A temporary residence permit (TRP, also called TRC) is the card the State Migration Service issues to a foreigner who lives in Ukraine on one legal ground: work, study, family or a company stake. It lasts as long as that ground. Pakistani citizens file for it inside Ukraine, after entry on a Type D visa.
TRP and TRC are two English abbreviations for one Ukrainian document, the posvidka na tymchasove prozhyvannia. The State Migration Service calls it a temporary residence permit in English; TRC, temporary residence card, is the other name in use. Both mean the biometric card that turns a stay on a visa into residence. This page defines the term under Law of Ukraine No. 3773-VI “On the Legal Status of Foreigners and Stateless Persons” and Cabinet of Ministers Resolution No. 322, and sets out what it means for an applicant from Pakistan.
- 01A groundWork permit, enrolment, family tie or company stake
- 02Type D visaEmbassy of Ukraine, via VFS in Pakistan
- 03Entry and addressRental agreement or owner’s title documents
- 04File at the migration serviceAt least 15 working days before your stay ends
- 05TRP cardWithin 15 working days of acceptance
The grounds, and how long each card lasts
Article 4 of Law No. 3773-VI lists the grounds on which a foreigner may live in Ukraine on a TRP. The card records the ground, and its term follows it. The grounds that matter most for Pakistani applicants:
| Ground | Law No. 3773-VI | Card validity (State Migration Service) |
|---|---|---|
| Employment on a work permit | Art. 4, part 4 | The term of the employment contract, inside the work permit’s term (up to 2 years, Law No. 5067-VI, Art. 42-3) |
| Studies at a Ukrainian institution | Art. 4, part 13 | The study period set by the institution’s order |
| Founder or participant with at least EUR 100,000 in the company | Art. 4, part 12 | Two years |
| Marriage to, or reunification with, a Ukrainian citizen | Art. 4, part 14 | One year, then exchanged; the ground lasts until permanent residence or citizenship |
| Family member of a holder on the grounds above | Art. 4, part 15 | The same period as the main holder’s ground |
Other grounds in Article 4 (technical-assistance projects, religious work, branches of foreign companies, foreign media) follow the same logic: the card lasts as long as the activity. The founder ground needs foreign investment of at least EUR 100,000 in the company's charter capital; below that amount a founder works for the company on a work permit, as set out in our founder route guide.
Visa, TRP and permanent residence: three statuses
A Type D visa is an entry document. The Embassy of Ukraine issues it in your passport, and for a Pakistani citizen it is the way in for any long stay. The TRP is residence: the State Migration Service issues it after you arrive, and it is the status you live on. Permanent residence is a third status with its own card, granted only after an immigration permit under the Law “On Immigration”. The differences are set out in TRP vs permanent residence, and the visa itself in work permit vs visa.
Where and when you file
- In person, at the State Migration Service in Ukraine, after entry on a Type D visa issued for the purpose of your stay.
- No later than 15 working days before your permitted stay ends (Resolution No. 322, para. 17).
- With proof of your place of residence: a rental agreement or the owner's title documents.
- The card is issued within 15 working days of the documents being accepted (Resolution No. 322, para. 5).
- Renewal works as an exchange: you file for a new card before the current one expires, with the ground still valid; with fewer than 15 working days left, only at a DMSU territorial office (Resolution No. 322, para. 19).
The document list, the address step and the filing are covered in our residence permit guide; realistic timing is in the residence permit timeline.
When a TRP ends
The card ends with its ground. On the work ground, when the contract ends the employer asks for the work permit to be revoked (Law No. 5067-VI, Art. 42-10), and the work-based TRP ends with it (Resolution No. 322, para. 63). Moving from one ground to another, for example from study to work, takes the new ground first (the employer's work permit) and then a new TRP application on it. Staying on after the ground has gone is an overstay, with the consequences described in overstay risks.
From TRP to permanent residence
Years on a TRP count toward permanent residence only through the categories of the Law “On Immigration”. Article 4, part 2, item 11 (as amended by Law No. 4191-IX of 8 January 2025) covers foreigners who have lived in Ukraine continuously on a TRP for the last five years on the work, founder and several other grounds of Article 4 (parts 4–6, 8–12 and 15). The study ground (part 13) sits outside that list. A spouse married to a Ukrainian citizen for more than two years applies outside the quota (Article 4, part 3). In every category the immigration permit comes first, and the permanent residence card follows it.
Questions about the Ukrainian TRP
What is a TRC in Ukraine?
How long is a Ukrainian temporary residence permit valid?
How long does it take to get a TRP in Ukraine?
Can I apply for a Ukrainian TRP from Pakistan?
Does a TRP lead to permanent residence in Ukraine?
Is a TRP the same as a Type D visa?
Read next
- Residence permit serviceGround check, address and the State Migration Service file
- Residence permit guideThe TRP procedure from start to card
- TRP vs permanent residenceTwo statuses and the routes between them
- What a residence permit isThe temporary and the permanent card side by side
Sources
Find out which ground can carry your TRP.
Eligibility assessment, $99: the routes open to you in order, an indicative timeline and your first action, in writing within 3 working days.
Last reviewed: 30 October 2026. General information, not legal advice for your case. Residence decisions rest solely with the State Migration Service of Ukraine. Travel to Ukraine is restricted by the war; check current advisories before planning.