Ukraine: The Race for Foreign Talent

(1) General Work permit; and (2) Employment without a Work Permit

Diia.City Special Regime

Pathway

Foreign professionals and stateless persons who intend to work in Ukraine, including foreign employees hired directly by Ukrainian employers, seconded employees temporarily assigned to work in Ukraine, and intra-corporate transferees (employees transferred within a multinational company).

A temporary residence permit issued for the same period as the work permit.

It is renewable, and holders can apply for a visa and permanent residence permit.

There is no specific salary requirement for foreign employees.

Salaries are determined by the terms of the employment contract, but they cannot be lower than the minimum wage.

For foreign employees, there are no specific mandatory work experience or education requirements; these are generally determined by the employer based on the position.

Foreign professionals and stateless persons cannot be appointed to positions or perform work that requires Ukrainian citizenship.

The employer is responsible for submitting the application for a General Work Permit on behalf of the foreign employee.

The application is submitted personally or via an authorised representative to the territorial authority of the central executive body responsible for employment and labour migration, either in paper or electronic form.

Required documents (depending on the category of foreign employee) include, among others, the draft employment contract certified by the employer, copies of the foreign employer’s contract and proof of employment abroad (for seconded professionals), and

a transfer decision and local employment contract (for group transfers).

Very fast - the processing time for a General Work Permit is typically up to 7 days.

Yes & no - A foreign employee can change employer; however, the work permit is issued for a specific employer and position.

When the employment contract with the current employer ends, the existing work permit becomes invalid.

Employment without a work permit

Foreign professionals and stateless persons may work in Ukraine without a work permit if they belong to a designated category. This includes highly skilled foreign specialists and workers who may enter based on an immigration permit, if their professions are included in the list of in-demand occupations approved annually by the Ministry of Economy.

It also covers foreign tech professionals who have been offered a ‘gig contract’ with a Diia.City resident entity; participants in international technical assistance projects; and teachers and researchers invited to Ukrainian institutions of higher education.

The type of permit and its duration depend on the specific category of foreign professional or stateless person.

Highly skilled foreign specialists and workers may enter Ukraine based on an immigration permit, without obtaining a work permit. Upon arrival in Ukraine, the individual must obtain a permanent residence permit, issued for 10 years.

For researchers, the right to work without a permit is based on the document they already hold, such as a permanent residence permit, immigration permit, refugee certificate, or stateless person certificate.

For other certain categories (e.g. participants in international technical assistance projects, or foreign IT professionals engaged under Diia.City gig contracts), it is necessary to obtain a temporary residence permit.

For highly skilled foreign specialists and workers whose expertise is considered critical for the national economy, the list of eligible professions and requirements is set out annually by the Ministry of Economy of Ukraine. Typical categories include: IT specialists, technical workers, and medical workers.

Most positions require work experience in the specialty: at least 3 years for specialists and 1 year for other workers. For specialists, the 3 year experience can be accumulated within the last seven years. Additional requirements to confirm a specialist’s qualifications vary by position but often include a higher education diploma in the relevant field.

For other categories of employees exempt from a work permit, eligibility generally requires proof of qualifications, such as diplomas, professional certificates, or other evidence, depending on the specific category.

The procedure depends on the employee category.

Highly skilled specialists in in-demand occupations  apply personally for an immigration permit. They do not require a separate work permit.

Other categories may enter Ukraine with the relevant documents they hold. For these employees, a general work permit is not required, and no separate employer application for a work permit is needed.

The supporting evidence required depends on the category, but generally includes proof of eligibility for the specific exemption (e.g. immigration permit, gig contract, official invitation, or other documents).

Slow - For highly skilled specialists that are required to obtain immigration permits, the application is processed within six months.

Other requirements

In general, the salary for employees and gig specialists is set in the employment or gig contract.

However, the employer must ensure that the average monthly remuneration for employees and gig specialists is at least the equivalent of EUR 1,200.

The average monthly remuneration is calculated as the total payments made by the company to employees and gig specialists in a given calendar month (before taxes, fees, and other mandatory deductions) divided by the total number of employees and gig specialists who received such payments during that month.