Take fixed-term employment with an authorised Ukrainian employer.
Ukraine
Ukraine sits in Eastern Europe. Its immigration system runs 35 distinct routes — led by family, humanitarian protection and talent & merit, each set out in official law. 32 of them cite an official government source, shown on the route with the date we last read it. Who actually qualifies depends on your full profile.
- Immigration routes
- 35across 12 route categories, each set out in official law
- Source-cited routes
- 32 of 35cite an official government source, with the date we last read it
- Largest category
- Family6 of the 35 routes — see them under Family below
- Region
- Eastern Europe
- Capital
- Kyiv
- Population
- 38,980,376
- Official language
- Ukrainian
- Currency
- UAH
- Time zone
- UTC+02:00
Immigration routes
All 35 routes, grouped by purpose — 32 of 35 cite an official government source directly. Any route below without one says so on the route.
Work
3 routes
Work at a registered Ukrainian representative office of a foreign business entity or bank.
Work as a correspondent or representative of a foreign mass-media outlet.
Investment
2 routes
Immigrate within the annual quota after making the prescribed registered foreign investment in Ukraine.
Reside as a qualifying founder, participant or beneficial owner of a Ukrainian legal entity.
Talent & merit
4 routes
Immigrate within the annual quota as a highly qualified specialist or worker urgently needed by Ukraine's economy.
Immigrate within the annual quota as a scientific or cultural figure whose immigration is in Ukraine's interests.
Perform cultural, scientific or educational activity under an international agreement or special programme.
Participate in a registered international technical-assistance project.
Study
1 route
Study at an approved Ukrainian educational establishment.
Family
6 routes
Immigrate outside the annual quota as the qualifying spouse, child or parent of a Ukrainian citizen.
Immigrate outside the annual quota as a guardian or custodian of a Ukrainian citizen, or as a person under a Ukrainian citizen's guardianship or custody.
Immigrate within the annual quota as the parent, spouse or minor child of a person who holds an immigration permit.
Immigrate within the annual quota as the full sibling, grandparent or grandchild of a Ukrainian citizen.
Join a family member holding a qualifying Ukrainian temporary residence basis.
Join a Ukrainian-citizen spouse.
Residence-based status
1 route
Enter to complete the approved temporary- or permanent-residence process for a stay over 90 days.
Cultural, religious & volunteer
3 routes
Participate in a registered Ukrainian unit of a foreign civil-society organisation.
Volunteer through a qualifying international, regional or registered Ukrainian volunteer organisation.
Preach, provide religious instruction, perform rituals or another canonical activity.
Short stay & visit
3 routes
Obtain a single- or double-entry electronic visa for an eligible business, private, tourism, medical, cultural, scientific, educational, sport or media visit.
Enter for an evidenced short private, tourist, business, medical, cultural, scientific, educational, sport or media purpose.
Enter for a short private or tourist stay where nationality and travel document qualify.
Humanitarian protection
5 routes
Request refugee status or complementary protection from the State Migration Service.
Remain in Ukraine after recognition that return would expose the person to a qualifying serious threat despite not meeting the refugee definition.
Immigrate within the annual quota after recognition as a trafficking victim and the required continuous residence period.
Remain in Ukraine after recognition under the statutory refugee definition.
Remain after release from a migrant accommodation centre where forced expulsion cannot be executed.
Ancestry & return
3 routes
For a person with recognised foreign-Ukrainian status, and for the spouse and children entering and residing together with them; this ground falls outside the annual immigration quota.
For a person who previously held Ukrainian citizenship and can prove that former status; admission on this ground is subject to the annual immigration quota.
For a person who holds the statutory right to acquire Ukrainian citizenship by territorial origin; this ground falls outside the annual immigration quota.
Transit
1 route
Transit through Ukraine to a third country.
Other & special
3 routes
Immigrate outside the annual quota where the competent authority determines that immigration is in Ukraine's national interest.
Immigrate within the annual quota after the prescribed period of service in the Armed Forces or another covered formation.
Serve under contract in the Armed Forces of Ukraine or another covered military formation.
Official sources
- Ukraine State Migration ServiceGovernment
- MFA Visa PortalGovernment
See which Ukraine routes you actually qualify for.
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