Do not book any travel until your D-visa is physically in your passport and you have verified the visa details (name, passport number, dates, category). Rebooking or cancelling international tickets is expensive. Arriving at the Ukrainian border without a valid visa or with an expired visa is grounds for immediate refusal of entry and return to Bangladesh at your own cost.
How to Reach Ukraine from Dhaka
Air travel to Ukraine has been suspended since 24 February 2022, when Ukrainian airports closed to civilian flights. Workers enter Ukraine overland: they fly from Dhaka to a neighbouring country, such as Poland, Romania or Moldova, and cross into Ukraine at a road or rail checkpoint on the land border.
The Ukrainian D-visa covers entry to Ukraine only. Entering Poland, Romania or Moldova on the way requires that country's own visa or entry permission, so check its rules with that country's mission before you buy tickets. Before booking, also check whether civilian flights to Ukraine have resumed on the official site of the State Aviation Service of Ukraine.
Agree the entry country, the checkpoint and the onward travel to your workplace with your employer before you book. Waiting times at land checkpoints vary, so leave a buffer before any appointment in Ukraine.
Documents to Carry in Hand Luggage
These documents must be in your hand luggage — not checked. If your checked bag is lost or delayed, a missing employment document can cause serious problems at immigration.
| Passport | Original — with D-visa affixed and all previous Ukraine entry stamps if applicable |
|---|---|
| Work permit | Certified copy of the permit. The State Employment Service issues the permit to your employer on a paper A5 security form with your photo (Cabinet Resolution No. 68 of 24.01.2023); the same certified copy goes into your visa file (Resolution No. 118, para. 8). For the residence permit application the employer gives you the original to show at the migration service, which returns it (Resolution No. 322, para. 33) |
| Employment contract | Original signed by both parties, with Ukrainian translation attached |
| Employer contact details | Full legal name of company, EDRPOU number, registered address, director's name, direct phone number (Ukrainian mobile or landline) |
| Accommodation address | Full address in Ukraine for your first night — required at immigration if asked |
| BMET Smart Card | Your BMET pre-departure registration card and clearance confirmation |
| Medical insurance policy | Physical copy — not just a digital file. Coverage must meet the minimum requirements stated on your visa. |
| Bank statement | Recent printout showing sufficient funds — useful if immigration questions your financial means |
Ukrainian Border Entry at a Land Checkpoint
Border control at the checkpoint is carried out by the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine, followed by customs. The procedure is the same at road and rail checkpoints.
Passport control
Approach the immigration officer and present your passport open to the D-visa page. Have your work permit and employment contract ready to show but do not present them unless asked — the officer will request what they need. Common questions at immigration include:
- "What is the purpose of your visit?" — Answer: employment
- "Where are you going?" — Provide employer address or destination city
- "Do you have a job offer?" — Show work permit
- "How long are you planning to stay?" — State the duration of your work permit
Answer clearly and briefly. If an officer asks to see your employment contract or work permit, provide it without hesitation. Do not offer unsolicited information.
Entry stamp
The officer stamps your passport with the entry date and entry point. This stamp is legally significant. It starts your permitted stay; TRP documents are due no later than 15 working days before that stay ends (Resolution No. 322, para. 17). Do not fold, mark, or damage the entry stamp page. If you ever renew or extend your stay, immigration officers will check that this stamp exists and is legible.
Customs declaration
Cash equal to or above the equivalent of EUR 10,000 must be declared in writing to customs when you enter Ukraine (National Bank of Ukraine Resolution No. 3 of 02.01.2019, paras 5–6). Below that amount no written declaration is needed, which covers most workers arriving with travel funds.
Do not carry undeclared items requested by others — this is a customs and criminal law risk regardless of how the item was described to you.
Even a single day of overstay on a Ukrainian visa or after TRP expiry triggers legal consequences: a fine of 30–50 tax-free minimum incomes (Code of Administrative Offences, Art. 203) and a possible forced-return decision with a 3-year entry ban (Law No. 3773-VI, Arts. 13, 26). These consequences persist even if you subsequently obtain a work permit. Never rely on an agent's assurance that overstay "will be fixed later." It cannot be fixed from inside Ukraine without formal legal proceedings.
Safety and Conflict Context
Ukraine is engaged in an ongoing armed conflict in its eastern and southern oblasts. Most Bangladeshi workers are employed in western and central Ukraine — Kyiv, Lviv, Vinnytsia, Khmelnytskyi, Ivano-Frankivsk — which are significantly removed from active front-line areas. However, air raid alerts occur across the country, including Kyiv.
Before departure and immediately upon arrival, take the following steps:
- Download the єАлерт app (available on iOS and Android) before you depart Dhaka. This is the official Ukrainian air raid alert application — it sends real-time notifications when an air raid alert is issued for your region. Having this app active is not optional; it is a basic safety requirement for living in Ukraine.
- At the border checkpoint and at railway stations, shelter locations are marked by signage — note them during transit and follow staff instructions during an alert.
- Ask your employer on Day 1 to show you the nearest shelter to your accommodation and to your workplace.
- Register your presence with the Embassy of Bangladesh in Warsaw (accredited to Ukraine) after arrival — contact details are available at mofa.gov.bd.
The First 72 Hours After Arrival
The first three days in Ukraine set up everything that follows: your address, your phone contacts and your bank account.
Address documents for the TRP
DMSU checks the address you state in the TRP application. A lease or the owner's title document confirms it; without one, DMSU officers check the address with a home visit (Resolution No. 322, paras. 32 and 36-1). Residence registration follows the TRP: within 30 calendar days of receiving it (Law No. 1871-IX, Art. 5(5)).
Your employer should have arranged this in advance. Confirm on Day 1 that they have done so or are doing so immediately. Do not assume it has happened — ask for the lease or the document that confirms your right to live at the address, and keep a copy.
Save emergency numbers
Add these numbers to your phone immediately:
- 112 — General emergency (police, fire, ambulance)
- 102 — Police
- 103 — Ambulance
- 101 — Fire service
- Your employer's Ukrainian mobile number
- Embassy of Bangladesh in Warsaw, accredited to Ukraine: verify current number at mofa.gov.bd before departure
Open a Ukrainian bank account
Your employer is legally required to pay your salary in UAH by bank transfer to a Ukrainian account. Opening a personal current account requires your passport, TRP (once issued), and in some banks a Ukrainian tax identification number (РНОКПП / IPN). Your employer should assist with this process — many Ukrainian banks have English-speaking branch staff and can process account opening within 1–2 days.
For remittance options once you have an account and are receiving salary, see our guide to sending money from Ukraine to Bangladesh.
Submit TRP application to DMSU
This is the most important administrative deadline after arrival. The TRP application must be submitted to the State Migration Service of Ukraine (DMSU) no later than 15 working days before your permitted stay ends (Cabinet of Ministers Resolution No. 322, para. 17). Missing this deadline is a legal violation that can result in fines and complications with your TRP approval.
See the full TRP process and document list in our week-by-week timeline guide (Phase 4) and in our TRP guide for Bangladeshi nationals.
Accommodation: What Should Be Arranged Before You Arrive
Your employer or their designated representative should have confirmed your first night's accommodation before your departure from Dhaka. You should have a full address, a contact name, and a phone number for the person meeting you or managing the accommodation.
If your employer has not arranged accommodation and is vague about first-night arrangements, this is a serious red flag that should prompt you to delay travel and clarify directly — or to stop the engagement entirely if no clear answer is provided. Do not travel to Ukraine with only an assurance that accommodation will be "arranged on arrival" by an unverified contact.
For a broader look at housing, cost of living, and daily life in Ukraine, see our practical guide to living in Ukraine as a Bangladeshi worker.
A smooth entry depends entirely on what you did in the 4–6 months before departure. If you still have questions about whether your documents are in order before you travel, a document review is the most direct check you can do.