UKRAINE – D Visas and Temporary Residence Permits Available for Dependents
Ukraine’s new legislation defining immigration procedures for accompanying family members of work permit holders, which was signed by Viktor Yanukovych, the president of Ukraine, in October 2011, has now been implemented. The previous legislation made it very complicated for families to relocate to Ukraine together and remain in compliance with the immigration rules, so the change is a welcome one.
New Processes
The new regulations make it possible, firstly, for dependents of work permit holders to apply for long stay type D visas to enter Ukraine and secondly, to apply for temporary residence permits once inside Ukraine. This amends the legislation in force since September 2011 (more details here), which indicated that dependents should apply for Type C visitor visas, which are only valid for a maximum of 90 days out of every 180 day period.
The temporary residence permits will be issued to adult dependent family members, with children under the age of 18 listed on their parents’ permits.
Validity of the temporary residence permits should be in line with the validity of the work permit holder’s residence permit.
Red Flags
- Dependent type D visas will only be issued once the work permit holder has his/her temporary residence permit: i.e. after he/she has arrived in Ukraine. It will not be possible for a family to all apply for type D visas at the same time.
- It should also be noted that Apostilled or legalised birth and marriage certificates will be required at the time of application to prove relationship to the work permit holder. Since the Apostille/legalisation process can take several weeks (depending on the country of issuance of the document), advance planning is essential.
Action Items
- Note that Type D visas and temporary residence permits are now available for dependents of work permit holders.
- Ensure that the dependents of any of your expatriate assignees or employees in Ukraine have all the correct immigration documentation.
- Note that dependent type D visas will only be issued after the main work permit holder has his/her temporary residence permit; i.e. the family cannot all apply for type D visas at the same time.
