A Ukraine work visa for a Pakistani citizen is a Type D visa (D-04, USD 404) issued on the basis of a work permit your Ukrainian employer gets first. The employer files with the State Employment Service (decision within 7 working days), you apply at VFS, and after entry you get a residence permit.
- 01Real employerRegistered company, checked by EDRPOU
- 02Work permitEmployer files · decision ≤7 working days
- 03Your documentsPolice certificate, HEC, MoFA where needed
- 04D-04 visa at VFSUSD 404 · decision ≤10 working days
- 05TRP in UkraineCard within 15 working days
What Pakistanis call a “Ukraine work visa” is a chain of three documents: a work permit issued to the employer, a Type D work visa issued to you, and a temporary residence permit (TRP) issued in Ukraine. Each one rests on the one before it, so the order below is fixed.
Stage 1 — A registered Ukrainian employer
The route starts in Ukraine. Only a company or individual entrepreneur recorded in the Unified State Register can file for your permit, and absence from the register is one of the refusal grounds in Art. 42-9 of Law No. 5067-VI. Ask for the employer’s full name and EDRPOU code before any payment and check it, or let us run an employer verification ($199).
Stage 2 — The employer gets your work permit
The employer files five documents with the State Employment Service: the application form, copies of your passport data pages with a certified Ukrainian translation, a 3.5 × 4.5 cm photo, the draft employment contract and proof of the permit fee (Art. 42-2). Your part is the passport copy, the photo and your signature on the draft contract. The decision is due within 7 working days (Art. 42-6); an incomplete file is paused and the employer has 7 working days to fix it (Art. 42-8). The decision appears on the service’s website within 2 working days (Art. 42-7), which is also how you check the permit is real. Step-by-step detail: how the employer gets the work permit.
Stage 3 — Your Pakistani documents
The visa file and the role decide which Pakistani documents you need. The consul may request a police certificate (Resolution No. 118, para. 10), issued by the District Police Officer and apostilled by MoFA. Degrees go through HEC attestation (PKR 3,000 per document) and the MoFA apostille (PKR 3,000 per document) when the employer or the role needs them; Ukrainian translations carry a notarised translator signature. In our experience this takes 2–4 weeks, depending on your documents. Full list: work permit requirements checklist 2026.
Stage 4 — The Type D work visa at VFS
With a certified copy of the permit from your employer (Resolution No. 118, para. 8) you apply through VFS Global in Islamabad, Karachi or Lahore: passport, visa form, photo, health insurance, the consular fee receipt (USD 404 for D-04, paid in USD at the designated bank) and the permit. The Embassy decides within up to 10 working days, or up to 30 with additional checks (para. 19). VFS collects documents and biometrics; the decision belongs to the consul. More on the visa stage: Type D visa process from Pakistan.
Stage 5 — Entry and the residence permit
After entry on the D-04 visa you file for a temporary residence permit at the State Migration Service no later than 15 working days before your permitted stay ends; the card is issued within 15 working days of the documents being accepted (Resolution No. 322, paras. 5 and 17). The TRP, tied to your work permit, is your status in Ukraine. See the residence permit (TRP) service.
Who does what
| You | Passport copy, photo, signed draft contract; Pakistani documents the visa or role needs; visa application at VFS; TRP after entry |
|---|---|
| Employer | Files the permit, pays its fee (3, 5, 8 or 10 subsistence minimums by term, Art. 42-4), sends you a certified copy |
| State Employment Service | Decides on the permit in up to 7 working days and publishes the decision |
| Embassy of Ukraine (via VFS) | Decides on the D-04 visa in up to 10 working days (30 with checks) |
| State Migration Service | Issues the TRP card within 15 working days of accepted documents |
Realistic timeline
The legal deadlines add up to 34–54 working days: 7 for the permit, 2 to publish it, 10 to 30 for the visa and 15 for the TRP card. Finding a real employer and preparing documents take longer, so in our experience the whole route usually takes 3–6 months; it depends on the case. A faster decision cannot be bought, and a promise of a “work visa in two weeks” is a warning sign. Stage-by-stage detail: work permit processing timeline.
What it costs
Your own fees are the D-04 visa (USD 404), the VFS charge, PKR 3,000 per HEC attestation and PKR 3,000 per MoFA apostille, the police certificate and translation. The permit fee is the employer’s. Full table with sources: Ukraine visa fees from Pakistan. Before you weigh an offer, compare it with the minimum wage in Ukraine.
Ukraine work visa questions
Is a Ukraine work visa the same thing as a work permit?
How long does a Ukraine work visa from Pakistan take?
How much does a Ukraine work visa cost a Pakistani applicant?
Can I go to Ukraine on a visit visa and find work there?
Do I need a job offer before anything else?
Do I need protector clearance (BE&OE) for a Ukraine work visa?
Pakistan-side emigration step: protector clearance (BE&OE) for Ukraine.
Official sources
Find out whether your work route stands up before you pay for it.
$99 eligibility assessment: which lawful routes fit your profile, in what order and with an indicative timeline, in a lawyer-validated written note within 3 working days. For the full employer-side filing, see our Ukraine work permit service.
Last reviewed: 30 October 2026. Legal deadlines checked against Law No. 5067-VI and Cabinet of Ministers Resolutions No. 118 and No. 322; fees against the Embassy of Ukraine tariff (5 October 2026). Permit and visa decisions rest solely with the Ukrainian authorities. Travel to Ukraine is restricted during the war; check current advisories before you plan.