Scam material relies on this confusion. A 'work permit' is sold to an applicant who actually receives a printed specimen that is neither a permit nor a visa. By the time the document is checked at a consular window, the applicant has paid in full.
The work permit
Issued by the State Employment Service of Ukraine. Authorises employment of the named foreign national by the named employer. Does not authorise entry.
The visa
Issued by the Ukrainian consulate / Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Authorises entry to Ukrainian territory. For work purposes, the type D long-stay visa is filed on the basis of the issued work permit.
How they sequence
Work permit first, type D visa second. You cannot apply for the type D without the permit. Anyone offering a 'work visa' without first obtaining a permit is selling something that does not exist.
How scams blur them
Forged 'work visa' stickers placed in passports. Marketing language that calls a permit a 'visa' to simplify the sales pitch. Brochures that depict a 'package' without distinguishing the two.
uavisa.pk · Legal definition · Disambiguation · Reviewed February 2026