A Ukrainian work permit is issued to the employer, which files five documents with the regional employment centre of the State Employment Service. The decision is due within 7 working days (Law No. 5067-VI, Art. 42-6), appears on the service’s website within 2 working days, and the permit lasts up to 2 years for hired employees.
- 01Draft contractAgreed and certified by the employer
- 02Filing5 documents · regional employment centre
- 03Review≤7 working days (Art. 42-6)
- 04Decision published≤2 working days (Art. 42-7)
- 05Copy to youCertified copy for the D-04 visa
This guide follows the permit itself, from the draft contract to the copy you take to VFS. For the whole route from Pakistan see Ukraine work visa from Pakistan; for the document list, the requirements checklist.
Step 1 — The employer is the applicant
The work permit (dozvil na zastosuvannia pratsi inozemtsiv) authorises one employer to employ one foreign national in one position. The applicant is the Ukrainian employer: a company or individual entrepreneur recorded in the Unified State Register. You and the employer agree the draft employment contract, which the employer certifies. Art. 42-9 lists every ground for refusal, and the availability of Ukrainian candidates for the job is not one of them, so no labour-market test applies.
Step 2 — Filing five documents
The employer files with the regional employment centre for the place where you will work: the application form, copies of your passport data pages with a certified Ukrainian translation, a 3.5 × 4.5 cm colour photo, the certified draft contract and proof of the fee (Art. 42-2). The centre pulls the employer’s register data itself, and its officials may not demand other documents. Documents issued in Pakistan are apostilled, and the translator’s signature on a Ukrainian translation is notarised (Art. 42-2, part 6).
The fee is the employer’s: 3, 5, 8 or 10 subsistence minimums for a term of up to 6 months, 1 year, 2 years or 3 years (Art. 42-4).
Step 3 — Review within 7 working days
The centre decides within up to 7 working days of registering the application (Art. 42-6). If a document is missing or defective, review is paused and the employer has 7 working days to correct it (Art. 42-8). A refusal is possible only on the grounds listed in Art. 42-9, and the written decision must state them; absence of the employer from the register is one of them.
Step 4 — Decision published
The decision appears on the State Employment Service website within 2 working days (Art. 42-7). This is your check: look up the decision and the employer’s EDRPOU code in the Unified State Register. If either cannot be found, treat the “permit” as fake and pay nothing more — see how to spot a fake work permit.
Step 5 — Your copy for the visa
The employer sends you a certified copy of the permit for the Type D work visa file (Resolution No. 118, para. 8). With it you apply at VFS for the D-04 visa (USD 404): Type D visa process from Pakistan.
Legal deadlines at a glance
| New permit decision | Up to 7 working days from registration (Art. 42-6) |
|---|---|
| Incomplete file | Paused; 7 working days for the employer to correct (Art. 42-8) |
| Publication | Within 2 working days of the decision (Art. 42-7) |
| Validity | Up to 2 years for hired employees; up to 3 years for seconded workers and intra-corporate transferees (Art. 42-3) |
| Extension | Filed 20–50 calendar days before expiry; decision within up to 3 working days (Art. 42-6) |
| Type D visa after the permit | Up to 10 working days; up to 30 with checks (Resolution No. 118, para. 19) |
Changes, renewal and the end of the contract
- New employer: a new permit, filed by the new employer.
- New position, new passport, renamed employer: an amendment to the existing permit (Art. 42-5).
- Renewal: the employer files 20–50 calendar days before expiry; the fee is one subsistence minimum lower (Art. 42-4).
- Contract ends: the employer asks for the permit to be revoked (Art. 42-10), and a work-based residence permit is revoked on the employer’s request (Resolution No. 322, para. 63). Get advice before the contract ends.
Where permit files stall
The centre pauses a file (Art. 42-8) when documents are incomplete or not in the required form, such as a translation without a notarised translator signature, when they contain false data, or when the draft contract breaches Ukrainian labour law, for example with a salary below the minimum wage, UAH 8,647 a month in 2026. It refuses (Art. 42-9) when the employer has no record in the Unified State Register or its termination is recorded there. Before you sign, check that the role and salary in the draft contract match the offer you were given — see Ukraine salary for Pakistani workers.
Work permit procedure questions
Who applies for the Ukrainian work permit — me or the employer?
How long does a Ukraine work permit take to be issued?
How much does the work permit cost, and who pays?
Can I start work in Ukraine before the permit is issued?
How do I check that my work permit is real?
What happens to the permit if I change job or the contract ends?
Official sources
We run the employer-side permit file with your Ukrainian employer.
Start with the $99 eligibility assessment; filing work is quoted in writing after the employer is verified. Details: Ukraine work permit service.
Last reviewed: 30 October 2026. Articles of Law No. 5067-VI as checked on 4 October 2026. The decision rests solely with the State Employment Service.