A Ukrainian work permit is applied for and issued in Ukraine — by your employer, not by you. No Bangladeshi agent, BAIRA member, or recruiter can issue a Ukrainian work permit. Anyone claiming otherwise is lying. Your role is to provide documents; your Ukrainian employer's legal obligation is to file the application with DSZ.
What Is a Ukrainian Work Permit?
A Ukrainian work permit (дозвіл на застосування праці іноземців та осіб без громадянства) is a document issued by the State Employment Service of Ukraine (Державна служба зайнятості, DSZ) that authorises a specific foreign national to work for a specific Ukrainian employer in a specific position. It is tied to an employment contract, a specific employer ЄДРПОУ registration number, and a specific position title. If any of these three elements changes, the permit may need to be reissued.
The work permit is not a visa. It is a prerequisite for applying for a Type D employment visa at the Ukrainian Embassy in Dhaka. Without a valid work permit, a D-employment visa cannot be issued.
Step 1 — Employer Eligibility: Who Can Hire a Foreign Worker
Not all Ukrainian companies can legally employ foreign workers. Before accepting any employment offer, your employer must meet the following requirements — and you should verify this independently:
- Registered in the Unified State Register of Legal Entities (usr.minjust.gov.ua) with an active ЄДРПОУ code — not listed as dissolved, in liquidation, or under sanction.
- Tax-compliant — no outstanding tax debt exceeding the statutory threshold. DSZ cross-references tax compliance during the application review.
- Not on any Ukrainian or international sanctions list — companies with sanctioned beneficial owners cannot obtain state permits.
- Offering a salary at or above the Ukrainian statutory minimum wage for the relevant occupational category.
- Able to document a genuine business need for a foreign specialist — the role must exist and require qualifications the employer cannot source domestically.
Step 2 — Labour Market Test (30 Calendar Days)
Before filing a work permit application, the employer must conduct a labour market test: publishing the vacancy on the national labour exchange portal (dcz.gov.ua) for a minimum of 30 calendar days. The test demonstrates that no qualified Ukrainian national was available for the position. DSZ requires the employer to produce:
- Printed confirmation of the vacancy posting from dcz.gov.ua showing the 30-day period.
- A record of any Ukrainian applicants who responded and an explanation of why they were not suitable (if any responded).
- A job description / labour function statement explaining the specialist requirements that justify hiring a foreign national.
This step cannot be skipped or shortened. Budget the 30-day test period into your overall migration timeline. It runs in parallel with Bangladesh-side document preparation, so plan both simultaneously.
Step 3 — DSZ Application Package
The employer files all of the following with the local DSZ office in the city where the worker will be employed:
| Application form | DSZ standard form, signed by the employer's authorised representative. Separate form for each foreign worker. |
|---|---|
| Employment contract | Draft contract signed by both employer and employee — in Ukrainian, compliant with the Labour Code. Must state salary in UAH, position, work location, and duration. |
| Foreign worker's passport copy | Certified (notarised) copy of the biographical page — certified by a Ukrainian notary or validated through the apostille chain. |
| Employer registration documents | Extract from the Unified State Register, tax clearance certificate (довідка про відсутність заборгованості), and ЄДРПОУ confirmation. |
| Education and qualification documents | Apostilled degree certificates with certified Ukrainian translations. UGC verification letter if the degree is from a Bangladeshi institution. |
| Labour market test evidence | Proof that the vacancy was published in the national labour exchange for a minimum of 30 calendar days and that no qualified Ukrainian applicant was available. |
| Job description / labour function statement | A document describing the position's duties, required qualifications, and why the role requires a foreign specialist. |
| State fee payment | Confirmation of payment of the DSZ state fee for work permit issuance. The employer pays this fee — confirm the current rate with the employer's legal adviser. |
Step 4 — DSZ 30-Working-Day Review
From the date DSZ accepts a complete application, the statutory review period is 30 working days. In practice, many straightforward applications are decided in 7–15 working days. The review period can be paused if DSZ issues a document query — the employer must respond and resubmit the requested information before the clock restarts.
Common DSZ queries during review:
- Additional translation or apostille required for a specific document.
- Clarification of the job description or why the position cannot be filled by a Ukrainian specialist.
- Tax compliance certificate that is outdated — DSZ may require a certificate issued within the past month.
- Questions about the employer's registration address or beneficial ownership if the company structure is complex.
Step 5 — Permit Issuance and EDRPOU Verification
When DSZ approves the application, the work permit is issued to the employer at the DSZ office. The employer collects the original permit and provides a copy to the worker. The permit face must show:
- Worker's full name (check against passport transliteration)
- Employer's full legal name and ЄДРПОУ code
- Position title (must match the employment contract)
- Validity start and end dates
- DSZ registration number (use this number for verification)
Verify the permit by cross-checking the DSZ registration number and employer ЄДРПОУ against the State Employment Service database (dszua.gov.ua) and the Unified State Register (data.gov.ua). If any field does not match records, do not proceed — contact a lawyer immediately.
Step 6 — Type D Visa Application at the Embassy in Dhaka
With the original work permit in hand, the worker applies for a Type D-1 employment visa at the Ukrainian Embassy in Dhaka (House 3, Road 23, Block J, Banani, Dhaka 1213). The work permit is the primary supporting document. See the full D-visa document checklist in the Ukraine Visa Process guide.
Processing time for the D-1 visa: 10–21 working days. Budget this into your overall timeline — total realistic period from employer first contact to visa in hand is 90–120 days for a lawful process.
Full Timeline Overview
| Bangladesh-side document preparation | 3–6 weeks: apostille of degree, PCC application, notarised passport copy, UGC verification letter |
|---|---|
| Labour market test | 30 calendar days (runs in parallel with Bangladesh-side prep) |
| DSZ application compilation | 1–2 weeks after labour market test completes |
| DSZ review | 7–30 working days from acceptance of complete application |
| Permit issuance and delivery | 1–3 working days after DSZ approval |
| Visa application at Dhaka embassy | 10–21 working days |
| Total realistic timeline | 90–120 calendar days from employer engagement to visa in hand |
Work Permit Validity and Scope
Work permits are typically issued for 1 year. The permit is valid only for the specific employer (ЄДРПОУ tied), the specific position title, the specific foreign national, and the validity dates printed on the permit face. Working outside any of these parameters is a labour law violation for both the worker and the employer.
If the Employer Changes or Closes
The work permit is employer-specific. If your employer terminates your employment, closes the company, or changes ownership in a way that alters the ЄДРПОУ, your work permit becomes invalid for employment purposes. Options:
- New employer: the new employer must file a new work permit application from scratch — including the 30-day labour market test period.
- DMSU notification obligation: the original employer must notify DMSU of employment termination within a specified period. Failure to notify can affect your TRP status.
- TRP without employment: if your TRP is employment-based and employment ends, the legal basis for your TRP is removed. You have a grace period (typically 30 days) to regularise status — either through a new employer or by departing Ukraine.
Renewal Process
Work permit renewal must be initiated by the employer no less than 30 working days before the permit's expiry. The renewal process is similar to the initial application but typically shorter — the labour market test period may be waived for renewals of the same position with the same employer, at DSZ's discretion. Required for renewal: renewal application form, updated employment contract, updated passport copy (if changed), TRP validity confirmation, and state fee payment.