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Scam alert · Invitation letters · Pakistan → Ukraine
Fake invitation letter for Ukraine: how to check if it is genuine
Who may invite you, what each visa actually needs, and five checks to run before you pay anyone. A Ukrainian lawyer can read the letter for you.
Direct answer
An invitation letter for Ukraine is genuine when the inviting organisation exists and issued it to you. A study invitation comes only through the official portal studyinukraine.gov.ua, and a work visa rests on the employer’s work permit, never on a letter alone. Check the issuer in the Unified State Register and pay nobody for the letter.
Review my letter · $349Check the company · $199Risk memo signed by a Ukrainian lawyer ($349) or a written company verdict ($199).
- 01Which visa?Study, work or a short visit
- 02Who issued it?University portal, employer with permit, company
- 03Issuer in the registerName, code, address in the EDR
- 04Signatory and detailsDirector or authorised person; your data
- 05Paid for the letter?Stop and get it reviewed
Which visa is the letter for?
| Study (Type D) | A digital Invitation for Study from an accredited university, issued after you apply and accept an offer on studyinukraine.gov.ua. Valid for 6 months; the portal shares invitation data with Ukrainian consulates and the State Border Guard Service. See study in Ukraine from Pakistan. |
|---|---|
| Work (Type D, D-04) | The employer first obtains a work permit from the State Employment Service; you file a certified copy of it with the visa application (Resolution No. 118, para. 8). A job offer or “invitation” without that permit is no basis for a work visa. Read why a job offer is not a visa. |
| Short visit or business trip | Documents that confirm the purpose of the trip, such as a letter from the Ukrainian company you visit. The consulate decides; the letter itself grants nothing, and the company behind it can be checked in the register. |
How to check if an invitation letter is genuine
- Match the letter to the visa. A study invitation comes from the portal, a work visa needs the permit. A “work invitation” offered instead of a permit is the scam itself.
- Find the issuer. Ask for the company’s EDRPOU code and look it up in the Unified State Register. For a university, check that it appears on studyinukraine.gov.ua and that the invitation is in your own portal account.
- Compare name and address. The company name and address on the letter should be the ones in the register; a different address or a slightly different name is a reason to stop.
- Check who signed. The register shows the director. Anyone else signs on a power of attorney or the company’s charter, which the company can show you.
- Follow the money. If anyone asked you to pay for the letter itself, it is a sale of paper. Pay nothing more until the letter is checked.
Signs of a fake invitation letter
| A “work invitation” with no work permit behind it | The work visa file needs a certified copy of the employer’s work permit (Resolution No. 118, para. 8). The letter alone gets you nowhere. |
|---|---|
| A study invitation sent as a Word or PDF file by an agent | Invitations for Study are issued by the university through your account on studyinukraine.gov.ua. |
| Company missing from the Unified State Register | Every Ukrainian company has a register entry with its EDRPOU code, address and director; an individual entrepreneur is listed under their own name. |
| Address or company name differs from the register | A real inviting company writes its registered name and address. |
| Signed by someone who is not the director or an authorised person | The register shows who may sign for the company. Ask for the signatory’s authority. |
| You paid for the letter, to an agent or a personal account | The one official fee for a study invitation is the 3,100 UAH application fee on studyinukraine.gov.ua; employers pay the permit fee themselves. A paid “invitation” is a sale of paper. |
| The same text sent to many applicants | A genuine letter names you, your passport and the purpose of the trip, matching your other documents. |
How a fake invitation letter is made
A fake invitation either borrows a real Ukrainian company’s name and letterhead with a signatory the company never authorised, or names a company that does not exist. The applicant pays for the letter and files it at VFS. The consulate can check the company, the signatory and, for work, the permit record, and the letter fails at that check. The same checks apply to fake work permits and fake job offers.
What happens if you submit a fake letter
- Visa refused. The consular fee is not refunded after a refusal.
- Criminal liability. Knowingly using a forged document is an offence under Article 358, part 4 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine: a fine of up to 50 tax-free minimum incomes, probation or restriction of liberty for up to 2 years.
- Entry ban. The migration service, the SBU or the border guard can ban entry to Ukraine for 3 years (Law No. 3773-VI, Art. 13, part 3).
Already paid for a letter?
Stop further transfers and keep every message, receipt and file. Send us the letter: we check the issuer and the signatory and tell you in writing what the letter is worth before you file it anywhere. If you have already applied with it, book a lawyer consultation ($249) about your exposure. Report the agent to the FIA in Pakistan and to the Embassy of Ukraine in Islamabad.
What we check, and what it costs
| Document review · $349 | Up to 4 documents (invitation, offer, contract, permit): authenticity indicators, compliance flags and a risk memo signed by a Ukrainian lawyer in 3–5 days. Document review |
|---|---|
| Company check · $199 | Register extract, tax activity, who may sign for the company, court records; GO / CAUTION / STOP in 2–3 working days. Employer verification |
| Eligibility assessment · $99 | Which lawful route to Ukraine fits you, in writing within 3 working days. |
Invitation letter questions
How do I know if my Ukraine invitation letter is real or fake?
Find out what visa it is for and who issued it. A study invitation is issued through the official portal studyinukraine.gov.ua; a work visa rests on the employer’s work permit. Check the inviting company and the person who signed in the Unified State Register. If the issuer cannot be found or you were asked to pay for the letter, stop.
Can I get a Ukrainian work visa with only an invitation letter?
No. The Type D work visa file includes a certified copy of the work permit the Ukrainian employer obtained from the State Employment Service (Cabinet of Ministers Resolution No. 118, para. 8). A letter from a company, however official it looks, does not replace the permit.
How do I check a Ukrainian university invitation?
A genuine Invitation for Study is a digital document the university issues after you apply and accept an offer on studyinukraine.gov.ua, the official portal of the Ukrainian State Center for International Education. It is valid for 6 months, and the portal states that invitation data is shared with Ukrainian consulates and the State Border Guard Service.
Should I pay someone for an invitation letter?
For a study invitation, the only official cost is the one-time 3,100 UAH application fee paid on the portal. On the work route the employer pays the state fee for the permit. A “letter fee” paid to an agent or a personal account buys paper that the inviting organisation never issued.
What happens if I submit a fake invitation letter?
The visa is refused. Knowingly using a forged document is an offence under Article 358, part 4 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, and the migration service or border guard can ban entry for 3 years (Law No. 3773-VI, Art. 13, part 3).
Yeh invitation letter asli hai ya naqli — kaise pata karein?
Pehle dekhein letter kis visa ke liye hai aur kis ne jaari kiya. Study ka invitation sirf studyinukraine.gov.ua portal se aata hai; work visa ke liye employer ka work permit zaroori hai. Company ko Unified State Register mein check karein. Letter ke paise maange jaayen to ruk jaayen. Hum $349 mein letter aur documents check karte hain.
Read next
Official sources
Study in Ukraine — official portal of the Ukrainian State Center for International Education
studyinukraine.gov.ua
.gov.ua
Cabinet of Ministers Resolution No. 118 (visa rules), para. 8
zakon.rada.gov.ua
.gov.ua
Unified State Register — check the inviting company
usr.minjust.gov.ua
.gov.ua
Criminal Code of Ukraine, Article 358
zakon.rada.gov.ua
.gov.ua
Before you file it at VFS
Send us the letter. We tell you in writing whether it holds up.
Document review, $349, up to 4 documents, risk memo in 3–5 days. Only need the company checked? $199, verdict in 2–3 working days.
Last reviewed: 30 October 2026. Visa decisions rest solely with the consular officers of Ukraine.