Ukrainian immigration terms, defined: work permit, visa, residence permit, TOV

Nine terms that appear on Ukrainian immigration files, each defined from the Ukrainian law that creates it, with the Ukrainian name you will see on the documents and the article to check.

Short answer

A work permit lets a named Ukrainian employer employ a named foreigner. A Type D visa lets that foreigner enter Ukraine for a long stay. A temporary residence permit is the card they then live on, tied to one ground such as work or study. Permanent residence needs a separate immigration permit.

Eligibility assessment · $99 Document review · $349Your route in order, or your Ukrainian papers checked by a lawyer.

Glossary

Nine terms, one line each

Term	Definition	Law
Work permitдозвіл на застосування праці іноземців	Lets a named Ukrainian employer employ a named foreigner. Decided within 7 working days, valid up to 2 years (3 for seconded workers), fee paid by the employer.	Law 5067-VI, Arts. 42-3, 42-4, 42-6
Work permit vs work visaдозвіл · віза типу D	The permit lets the employer hire you; the D-04 visa, USD 404 for Pakistani citizens, lets you enter. Different issuers, permit first.	Law 5067-VI; Res. 118
The four documentsпропозиція роботи · дозвіл · віза · посвідка	Job offer, work permit, D-04 visa and residence permit, in that order; each one is issued on the one before it.	Law 5067-VI; Res. 118, 322
Residence permitпосвідка на проживання	The card a foreigner lives on: temporary, tied to one ground, or permanent, a 10-year card after an immigration permit.	Law 3773-VI; Law 2491-III
TRP / TRCпосвідка на тимчасове проживання	The temporary card on one ground: work, study, family or a company stake. Filed 15 working days before the stay ends, issued within 15.	Law 3773-VI, Art. 4; Res. 322
TRP vs permanent residenceтимчасове · постійне проживання	A TRP follows its ground; permanent residence needs an immigration permit in a category such as 5 years on a TRP or marriage over 2 years.	Law 2491-III, Art. 4
Invitation letterзапрошення	Issued by a university, company or private host for some visa types. A D-04 work visa rests on the work permit, and a study visa on the digital Invitation for Study.	Res. 118
TOV (Ukrainian LLC)товариство з обмеженою відповідальністю	A company whose participants risk only their contributions: 100% foreign ownership allowed, no minimum capital, registered within 24 hours.	Law 2275-VIII; Law 755-IV
Business immigrationпосвідка на тимчасове проживання (засновник)	Residence on a business ground: a founder with at least EUR 100,000 invested gets a 2-year permit; below that, a work permit from your own company.	Law 3773-VI, Art. 4, part 12

Each term links to its full definition with sources. Laws No. 5067-VI, 3773-VI, 2491-III, 2275-VIII, 755-IV; Cabinet Resolutions No. 118 and 322; D-04 fee from the Embassy of Ukraine tariff for Pakistani citizens, 1 August 2024. The texts themselves are listed in Ukrainian immigration law: the acts we cite.

Why the words matter

The same words, used loosely

Some offers in Pakistan blur these terms: a “work visa” sold without a work permit, an “invitation” presented as if it were the visa, “residence included” with a company. Each term above has a legal owner and an order. The employer obtains the permit, the embassy issues the visa, the State Migration Service issues the card. When a document claims to be one of them, check it against its definition and the public record: how to check if a work permit is real and how to spot a fake invitation letter.

The procedures behind the terms are in the immigration guides; the work route itself in Ukraine work visa requirements for Pakistani applicants.

Questions

Legal definitions: short answers

What is the difference between a work permit and a work visa in Ukraine?

The work permit is issued to the Ukrainian employer by the State Employment Service and allows it to employ you; it is decided within 7 working days and the employer pays the fee. The D-04 work visa is issued to you by the Embassy of Ukraine, on a copy of that permit, and allows you to enter. The permit always comes first.

What is a TRP or TRC in Ukraine?

Both names mean the temporary residence permit, посвідка на тимчасове проживання: the card a foreigner lives on in Ukraine. It is issued on one ground, such as work, study, family or a company stake, by the State Migration Service within 15 working days, and lasts as long as its ground allows.

What is an immigration permit in Ukraine?

It is the decision that opens permanent residence. The Law “On Immigration”, Article 4, lists the categories, for example five years of continuous residence on a TRP on the work or founder grounds, or marriage to a Ukrainian citizen for more than two years. The permanent residence card is applied for after the permit.

What does TOV mean?

TOV, товариство з обмеженою відповідальністю, is the Ukrainian limited liability company under Law No. 2275-VIII. A foreigner can own 100% of it, the law sets no minimum capital, and contributions are paid within six months of registration unless the charter says otherwise.

Is an invitation letter the same as a Ukrainian visa?

An invitation is one of the documents some visa types are issued on; the visa itself is decided by the Embassy of Ukraine. For a Pakistani worker the D-04 visa rests on the employer’s work permit, and for a student on the digital Invitation for Study issued through the official portal.

From definitions to your file

Know which route fits your case, and in what order.

Eligibility assessment, $99: a lawyer-validated written note on the routes that fit your case, in order, with an indicative timeline and your first action. Holding a permit, invitation or contract already? Document review, $349: a lawyer reviews up to 4 Ukrainian documents and signs a risk memo, with a 30-minute call, within 3–5 working days.

Eligibility assessment · $99 Document review · $349 WhatsApp

Last reviewed: 31 October 2026. Definitions follow the cited Ukrainian laws and Cabinet resolutions; the authorities named decide every application. General information, not legal advice.