A Ukrainian work permit is a decision of the State Employment Service issued to a named employer for you, a specific position and a term of up to 2 years. Read it against three records: the decision published on the service's website within 2 working days, the employer's EDRPOU code in the state register, and your contract and passport.
Every Ukrainian work permit ties together one employer, one job and one person, and fraudsters copy it for exactly that reason. Reading it well means checking that every detail on it points to the same employer, the same job and the same person as your contract and passport. This guide follows the permit procedure in Law of Ukraine No. 5067-VI “On Employment of the Population”, Articles 42-1 to 42-10, and turns it into checks you can run before paying anyone. For warning signs of forgeries, see the companion page fake work permit: how to check if it is real.
- 01Published decisionState Employment Service site, ≤2 working days (Art. 42-7)
- 02Employer in the registerEDRPOU code, active status
- 03Position and termMatch the contract; up to 2 years (Art. 42-3)
- 04Your passportNew passport = amended permit (Art. 42-5)
- 05Copy to the embassyEmployer sends it for the D-04 visa (Res. 118, para. 8)
Who issues the permit and to whom
The employer files the application with the regional employment centre where you will work: the application form, copies of your passport pages with a certified Ukrainian translation, a colour photo, the certified draft employment contract and proof of the fee (Art. 42-2). The centre decides within up to 7 working days (Art. 42-6) and may refuse only on the grounds listed in Art. 42-9. The permit therefore always names a Ukrainian employer; a document that calls itself a permit “issued to” you by an agency or a “migration office” fails the first check. Background: what a work permit is.
Seven details to check
The decision is published
The regional employment centre decides within up to 7 working days (Art. 42-6) and publishes the decision on the State Employment Service website within 2 working days (Art. 42-7). Ask for the decision date and look it up.
The employer exists and is active
Find the employer by its 8-digit EDRPOU code in the Unified State Register (usr.minjust.gov.ua). A company in liquidation or with a different name or address than on your papers is a reason to stop.
The signatory can bind the company
The register names the director. A contract or letter signed by someone else needs a power of attorney you can see.
The position matches your contract
The permit covers a specific position with that employer. A different job title in the contract, or a new position later, needs an amended permit (Art. 42-5).
The salary is lawful
The draft contract filed with the application (Art. 42-2) cannot pay less than the national minimum wage, UAH 8,647 a month in 2026 (Law No. 4695-IX).
The term makes sense
A permit for hired employees runs up to 2 years; up to 3 years for seconded workers and intra-corporate transferees (Art. 42-3). The employer pays the fee (Art. 42-4).
Your passport details are the ones in your hand
The application includes copies of your passport pages (Art. 42-2). If you renewed your passport, the permit is amended (Art. 42-5) before the visa.
Checks 2 and 3 are the core of our employer verification. The employer checklist explains each check and its warning signs.
Where the decision goes after it is issued
Within 3 working days the decision is sent electronically to the State Border Guard Service, the State Migration Service, the National Police, the State Labour Service and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Art. 42-7). For the D-04 work visa, the employer sends a certified copy of the permit (Resolution No. 118, para. 8), and you apply through VFS with a USD 404 consular fee. The border guard and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs receive this record, so a paper with no published decision behind it is the clearest sign of a fake.
Wording that does not belong on a permit
- A guaranteed visa: the visa is a separate decision of the Embassy of Ukraine (Resolution No. 118, para. 19).
- A permit fee to be paid by you to an agent: the law puts the fee on the employer (Art. 42-4).
- No employer name or EDRPOU code, or a code that returns a different company.
- A position or salary that differs from your contract.
- A term longer than the law allows for your category (Art. 42-3).
After the permit: visa and residence
With the permit and the D-04 visa you enter Ukraine and file a temporary residence permit at the State Migration Service. When the contract ends, the employer asks for the permit to be revoked (Art. 42-10), and the work-based residence permit goes with it (Resolution No. 322, para. 63). The full order of documents is in job offer, work permit, visa and residence permit, and the procedure from the employer's side is in the work permit guide.
Questions about Ukrainian work permits
How do I check if a Ukrainian work permit is real?
What details does a Ukrainian work permit tie together?
How long is a Ukrainian work permit valid?
Who pays for the work permit?
Can I get a Ukrainian work permit in my own name without an employer?
Does the work permit let me travel to Ukraine?
Read next
- Fake work permit: how to check if it is realSeven warning signs and what to do if you already paid
- Employer verification, $199Register, signatory and court records of a Ukrainian company
- Ukraine work permit guideThe employer’s five documents and the timeline
- The “freelance work permit” offerWhy a permit always names an employer
Sources
Check the employer behind your permit before you pay.
Employer verification, $199: register, tax, signatory and court checks on the Ukrainian company, with a written GO / CAUTION / STOP report in 2–3 working days. Contract or invitation to check as well? Document review, $349.
Last reviewed: 30 October 2026. General information, not legal advice for your case. Permit, visa and residence decisions rest solely with the Ukrainian authorities.