Ukrainian Employer Requirements FAQ — What Bangladeshi Work Permit Applicants Ask

To legally sponsor a work permit for a foreign national, a Ukrainian employer must meet all of the following criteria:

• Be registered in the Unified State Register (have a valid EDRPOU code) with active status
• Be registered as a taxpayer with the State Tax Service of Ukraine
• Not be in bankruptcy, liquidation, or formal restructuring proceedings
• Have no unresolved tax debts at the time of application (tax debt makes the ДСЗ application inadmissible)
• Have the position for the foreign worker in their official staffing table (штатний розпис)
• Not have exceeded their foreign worker quota for the current period
• Be able to demonstrate that no qualified Ukrainian worker is available for the role (labour market test)

An employer who meets all these criteria can begin the permit application process. Failure on any single point results in ДСЗ rejection.

This is a complex area of Ukrainian labour law. A FOP (Фізична особа підприємець — Sole Trader) is registered in the state register and has an EDRPOU code, but FOPs generally cannot sponsor work permits for foreign nationals in the same way that legal entities (TOV, AT) can.

Under Ukrainian immigration regulations, work permits for foreigners are issued in connection with employment by legal entities. While Ukrainian employment law has some provisions for FOP employment, the ДСЗ in practice requires the sponsoring employer to be a legal entity (юридична особа), not an individual entrepreneur. If a recruiter is offering you a work permit sponsored by a FOP, seek a second legal opinion before proceeding — this arrangement carries significant legal risk.

Ukrainian law requires that employers obtain permission to hire foreign workers up to a certain quota — a percentage of the employer's total workforce. The specific quota and calculation method are set by the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine and can be adjusted periodically.

In practical terms: a small Ukrainian company with 10 employees can only legally employ a limited number of foreign workers simultaneously. If that quota is already filled by other foreign workers, no new work permit for your position can be approved — even if the employer wants to hire you and the position is genuine. Always ask your employer to confirm their remaining foreign worker quota capacity before the application begins.

Yes. One of the requirements for a Ukrainian employer sponsoring a foreign worker work permit is demonstrating that the position cannot be filled by a Ukrainian citizen or permanent resident. This is the labour market test (перевірка ринку праці).

The employer must register the vacancy with the ДСЗ and demonstrate that the position was available to Ukrainian workers for a defined period without a suitable candidate being found. The employer also submits a declaration (заява) confirming this. The ДСЗ reviews this as part of the permit application. If the employer has not conducted this labour market test, the application will be rejected.

Note: There are certain categories of specialised or executive roles where the labour market test requirements may be applied differently. A Ukrainian immigration lawyer can advise on whether your specific position qualifies for any exemption.

The employer is responsible for preparing and submitting the majority of documents in the work permit application. The standard ДСЗ application package from the employer includes:

• Completed application form (заява) in the ДСЗ-prescribed format
• Certified copy of the employer's EDRPOU registration certificate
• Extract from the Unified State Register confirming active status
• Certificate from the State Tax Service confirming no tax arrears
• Copy of the employer's staffing table showing the position
• Draft employment contract with the foreign worker (in Ukrainian)
• Labour market test documentation (vacancy registration confirmation from ДСЗ)
• Documents confirming the foreign worker's qualifications (provided by the applicant)

The employer prepares the first set; the applicant provides qualifications, passport copies, credentials, and PCC. Both sets are submitted together to the ДСЗ by the employer.

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, including the labour market test requirement. This is uncommon and administratively complex but legally possible.

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.

The ДСЗ requires the employer to demonstrate financial standing as part of the work permit application. The financial documents typically required include:

• A certificate from the State Tax Service of Ukraine confirming the employer has no outstanding tax debt at the time of application
• Evidence of the employer's registration as a taxpayer (tax number / ЄДРПОУ tax standing)
• In some cases, payroll records confirming that existing Ukrainian employees are being paid at or above the applicable minimum wage

The tax debt certificate is the most critical document — it must be current (typically not older than 30 days at the time of ДСЗ submission). An employer with unresolved tax arrears cannot obtain this certificate, and the application will not be accepted. This is why it is essential to verify your employer's tax standing before the application process begins, not after.

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 meets all the standard requirements: active registration, no tax debts, a valid staffing table position, and available foreign worker quota. 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.

A labour market test (перевірка ринку праці) is the process by which an employer demonstrates that no qualified Ukrainian worker was available and willing to take the offered position before hiring a foreign national. In Ukraine, this is conducted through the ДСЗ system.

The employer must register the job vacancy in the ДСЗ's online vacancy database and allow Ukrainian job-seekers the opportunity to apply. The required minimum duration for this vacancy to be active before a work permit can be filed is not fixed by a single statutory number — it is assessed by the regional ДСЗ office based on the occupation and local labour market conditions. In practice, most employers are required to have the vacancy registered for at least 2 to 4 weeks without finding a suitable Ukrainian candidate.

After the vacancy period, the employer submits a declaration (заява) to the ДСЗ confirming that no qualified Ukrainian applicant was found and explaining why. The ДСЗ reviews this as part of the permit decision. Certain high-specialisation or executive roles may receive more latitude in the labour market test assessment, but no category is automatically exempt.

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. The fee is paid to the state budget when the ДСЗ application is submitted. The exact amount is set by Cabinet of Ministers regulations and may be updated periodically.

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.

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, conduct the labour market test, and wait for approval.

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.