Temporary Residence Permit in Ukraine by Marriage to a Ukrainian Citizen: Documents, D-14 Visa, Timing

A temporary residence permit by marriage lets a foreign spouse of a Ukrainian citizen live legally with their family in Ukraine for as long as the permit is valid. To get it, you need to prove three things: the marriage is registered and recognized in Ukraine, you are in the country on a lawful basis, and your document package is complete. A marriage certificate alone does not give you the right to stay longer than your visa or visa-free regime allows.

While the marriage has lasted no more than two years, a foreign spouse can get a temporary residence permit, which is issued for up to one year and can subsequently be exchanged. Once the marriage has lasted more than two years, you can apply for an immigration permit and obtain a 10-year permanent residence permit.

If you are looking into how to get a residence permit through marriage to a Ukrainian citizen, it is best to plan your route in advance: before you travel or as soon as you decide to move. It often turns out that what is missing for the application is not a translation, but the right visa or a few weeks of remaining lawful stay.

Below we explain who can get the permit, where to start depending on where you are now, when the D-14 visa is required, which documents to file, how long to wait and why applications are refused. The rules are stated as of October 2026.

Who Can Get a Temporary Residence Permit by Marriage

A permit on this basis is available to a foreigner or stateless person whose husband or wife is a Ukrainian citizen, provided the family reunification conditions are met. In other words, it is a temporary residence permit for family reunification, for the foreign husband of a Ukrainian woman or the foreign wife of a Ukrainian man. The marriage must be officially registered and valid in Ukraine: cohabitation or an engagement does not create this basis.

For a temporary permit, the length of the marriage does not matter: you do not have to wait two years. The State Migration Service (SMS) checks other things: whether the foreign spouse is in Ukraine lawfully, whether the passport is valid, whether the marriage documents are in order and whether there are grounds for refusal.

There is no separate interview to test whether the marriage is genuine for a temporary permit; that interview is held when applying for an immigration permit. However, the SMS cross-checks the marriage details against registers, the Ukrainian spouse must come and personally submit their passport, and false information or forged documents lead to refusal of the permit.

The right to the permit is set out in Part 14 of Article 4 of the Law of Ukraine “On the Legal Status of Foreigners and Stateless Persons”, and the procedure is defined by the Procedure approved by Resolution No. 322 of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine.

Temporary or Permanent: Which Residence Permit by Marriage You Need

Whether you can already apply for a permanent permit depends on how long the marriage has lasted. The period runs from the date of registration stated in the marriage certificate to the day you file the application. While the marriage has lasted no more than two years, only a temporary permit is available to a foreign spouse. Once it has lasted more than two years, you can apply for an immigration permit outside the quota, and you do not have to live on a temporary permit first.

The immigration permit is a separate first step. The SMS first decides whether to grant it and checks whether the marriage is genuine, including at an interview with the spouses. Only with this permit can a permanent residence permit be issued. You must apply for it within one year from the date the immigration permit was issued.

If you already live in Ukraine on a temporary permit, you do not need to leave and obtain a new visa: the application for an immigration permit, and later the documents for a permanent residence permit, are filed with the SMS in Ukraine.

The difference between the permits is significant. A temporary permit is issued for up to one year and exchanged for as long as the marriage lasts. If the marriage is dissolved, the permit is revoked. A permanent residence permit is valid for 10 years and is then exchanged. The law does not name divorce as grounds for revoking an immigration permit. It is a different matter when a court has declared the marriage fictitious.

We cover the documents, timing, fees and interview for a permanent permit in detail on our page about the permanent residence permit by marriage.

Where to Start: Foreign Spouse in Ukraine or Abroad

If the foreign spouse is still abroad, the first step is to check their passport, the marriage documents and the long-term visa requirements. A plan is then drawn up: contacting the consulate, entering Ukraine, applying for the permit. Buying tickets before sorting this out is risky: entering as a visa-free tourist, as a rule, does not allow you to apply for the permit right away. A D visa is needed first.

If the foreign spouse is already in Ukraine, the starting point is the date of entry: how much longer they may stay in Ukraine and on what basis they are here now.

A marriage registered in Ukraine does not in itself exempt you from the D visa. For example, an EU citizen who came visa-free for 90 days and married in Kyiv has to leave, obtain a D-14 visa at a Ukrainian consulate and file the permit documents after entering.

Only those exempted from the D visa by law or by an international treaty of Ukraine can apply without leaving, for example a foreigner serving in the Armed Forces of Ukraine under contract. That is why the first step is to establish whether any exception applies to the person, and only then to schedule the application.

How the certificate is prepared depends on where the marriage was registered. A Ukrainian certificate is checked against the passports: details, names, dates. How to prepare a foreign certificate is explained in the section on documents. If a marriage abroad was properly concluded and is recognized in Ukraine, there is no need to register it a second time for the sake of the permit.

D-14 Visa: When It Is Required for a Residence Permit by Marriage

As a general rule, for a first permit a foreigner submits a passport with a long-term visa issued according to the purpose of entry. For reunification with a husband or wife who is a Ukrainian citizen, this is a marriage visa (type D-14). You can do without it only where an international treaty or a law expressly says so.

A visa-free regime for short trips, for example for citizens of the EU, the US or the UK, does not exempt you from the D visa.

From our practice: we helped a UK citizen prepare to apply at a consulate in Bulgaria. We arranged an invitation from his wife and insurance and aligned the spelling of his name across different documents. He received the D-14 visa, and we then handled his permit application in Ukraine. This case shows well why the visa and migration stages should be planned together before entry.

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Documents for a Residence Permit in Ukraine by Marriage, Including a Marriage Registered Abroad

Under Procedure No. 322, an adult applicant usually needs:

• the foreigner’s passport with a long-term visa of the required type (unless an exception applies);
• a translation of the passport page with personal data into Ukrainian, certified by a notary (the notary certifies the translator’s signature);
• a medical insurance policy valid for the entire period for which the permit is issued;
• a receipt for payment of the administrative fee or a document confirming an exemption;
• the certificate of marriage to a Ukrainian citizen;
• the Ukrainian passport of the husband or wife;
• the legal representative’s documents and proof of their authority, if they file the application in the cases provided by law.

For issuing the permit, the SMS charges a state duty of UAH 34, an administrative service fee of UAH 452 and a UAH 654 fee for the permit card, UAH 1,140 in total. These amounts and other current terms of the service are published by the SMS on its website.

The application form is completed on site when the documents are accepted. The applicant comes in person: biometric data are taken, namely a digital photo, a signature and fingerprints. The husband or wife who is a Ukrainian citizen also presents their passport in person. The exception for military personnel is described below.

If you do not submit documents for your housing (a lease agreement, a certificate of ownership), SMS officers will check the address by visiting you. They will notify you of the time by phone and email one working day in advance. Originals and copies are submitted as the procedure requires: scans are not enough.

What to do with a foreign marriage certificate depends on the country that issued it, the type of document and the international treaty in force between that country and Ukraine. If the treaty waives certification, there is no point in getting an apostille “just in case.” If not, it is determined what is required: an apostille or consular legalization. The document is then translated into Ukrainian, and the translator’s signature is certified by a notary, together with the certification marks.

Separately, check that the first name, last name, dates and details are written the same way everywhere: in the passport, the certificate and the translations. If you have changed your last name or received a new passport, any discrepancies must be resolved with documents before you apply.

Where to Apply, Processing Time and Permit Validity

Documents are filed at the foreigner’s place of residence: with a territorial body or unit of the SMS, a center of the State Enterprise “Document,” which is overseen by the SMS, or an administrative services center (TsNAP). Not every “Document” center or TsNAP accepts permit documents, so check this on the center’s website before your visit. A territorial body of the SMS always accepts them.

A first application must be filed no later than 15 working days before your permitted period of stay expires. Booking a slot in the electronic queue does not by itself mean the documents have been accepted.

After accepting the package, the SMS checks the details and the grounds. By regulation, the permit is issued within 15 working days. However, the overall schedule also depends on other stages: obtaining the visa, certifying foreign documents, translation and waiting for an available appointment.

On this basis, the permit is issued for up to one year. The period depends on the documents filed, so it is better to take out the medical insurance policy for a full year: it must remain valid for the entire term of the permit. When you receive the permit, check your details on it. Within 30 calendar days of receiving the permit, declare or register your place of residence.

With a permit by marriage, a foreign spouse enters and leaves Ukraine on a passport and the permit, without a separate visa. They may work, but their employer must obtain a work permit for them: marriage to a Ukrainian citizen does not remove the need for this permit.

Why Applications Are Refused or Delayed: Our Experience

Problems most often arise from an exceeded period of stay, the absence of the required visa without a lawful exception, an incomplete package, invalid documents or false information.

There are also grounds for refusal related to security and to decisions of other state bodies: for example, if an entry ban applies to the foreigner or there is an outstanding decision ordering their forced return, or if the police or the Security Service of Ukraine have reported that their actions threaten national security. However, a request to submit an additional document is not yet a refusal: you need to establish what exactly the SMS has done or decided.

A case from our practice: a foreigner replaced their passport before applying for the permit. They then had to provide additional proof of how and when they had entered. We helped gather the necessary documents, translations and insurance, and the client received the permit. This case is an example of how to deal with discrepancies in documents, not a rule that every holder of a new passport must leave and re-enter.

That is why it is important at the outset to tell the lawyer about all document replacements and previous applications. If you have already been refused, read the text of the decision and note when you received it: from that day, you have 30 calendar days to file a complaint with the SMS. Correcting the package and appealing the decision are different routes, and one does not replace the other.

What to Consider Under Martial Law

Martial law does not exempt a first application from the check of grounds and deadlines.

After February 24, 2022, temporary permits due for exchange remained valid without exchange until the end of martial law (except for permits of russia’s citizens). In February 2026, the government canceled this benefit and gave three months for the exchange. That period has already expired.

A temporary permit is now exchanged under the general rules: no later than the last day of its validity. Nor does marriage make lawful the residence of a person who has overstayed a short visit.

If the husband or wife who is a Ukrainian citizen is on military service and cannot come in person, Procedure No. 322 allows an exception, but it must be confirmed by documents: an oral explanation is not enough.

Before planning a trip, also check the applicant’s citizenship: a citizen of a state recognized by the Verkhovna Rada as an aggressor, in particular russia, cannot file permit documents without leaving Ukraine, even if exempt from the D visa.

What Comes Next: Exchanging the Permit and Permanent Residence

While the marriage lasts, the permit is exchanged (commonly called renewal) before its term ends. The current rules allow you to apply even on the last day of validity. However, if fewer than 15 working days remain until the end of the term, documents are filed only with a territorial body or unit of the SMS: TsNAPs and “Document” centers do not accept them at that point.

The document package is the same, and the SMS will extend your period of stay for the duration of the review. Documents for exchange are not accepted after the last day of the permit’s validity. In practice, it is better not to delay.

If the marriage is dissolved, the basis for this permit ceases to exist and the SMS revokes it, so you will need another lawful basis to continue living in Ukraine.

A permanent residence permit is a separate procedure with its own immigration basis: a long marriage does not by itself replace a temporary permit with a permanent one. This route is described on our page about the permanent residence permit. Whether you can obtain Ukrainian citizenship through marriage is covered in a separate article.

Support with a Residence Permit by Marriage: What the Lawyer Does and What You Prepare

In the two cases from our practice described above, the difficulty lay not in the list of documents itself but in the sequence: a visa before entry, a name written the same way in all documents, proof of entry after a passport replacement. These are the stages where weeks of the permitted stay are most often lost.

The lawyer determines the sequence of steps based on where the foreign spouse is now, sorts out the visa, and checks the marriage documents and the deadline for applying. We prepare the package, arrange translations and certification, and support the filing. Steps that the procedure requires to be done in person are carried out by the applicant and their husband or wife.

For an initial assessment, we need to know:

the foreign spouse’s citizenship;

• where they are now;
• when they last entered Ukraine, on what basis and until what date they may stay;
• in which country and when the marriage was concluded.

Then, in the agreed way, you provide:

• the passport;
• the marriage certificate;
• the passport of the husband or wife who is a Ukrainian citizen;
• the permit, if you have one;
• documents on previous applications or refusals.

If your last name or passport has changed, tell us right away.

How Much the Support Costs and How Long Preparation Takes

The cost depends on the scope: whether a visa is needed separately, whether a foreign certificate has to be prepared, whether discrepancies in documents have to be resolved or a previous refusal reviewed. Our estimate lists separately our legal work, the administrative fee, insurance, translations, and notarial and consular costs, so offers are easy to compare.

How long preparation takes depends primarily on whether you already have a D visa and a marriage certificate with an apostille and translation: if you do, the documents are gathered quickly, while obtaining a D-14 visa at a consulate or securing an apostille abroad takes the longest.

We can give a more precise estimate after reviewing your documents. The SMS issues the permit within 15 working days from the date the documents are accepted.

Do you know the date of your last entry and until what date you may stay in Ukraine? That is where the plan starts: fill out the form on the website or call us.

Learn more about the service on our “Obtaining a Temporary Residence Permit in Ukraine” page.