Population is given per the State Statistics Service estimate as of 1 January 2022 — a pre-war estimate, not officially revised since the start of the full-scale invasion.
Countrywide risks (see safety); no city-specific natural risks were found in official sources.
Kharkiv
tech hubThe country's second-largest city, a scientific, educational, and industrial centre in the north-east, about 40 km from the state border with Russia. Population is given per the State Statistics Service estimate as of 1 January 2022 — a pre-war estimate, not officially revised since.
Countrywide risks (see safety); no city-specific natural risks were found in official sources.
Odesa
The country's largest seaport on the Black Sea coast, a trade, logistics, and tourism centre; the city's historic centre was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in January 2023 (simultaneously on the List of World Heritage in Danger). Population is given per the State Statistics Service estimate as of 1 January 2022 — a pre-war estimate, not officially revised since.
Countrywide risks (see safety); no city-specific natural risks were found in official sources.
Dnipro
tech hubA large industrial and engineering city in the centre of the country on the Dnipro river, historically tied to machine building and the aerospace industry; a notable IT cluster. Population is given per the State Statistics Service estimate as of 1 January 2022 — a pre-war estimate, not officially revised since.
Countrywide risks (see safety); no city-specific natural risks were found in official sources.
Lviv
tech hubThe main city of the country's west and a leading IT hub (SoftServe headquarters, offices of international companies), the closest of the five largest cities to the EU border (Poland); the historic centre is a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1998. Population is given per the State Statistics Service estimate as of 1 January 2022 (717,273 people) — a pre-war estimate; unofficial estimates suggest the actual population has grown due to internally displaced persons, but there has been no official revision.
Countrywide risks (see safety); no city-specific natural risks were found in official sources.
Grocery basket
- Bread, 500 g
- $ 0,65
- Milk, 1 l
- $ 1,09
- Eggs, 12
- $ 1,76
- Chicken breast, 1 kg
- $ 4,28
- Cheese, 1 kg
- $ 8,13
- Rice, 1 kg
- $ 1,22
- Potatoes, 1 kg
- $ 0,64
- Apples, 1 kg
- $ 1,01
- Coca-Cola / Pepsi, 2 l
- $ 0,78
- Total
- $ 19,6
The same set for every country, so the comparison is fair.
Cost of living across the country
- Rent, 1 bedroom
- $ 321 a month
- Rent, 3 bedrooms
- $ 627 a month
- Utility bills
- $ 86,1 a month
- Home internet
- $ 6,11 a month
- Monthly transport pass
- $ 13,5 a month
- Single transport ticket
- $ 0,34
- Petrol, litre
- $ 1,37
- Cold medicine
- $ 3,38 for a week
Country averages. City prices, where collected, are shown above and are more precise.
Indicators
- Life expectancy
- 74,7 years2024
- Homicides
- 3,8 per 100k2021 · data lags behind
- Road deaths
- 10,5 per 100k2021
- Unemployment
- 9,8 %2021 · data lags behind
- Unemployment, ages 15–24
- 19,1 %2021 · data lags behind
- Inequality (Gini)
- 25,62020 · data lags behind
- Health spending per person
- $ 370 a year
- Air pollution, PM2.5
- 14,9 µg/m³2023
- Access to clean water
- 93,5 %2024
- Internet, fixed line
- 92,7 Mbit/s2026
- Internet, mobile
- 70,2 Mbit/s2026
Governance
- Political stability
- below average · -0,4
- Control of corruption
- below average · -0,7
- Rule of law
- below average · -0,7
- Government effectiveness
- below average · -0,6
World Bank estimates on a −2.5 to +2.5 scale, higher is better.
Natural hazards
- Earthquakes
- 1,9 out of 10
- River floods
- 6,1 out of 10
- Coastal floods
- 5 out of 10
- Tropical cyclones
- 0 out of 10
- Droughts
- 2,4 out of 10
- Tsunamis
- 0 out of 10
Policy towards newcomers
- Migrant integration, overall score
- 51 out of 100 · 2019
- Family reunification
- 57 out of 100 · 2019
- Permanent residence
- 90 out of 100 · 2019
- Access to citizenship
- 47 out of 100 · 2019
- Access to the labour market
- 46 out of 100 · 2019
Measures how favourable the law is towards newcomers, not one person's chances of getting a visa.
Each value carries the year it refers to. “Data lags behind” means this country's figure was collected noticeably earlier than the rest. Natural hazards use one 0–10 scale and are meant to be compared against each other.
Pros and cons
Compare with other countries in the region
Albania · Belarus · Bosnia and Herzegovina · Iceland · Kosovo · Moldova · North Macedonia · Russia