A Ukrainian Temporary Residence Permit (посвідка на тимчасове проживання — TRP) is a biometric document issued by the State Migration Service of Ukraine (DMSU / ДМСУ) that authorises a foreign national to reside in Ukraine for a specific period on a specified lawful ground. It is defined under the Law of Ukraine "On the Legal Status of Foreigners and Stateless Persons."
| Issuing authority | State Migration Service of Ukraine (DMSU / ДМСУ). No other body — no embassy, no employer, no private recruiter — can issue a valid TRP. |
|---|---|
| Physical format | Credit-card format residence card with a contactless chip, issued by DMSU since 10 September 2018. Contains the holder's photograph, biometric chip, permit number, full name, nationality, date of birth, validity dates, ground of issuance, and DMSU seal. |
| Validity | Set by the ground (Resolution No. 322, para. 4): for employment, the work period stated in the work permit; for study, the study period set by the institution's order; for founders or participants of a Ukrainian legal entity, 2 years; in other cases, per the documents filed, up to 1 year. Exchanged before expiry at DMSU (para. 19). |
| Tied to ground | Each TRP is linked to the specific legal ground on which it was issued. Changing ground — e.g., from employment to business — requires a new application, not a modification of the existing permit. |
| Legal basis | Law of Ukraine "On the Legal Status of Foreigners and Stateless Persons" (Закон України "Про правовий статус іноземців та осіб без громадянства") — Articles 4, 5, 6. |
| Address | The TRP application states the address where you live. A lease or the owner's title document confirms it; without one, DMSU checks the address with a home visit (Resolution No. 322, paras. 32 and 36-1). Residence registration follows the TRP (Law No. 1871-IX, Art. 5(5)). |
Comparison: TRP vs Other Documents
| TRP | Type D Visa | Work Permit | Permanent Residence | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Authorises residence | Yes — for stated validity | Initial entry only | No | Yes — indefinite |
| Authorises work | Only if employment-ground AND work permit valid | No | For named employer only | Yes — any employer |
| Renewal required | Yes — before expiry | Multiple-entry, valid 90 days (Visa Rules, Resolution No. 118, para. 4) | Yes — employer applies | Card issued for 10 years, then exchanged (Resolution No. 321, paras. 4, 7) |
| Issued in Ukraine | Yes — filed with DMSU, a DMS state enterprise centre or a ЦНАП at your place of residence (Res. 322, para. 16) | No — lodged at VFS Global Dhaka; the Embassy of Ukraine in New Delhi decides | Yes — DSZ offices only | Yes — DMSU offices only |
| EU/Schengen rights | No | No | No | No |
Four Lawful Grounds for TRP
A TRP cannot be obtained without a qualifying legal ground. Ukrainian law recognises four grounds commonly used by Bangladeshi nationals:
- Employment: You must hold a valid work permit (дозвіл на застосування праці) issued by the State Employment Service (DSZ) naming you and your specific employer. If the work permit lapses, the employment ground for your TRP lapses — you cannot remain on the TRP once the work permit expires unless you have already applied for renewal of both.
- Education: You must be enrolled in an accredited Ukrainian higher education institution (university or college) with a confirmed enrolment letter. The TRP is issued for the study period set by the institution's order (Resolution No. 322, para. 4).
- Family: you are the spouse of a Ukrainian citizen (Law No. 3773-VI, Art. 4(14)) or a family member of a foreigner holding a TRP on a ground listed in Art. 4(15); children and parents of Ukrainian citizens apply for an immigration permit (Law No. 2491-III, Art. 4(3)(1)). Bangladeshi documents need an MFA Bangladesh apostille.
- Business: you are a founder, participant or beneficial owner of a Ukrainian legal entity with a share of at least EUR 100,000 in its charter capital (Law No. 3773-VI, Art. 4(12)).
Rights Granted by a TRP
Holding a valid Ukrainian TRP grants the following rights and access:
- Right to reside in Ukraine for the stated validity period.
- Right to work — but only for the employer and in the role named on the linked work permit (for employment-ground TRP).
- Right and duty to declare or register your residential address within 30 calendar days of receiving the TRP (Law No. 1871-IX, Art. 5(5)) — necessary for many official procedures.
- Right to enrol children in Ukrainian state educational institutions.
- Access to emergency healthcare at Ukrainian state medical facilities.
- Ability to open personal bank accounts at most Ukrainian commercial banks — bring your TRP card, passport, and proof of address.
- Ability to register a Ukrainian mobile SIM card and access mobile banking services.
- Access to Ukrainian government service centres (Центри надання адміністративних послуг) for personal administrative procedures.
- Free movement within Ukraine — no internal travel permit or zone restriction applies.
- Entry and exit on the passport plus a valid TRP for foreigners in Ukraine for employment, foreigners married to Ukrainian citizens and students enrolled for at least one year (Law No. 3773-VI, Art. 15(1)). Before a trip to Bangladesh, check that the passport, TRP and work permit stay valid until your return.
Rights NOT Granted by a TRP
Understanding what the TRP does not provide prevents both illegal status and unmet expectations:
- It does NOT grant EU freedom of movement. Ukraine is not in the EU or Schengen area — a Ukrainian TRP provides no right to live or work in Germany, France, Italy, or any EU member state.
- It does NOT permit employment for any employer other than the one named on the work permit (employment-ground TRP).
- It does NOT grant the right to vote in Ukrainian elections.
- It does NOT bring full state-paid medical care. The state medical guarantees programme fully covers foreigners who reside permanently in Ukraine (Law No. 2168-VIII, Art. 4(1)); for foreigners staying temporarily, the state pays for emergency care, which must be reimbursed, and other care is paid from your own funds or voluntary insurance (Art. 4(2)). The TRP application itself requires medical insurance for the whole TRP period (Resolution No. 322, para. 32).
- It does NOT lead automatically to citizenship — a separate, much longer process applies.
- It does NOT transfer if you change employer — a new work permit and a new TRP application is required for each new employer.
Your Address: TRP Check First, Registration After
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 and notify you by phone and email one working day ahead (Resolution No. 322, paras. 32 and 36-1). The residence registration rules do not cover a stay on a visa (Law No. 1871-IX, Art. 4(3)).
Residence registration (реєстрація місця проживання, often called propiska) comes after the TRP: declare or register your address within 30 calendar days of receiving the TRP (Law No. 1871-IX, Art. 5(5)). If your employer provides accommodation, ask for a document that confirms your right to live there before you file. If you rent privately, get a written lease before you move in: it serves both the DMSU address check and the later registration.
Renewal: Critical Deadlines
TRP renewal is not automatic. By law, documents to exchange an expiring TRP can be filed up to the last day of its validity; with fewer than 15 working days left, only at a DMSU territorial office (Resolution No. 322, para. 19). Applying 2 months before expiry leaves time for processing without a gap in status.
For employment-ground TRPs, your employer must also have renewed the work permit before your TRP renewal is processed — DMSU will not issue a new TRP if the underlying work permit has expired. Build a coordinated calendar: the employer files the work permit extension 20 to 50 calendar days before the permit expires (Law No. 5067-VI, Art. 42-6); start preparing the TRP exchange documents early, because the exchange needs the extended permit. Do not leave both to the last 30 days — the timing overlap creates risk.
If your TRP expires before renewal is processed because you did not apply in time:
- You are technically in overstay from the moment of expiry.
- Administrative fine of 30–50 tax-free minimum incomes (Code of Administrative Offences, Art. 203).
- Possible forced-return decision (Law No. 3773-VI, Art. 26).
- Entry ban of 3 years (Law No. 3773-VI, Art. 13, part 3; Art. 26, part 2); 5 years after readmission (Art. 29, part 5), plus 10 years if the ban decision is not complied with (Art. 13, part 3).
- BMET clearance complications on return to Bangladesh.
- The 5-year continuous residence clock for permanent residence is broken — it resets.
What This Means for You
Your TRP is the document that makes your day-to-day life in Ukraine legally coherent. It is how you prove your right to be in Ukraine to banks, landlords, employers, hospitals, schools, and government offices. Keep the physical card with you at all times. Store a certified photocopy with your employer and in a secure separate location. If the card is lost, report it to DMSU immediately — replacement is possible but takes weeks and creates a gap in physical proof of status.