Temporary residence permit in Ukraine through marriage

We were approached by a Client, a citizen of Great Britain, who was planning to move to Ukraine for personal reasons. The point is that previously he often came to Ukraine and started a relationship with a woman living in Kyiv. Eventually they decided to get married, planning to spend time in two countries as a family: Ukraine and the United Kingdom. 

The type of activity of our Client allowed him to work remotely, so he planned to spend most of his time here with his wife. To do this, it was necessary to arrange for him to stay in the country for a longer period than the 90 days allowed to a tourist foreigner.

Our Client wanted to understand in advance what documents he would need to get a legal permit, whether it is possible to do immediately after marriage, and for how long he can get a permit.

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Residence permit: a legal document for residence in Ukraine

Let's briefly talk about what is important to consider when planning your move to Ukraine, by the example of our Client:

• Marriage to a Ukrainian citizen is a direct chance for a residence permit. This means that you will have a basis for the application. There are also other grounds, you can find a list of them here;

• You can only get a permit if you are legally married. Civil marriage will not satisfy the Migration Service; 

For example, our Client at the time of contacting the company for legal services had not yet concluded marriage. But we offered an additional service to arrange an accelerated marriage with a citizen of Ukraine so that they could get married and submit documents for legalization of stay, after which they could safely plan a wedding celebration.

• To obtain a residence permit, you will first need to obtain a visa D (for citizens of the UK and most countries in the world, it is mandatory), and enter Ukraine using it;

• After receiving the Permit, it is very important to get a place of residence in Ukraine.

As for the duration of the permit, it is issued for 1 year, but you will have the opportunity to extend the permit as many times as necessary. And after 2 years you will be able to apply to the Migration Service with documents for immigration. But to obtain citizenship by marriage (it cannot be obtained immediately after marriage), you will need to live in Ukraine uninterruptedly these two years - you can go abroad, leave the territory of Ukraine, but only for short periods.

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Help of the lawyers in obtaining a residence permit in Ukraine

A separate important issue in the process is the proper collection and preparation of documents, which can be difficult for foreigners. But we will clarify here a few of the most important aspects of preparing a package of documents:

• The main thing is a document that confirms the marriage. It can be obtained in Ukraine, as we did for the Client, but a document from another country will do - it just must go through the procedure of confirmation - for example, a translation certified by a notary;

• You will need insurance for 1 year - our lawyers usually make it out in a convenient package;

• Passport, with which a foreigner will enter our country must be current and issued at least half a year before submission to the Migration Service.

The documents must be submitted to the Migration Service, and our lawyer can submit them by proxy. But you have to go there in person for the meeting. But even at this stage, our lawyers accompany the Client and prepare him for the meeting. 

As a result, despite the quarantine and disruptions in the work of the Migration Service, we helped to draw up documents for the stay of a foreigner in Ukraine and the permit was issued in the shortest possible time - 1.5 months, taking into account the marriage and sending documents by the Client.

If you are also planning your stay in Ukraine and you need professional legal assistance, you should contact us. We will take care to find the best solution for your question.

You can find out the cost of residence permit registration here.