In Ukraine's work permit system, the employer — not the worker — is the primary applicant. The employer files the work permit application with the State Employment Service (ДСЗ), bears the legal responsibility for the worker's status in Ukraine, and can face fines if employment conditions are not met. Understanding employer eligibility requirements protects you from signing with an employer who cannot legally deliver what they are promising.
1. What makes a Ukrainian employer eligible to sponsor a work permit?
The employer must be a legal entity or individual entrepreneur (FOP) recorded in the Unified State Register, with no registered liquidation or termination. Absence from the register is one of the exhaustive refusal grounds in Art. 42-9 of Law No. 5067-VI. The employer also files the documents listed in Art. 42-2 and pays the permit fee.
For your own protection, also check the employer's tax standing, real business activity and ability to pay the agreed salary before you commit. These checks protect you even though the law does not list them as permit conditions.
2. Can a sole proprietor (FOP) sponsor a work permit?
Yes. The work permit law refers to the employer's status “as a legal entity or an individual entrepreneur” and the employment centre checks that status in the Unified State Register itself (Law No. 5067-VI, Art. 42-2, part 5). A registered FOP that employs staff can therefore apply. Check that the FOP is active in the register and that the draft employment contract names the FOP as the employer.
3. Is there a quota on how many foreign workers an employer can hire?
The work permit chapter of the Law of Ukraine “On Employment of the Population” (No. 5067-VI, Arts. 42–42-10) sets no per-employer quota. The grounds for refusing a permit are listed exhaustively in Art. 42-9, and refusal on any other ground is prohibited. Anyone who tells you a permit failed because of an employer “quota” should show you the written refusal decision, which must list its grounds.
4. Does the employer need to advertise the job locally first?
The law sets no advertising or vacancy-publication period before the application. In the application form the employer confirms that the position is open to non-citizens by law and needs no state-secret clearance (Law No. 5067-VI, Art. 42-2, part 1). Employment-centre officials are prohibited from demanding documents beyond the list in Art. 42-2.
5. What documents must the employer prepare?
The employer is responsible for preparing and submitting the majority of documents in the work permit application. The list in Art. 42-2 of Law No. 5067-VI for a new permit is:
- Application in the form set by the Cabinet of Ministers (заява)
- Copies of the worker's passport data pages with a certified Ukrainian translation
- A colour photo of the worker, 3.5 × 4.5 cm
- Draft employment contract (or gig contract) certified by the employer
- Proof of payment of the permit fee
Seconded workers and intra-corporate transferees file the foreign contract or transfer decision instead of the draft contract. The employment centre pulls the employer's register data itself (Law No. 5067-VI, Art. 42-2).
The employer files the package. Documents issued abroad must be legalised, and a translator's signature on a Ukrainian translation must be notarised (Art. 42-2, part 6).
6. Can I work for multiple Ukrainian employers on one work permit?
No. A Ukrainian work permit is employer-specific — it authorises you to work only for the specific employer named on the permit, in the specific position and location specified. Working for a second employer, even part-time, without a separate work permit for that employer is a violation of Ukrainian immigration law.
If you wish to work for two employers simultaneously, each employer must apply for a separate work permit on your behalf. Each application goes through the full ДСЗ process independently. This is uncommon and administratively complex but legally possible.
7. What if the employer withdraws the job offer after the work permit is approved?
If the employer withdraws after the work permit is issued but before you have entered Ukraine, the work permit becomes practically unusable — it is tied to that employer. You cannot use it to work for a different company.
If the employer withdraws after you have already entered Ukraine and are working, they are legally required to notify the ДСЗ of the termination of employment. Your TRP, which is based on the work permit, will also be affected — you may need to change the ground for your TRP or leave Ukraine within the timeframe allowed.
Employer withdrawal is a serious situation that requires immediate legal advice. It is one of the reasons why understanding your employer's financial stability and commitment before applying is so important — see our employer verification service.
8. Does the employer have to file financial documents or a tax certificate?
The legal document list in Art. 42-2 of Law No. 5067-VI contains no tax certificate, payroll records or financial statements, and officials are prohibited from requiring documents beyond that list. Checking the employer's tax standing and finances is still sensible for your own protection, since an unstable employer is a risk to your job and residence status.
9. Can a foreign-owned Ukrainian company sponsor a work permit?
Yes — the nationality of the company's owners does not determine eligibility to sponsor a work permit. What matters is that the company is a legally registered Ukrainian entity (TOV or other legal form) with an active EDRPOU code, registered as a Ukrainian taxpayer, and fully compliant with Ukrainian corporate law.
A Ukrainian LLC (TOV) owned 100% by foreign nationals can sponsor a work permit for a Bangladeshi worker, provided the company is active in the Unified State Register and files the documents listed in Art. 42-2 of Law No. 5067-VI. Many legitimate Ukrainian businesses operating in international sectors are foreign-owned and routinely hire foreign staff through the work permit system. Ownership nationality is simply not a ДСЗ criterion — legal entity status and compliance are what matter.
10. How long does the employment centre take to decide?
By law the regional employment centre decides on a new permit within up to 7 working days of registering the application, and on an extension or amendment within up to 3 working days (Law No. 5067-VI, Art. 42-6). If the file is incomplete, review is suspended and the employer has 7 working days to correct it (Art. 42-8). An extension is filed 20 to 50 calendar days before the current permit expires.
A permit is issued for up to 2 years for hired workers and up to 3 years for seconded workers and intra-corporate transferees (Art. 42-3).
11. Does the employer need to pay the work permit fee?
There is a state fee associated with work permit applications in Ukraine, and it is the employer's responsibility to pay it — not the worker's. Proof of payment is filed with the application. By law the fee is 3, 5, 8 or 10 subsistence minimums for able-bodied persons, depending on the permit term (up to 6 months, up to 1 year, up to 2 years, up to 3 years), and an extension costs one subsistence minimum less (Law No. 5067-VI, Art. 42-4).
Any arrangement where the Bangladeshi applicant is asked to reimburse the employer for state fees, pay the employer a "processing deposit," or transfer money to cover "permit costs" before the permit is issued should be treated with serious caution. While employers may legitimately pass on some legal facilitation costs to employees through agreed salary structures, direct fee demands from a recruiter or employer at the application stage — particularly cash payments to individuals rather than verifiable Ukrainian legal entities — are a hallmark of fraudulent arrangements.
12. Can I change employers once I have a work-permit-based TRP?
Changing employers on a work-permit-based TRP requires a new work permit from the new employer. The process is the same as the initial work permit application — the new employer must apply to the ДСЗ and wait for the decision.
During the transition period while the new work permit is being processed, your legal status in Ukraine may be ambiguous. You should not simply resign from one employer and start working for another without the new permit in place. Coordinate the timing with a Ukrainian immigration lawyer to ensure continuity of lawful status.
Changing employers does not restart your TRP from zero if the new work permit is approved before the current TRP expires — the TRP can be updated to reflect the new employer. However, if there is a gap in employment and the TRP lapses, you may need to restart the entire process from outside Ukraine.
Have a specific question about your employer that is not answered here? Our employer verification service checks EDRPOU status, tax standing, and contract compliance — giving you a written assessment before you commit.