Permission to Use the Work of Foreigners in Ukraine

When a foreigner comes to Ukraine and seeks to settle his life here, he faces many new needs. One of them is legally getting a job that will provide a person with material living conditions. Our country is quite friendly in this sense, and the economy provides many opportunities for foreigners to live here comfortably and earn money.

Permission to use the work of foreigners in Ukraine is provided by current legislation. And the specialists of our company will be happy to provide advice on the detailed nuances of applying legal norms. This will help you if you are a foreigner and want to learn about the basic aspects of applying for a work permit. Such consulting and legal support are also appropriate in cases of a person close to you or a foreigner relative looking for work in Ukraine. Such awareness is no less important for an employer who is interested in the work of foreign specialists, whom he sees as promising employees for himself.

Employment Permit: When it is Needed and When it is Not

If we analyze the law of Ukraine “On Employment”, we can conclude that in most cases, a work permit for foreigners is still needed. However, there are some exceptions. For example, among them:

• Employment under a gig contract. This is a fairly new form of the employer-employee relationship. Such a contract contains features of traditional employment and civil law contracts. The employee retains some of the benefits of regular employment, but it is a more democratic form of cooperation. At the same time, the employer does not bear such a heavy tax burden as in traditional cooperation, so IT companies often use this opportunity. At the same time, if a foreign gig specialist chooses to obtain an employment permit, it will expand his rights under current Ukrainian legislation.
• Part-time employment. However, there is one important condition. Part-time work should not be longer than the main employment for which the permit has already been obtained.

There are also certain categories of citizens for whom a permit is not required. For example, they include refugees and those who have received an immigration permit. By the way, the law firm “Status Co” also provides services related to the legal support of obtaining an immigration permit. You can read more about it on our website and contact our specialists for clarification.

There are also several categories of people who do not need a work permit in Ukraine. Therefore, when a client approaches us, we address this issue in detail to act in his interests and make the most of the opportunities offered by Ukrainian law.

The Procedure for Obtaining a Permit

The employer must submit several documents to the territorial body, which represents the central body of the executive branch, on the spot. Including:

• a statement, the form of which is clearly defined by the Cabinet of Ministers;
• copies of passport pages containing personal data, with a translation, the authenticity of which is duly certified;
• color photo 3.5×4.5 cm;
• a copy of the employment contract or gig contract.

There are several document requirements for certain categories of citizens. Our lawyers will tell you about all this in detail so that the procedure for obtaining a permit is possible without complications and delays.

Salary

One of the most exciting changes is the minimum wage for expatriate employees. From now on, an employer can obtain a work permit subject to a minimum wage of:

1) five minimum wages – to foreign employees in public associations, charitable organizations and educational institutions;

2) ten minimum wages – such categories as foreign employees, internal corporate assignees, foreigners and stateless persons, in respect of whom a decision has been made to draw up documents to resolve the issue of recognition as a refugee or a person, requires additional protection …

Important!

The minimum wage requirement does not apply in the case of obtaining a work permit for special categories of foreigners and stateless persons.

Validity of The Permit

This term is determined according to the category of citizens who receive a work permit. For different groups of foreigners, it can be up to three years. For example, a 3-year term is possible for foreigners who are posted, workers.

It is possible that someone immediately had a question about what to do in the case of an employee who has a good relationship with the Ukrainian company that provided him with a job. Here, too, legislators have foreseen everything. The permit can be extended an unlimited number of times, as long as there are good reasons. Thus, Ukraine has provided everything so that people from other countries who want to work here have the appropriate conditions – legally supported and provided.

How Much Does it Cost to Get a Foreigner’s Employment Permit?

The employer must pay the following:

• if you need a work permit for a foreigner who will work in Ukraine for 1 to 3 years, you must pay the amount of 6 subsistence minimums, which are set for non-disabled persons;
• When the permit must be for six months to 1 year, the amount is slightly less. These are 4 subsistence minimums;
• In short-term employment for less than six months, the amount will be even smaller – at the level of 2 subsistence minimums.

If we are talking about the extension of the employment permit, the amount also depends on the specific period. It is very important to pay this fee on time. It will be revoked if this does not happen within 10 working days of obtaining the permit. Therefore, keep in mind these requirements; they are fundamentally important.

Renewal of Work Permit for Foreigners: Conditions

To renew such a permit, you must apply to the same territorial authority that issued the permit. At the same time, the employer should take care to submit this application no later than 20 days before the expiration of the previous work permit for his foreign employee in Ukraine.

As for the terms, the permit is issued within 7 days (working days are counted). And the extension of the permit is faster. Within 3 days from the moment the employer applies, he can wait for a response.

And what’s next?

When the permit is obtained, the employer’s interaction with the territorial body that issued it is not completed. No later than 90 days from the permit’s issuance date, the employer must enter into an employment contract with a foreign national whom he employs. Another 10 days are given to provide a copy to the relevant territorial body. In this way, the state regulates this issue.

What do You Need the Services of Qualified Lawyers

Sometimes people think that they will deal with the law on a covered topic on their own – especially since it is publicly available. However, the current regulations of Ukraine are complex and contain many nuances, not knowing what the risks are:

• submit an insufficient list of documents and waste your time obtaining a permit;
• not to understand in which cases the procedure for obtaining it is simplified and where it is not needed at all;
• miss important deadlines and waste efforts without getting results.

Consulting and legal support for obtaining a work permit for foreigners is an important part of our team’s work. We have sufficient experience and do everything necessary to provide our clients with the desired result as quickly and efficiently as possible. Contact us, and we will advise you and tell you everything that will be necessary for you from our practice. Status Co Law Firm is an expert in its field who takes care of the successful resolution of your legal issues.

Normative base: 

Law of Ukraine “On Employment”, Article 42.

Useful information:

• Obtaining a work permit for foreigners in Ukraine in 2024: Key points
• The cost of obtaining a work permit in Ukraine
• Special conditions for obtaining a work permit for citizens of Belarus and Russia in Ukraine
• Obtaining a work permit for international students in Ukraine
• Obtaining a work permit for seconded foreign employees in Ukraine
• Basic requirements for employers regarding the employment of foreigners