Updated: August 7, 2026
Work permit
Permit to employ a foreign national
The base document of the route. Until it exists, a foreign national cannot legally work at the enterprise, and the remaining steps make no sense.
The permit is issued to the enterprise, not to the person. Responsibility for the legality of the work therefore sits with the employer.
In short
What it is and why it matters
The permit gives the enterprise the right to employ a named foreign national in a named position. It is issued by the regional employment centre on the employer's application. The worker is not a party to this procedure: they supply a passport and education documents, and the enterprise files everything else.
- 01
Practical term
Two to four weeks from filing a complete set. An incomplete set is returned and the clock starts again.
- 02
Who applies
The enterprise as employer. In practice an authorised representative acts under a power of attorney; on our projects that is the migration partner.
- 03
Issued to
The enterprise, naming the worker and the position. The permit cannot be transferred to another company.
- 04
Validity
Up to three years, tied to the employer, the position and the stated salary.
Procedure
How it happens, step by step
The order is fixed: you cannot skip a step or swap two around.
- 01
The enterprise decides
We fix the position, the salary and the contract term. The salary cannot be below the statutory minimum for foreign workers, and this is where most applications stumble.
- 02
The document set
We gather the enterprise's and the candidate's papers. Passport and diploma are translated into Ukrainian and the translation is notarised.
- 03
Filing
The application goes to the employment centre where the enterprise is registered. The review period runs from that day.
- 04
State payment
After a positive decision the enterprise pays the statutory charge. The amount depends on the permit term; we state the current figure in the project costing.
- 05
Issue and record-keeping
The permit is issued to the enterprise. We keep a copy in the personnel file: inspectors ask for it.
The set
What the enterprise collects and what the candidate does
We split it plainly so there is no misunderstanding at the start: most of the work falls to the employer.
Prepared by the enterprise
- Register extract and company details
- Power of attorney for the representative
- Draft employment contract with position and salary
- Application in the prescribed form
- Proof of the state payment
Supplied by the candidate
- A copy of the international passport
- A notarised translation of the passport
- Education or qualification documents where the position requires them
- A photograph to the prescribed format
Neither the enterprise nor WORKIN charges the worker for the paperwork. The employer bears the cost of the permit; that is a requirement of the law, not our goodwill.
Risks
Why applications are refused or delayed
Four causes we see more often than any others.
- 01
Salary below the minimum
The most common refusal. The contract must state a sum no lower than the statutory minimum for foreign workers, and that sum must actually be paid.
- 02
An error in the translation
A mismatch in the spelling of a surname between passport and translation sends the whole set back. We check it character by character before filing.
- 03
Starting a shift before the permit
The person is already on site and the permit is not there yet. That is the employer's breach; the fine falls on the enterprise, not on the worker.
- 04
Changing the position without re-issue
The permit is tied to the position. Move the worker to another one and a new decision is required, otherwise the employment becomes unlawful.
Documents
What the enterprise signs as the employer
Migration support runs under a contract with WORKIN, and we prepare the employer's HR documents. The enterprise only needs to sign them.
State fees for the permit and residence permit are paid by the enterprise directly to the state, with no markup.
Questions
What enterprises ask
The answers we give at the first meeting.
Yes, if their stay is lawful. Being in the country does not replace the permit: working without one is not allowed even with a valid residence card.
The enterprise. The law expressly forbids passing this cost to the worker, and we do not do it on any project.
It becomes meaningless: it was issued for a specific employer. A new enterprise obtains its own; someone else's cannot be used.
There is no lawful way to speed it up. The only real way to shorten the term is to file a complete and correct set the first time.
Request
We will cost the term and the papers for your project
- 01A manager reviews the request and clarifies details
- 02You receive a route, a timeline and a cost structure for your project
- 03Any contract decision comes only after the estimate
Need a detailed request? Fill in the employer form
Staffing request