How Companies Can Legally Hire a Foreigner: Step-by-Step Guide

Today, many Ukrainian companies hire foreign specialists, particularly in IT, healthcare, manufacturing, and logistics. However, the desire to expand a team often runs into bureaucratic hurdles, including legalization procedures, interaction with the Employment Center and the Migration Service, and strict statutory deadlines.

A single mistake in an application can result in documents being returned, the loss of paid government fees, and a delay in the specialist starting work by one to two months.

We have prepared a concise and practical guide to help businesses follow the correct process and complete it without fines or other complications. Alternatively, you can delegate the entire process to professionals and save your time.

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Obtaining a Work Permit for a Foreigner: The Foundation of Legal Employment

Legal employment does not start with a visa but with a work permit for the employment of foreign nationals. To officially hire a foreign candidate, the employer company must obtain a work permit issued by the Employment Center.

To obtain a work permit, the company must submit the following:

• an application from the company specifying the foreign national’s personal details, the position, the planned period of employment, and the company’s details, including its bank account information;
• a copy of the foreign national’s passport with a notarized Ukrainian translation;
• a color photograph of the employee;
• a draft employment agreement;
• proof of payment of the state fee.

Work permits are typically issued for a period of up to two years. For seconded foreign employees or intracorporate transferees, a permit may be issued for up to three years. The employer has the right to request a shorter validity period than the maximum allowed by law, for example, five or six months.

Signing an Employment Agreement With a Foreigner and Tax Obligations

Obtained the work permit? You have 90 days to sign an employment contract with the foreign national and submit a copy of the signed contract to the Employment Center. This document is the formal confirmation of the foreign national’s lawful employment.

From the moment the foreign national is officially employed, tax compliance begins. Starting from the hiring date, the company is legally required to calculate and pay the employee’s salary as well as all applicable taxes. This stage requires particular attention, as the Employment Center monitors the timely payment of the Unified Social Contribution (USC).

Please note! If the company fails to pay the USC for two consecutive months without valid legal grounds, the work permit will be revoked. A revoked permit cannot be reinstated, and the employer may apply for a new work permit no earlier than one year after the revocation date.

Legalizing Stay in Ukraine: D Visa and Temporary Residence Permit

It is important to understand that a work permit alone does not grant the right to live in Ukraine. If a foreign national works remotely and does not need to be physically present in Ukraine, a work permit may be sufficient for the employer.

However, if the employee must be physically present at the office or production site, the process moves to the migration stage. In this case, a temporary residence permit and registration of the place of residence are required. These two steps are outlined below.

Based on a valid work permit, a foreign national is entitled to apply for a temporary residence permit in Ukraine, which allows lawful residence in the country for the entire duration of the work permit.

Please note! For citizens of most countries, obtaining a D-04 long-term visa is mandatory. Exceptions apply to nationals of countries with which Ukraine has concluded relevant international agreements, such as Armenia, Georgia, Lithuania, and several others.

To apply for a D visa, the foreign national must create a personal account on the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine and complete the online visa application form. Once submitted, it becomes possible to book an available appointment slot at a Ukrainian consular office. Applications may also be submitted through an authorized visa center.

The processing of a temporary residence permit takes approximately 15 business days. The following documents must be submitted to the State Migration Service or the Passport Service of the State Enterprise “Document”:

• the foreign national’s passport and a Ukrainian translation;
• health insurance covering the entire validity period of the residence permit;
• the work permit;
• the employer’s written undertaking.

A state duty and an administrative fee are also payable at the time of submission.

The issued plastic residence permit card allows the foreign national to freely cross the Ukrainian border and, importantly, to open a salary bank account with a Ukrainian bank.

Registration of a Foreigner’s Place of Residence

This is the final stage of the process and one where penalties are most often imposed. After a temporary residence permit is issued, the foreign national’s address of residence in Ukraine must be registered. The law provides exactly 30 calendar days to complete this registration.

Consequences of non-compliance: a fine ranging from UAH 1,700 to UAH 3,400. In addition, such a violation is considered a “red flag” by the Migration Service during future extensions.

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Monitoring Deadlines and Updating a Foreigner’s Legalization Documents

Legalization requires ongoing monitoring. Both the work permit and the residence permit have limited validity periods. Missing an expiration date does not just result in a fine. It may require restarting the entire procedure from scratch, with additional time and costs for new fees and documents.

Critical deadlines that must not be missed:

1. Extension of the work permit. Ukrainian legislation establishes a strict “time window” for extending a work permit. An application for extension must be submitted no earlier than 50 days and no later than 20 calendar days before the permit’s expiration date.
   
   If the application is submitted, for example, 19 days before the expiration date, the Employment Center will refuse to extend the permit. In that case, the employer will have to apply for a new work permit, which involves higher fees and a full new set of documents.
   
   
2. Extension of the temporary residence permit. The rule here is simpler but equally strict. Documents must be submitted before the current residence permit expires. It is strongly recommended to apply at least 15 business days in advance to avoid any gap in lawful residence.

Tip: Do not rely on the employee’s memory. Enter all key dates into your CRM system or the HR department’s calendar with reminders set at least two months in advance. Alternatively, you can delegate deadline monitoring to us, and we will notify you in advance when renewals are required.

Successful case: Extension of Work Permit and Residence Permit for Foreigners in Ukraine

Why Hiring a Migration Lawyer Is More Beneficial for Business

Handling the process independently often turns into a real challenge. Accounting teams struggle with migration rules, HR specialists lose valuable working hours standing in lines at government offices, and even a minor error in dates or wording can delay the process for months.

We offer a turnkey solution. Here is how we work:

• Full legal support: from preparing and filing the application with the Employment Center to receiving the temporary residence permit in hand.
• Deadline control: we track all expiration dates and notify you in advance about renewals so you do not lose a valuable employee.
• Complex cases: we work across all regions of Ukraine and handle non-standard or complicated situations.
• Comprehensive approach: we support both the employer and the employee, including visas, translations, and insurance.

If you plan to hire several foreign specialists, involving our migration lawyer from the outset is the most efficient approach. We set up a structured, end-to-end process, from contract signing to communication with the State Migration Service. This saves time and significantly reduces the risk of unexpected issues.

Need to hire a foreign specialist “yesterday”? Contact us. We know the fastest lawful way to get it done.