| Passport type accepted | Machine-Readable Passport (MRP) — green cover with biometric chip. E-passport (newer format) also accepted. Old handwritten passports are not accepted by the Ukrainian Embassy or by DSZ for work permit applications. |
|---|---|
| Minimum validity — D-visa | 6 months beyond your intended last day in Ukraine. If your stay is 6 months, your passport must be valid for at least 12 months from your entry date. |
| Minimum validity — TRP application | 18 months remaining from the TRP application date is strongly recommended. DMSU may refuse to process a TRP if the passport expires before the permit period ends. |
| Blank visa pages | Minimum 2 full blank pages (facing spread). The embassy uses one page for the visa sticker; border control uses another on entry. TRP is a separate plastic card — it does not use a passport page — but future travel still requires blank pages. |
| Machine-Readable Zone (MRZ) | Both MRZ lines at the bottom of the biographical page must be fully legible — no fading, smearing, or damage. Automated scanners at embassies and border crossings reject damaged MRZ lines. |
| Photo page condition | Photo must not be peeling, faded, or water-damaged. All personal data on the biographical page must be clearly legible with no obscuring damage. |
| Old passport with previous documents | If any Ukrainian document (work permit, previous visa, TRP) was issued on your old passport number, bring both old and new passport to every appointment. |
MRP versus E-Passport — Both Accepted
Bangladesh issues two biometric passport formats: the Machine-Readable Passport (MRP) with a green cover, and the newer e-passport introduced in 2020 with an embedded electronic chip and a slightly different cover design. Both formats are accepted by the Ukrainian Embassy in Dhaka and by the DSZ and DMSU in Ukraine. There is no preference for one over the other.
If you hold an MRP that is approaching expiry, consider whether it is worth renewing to an e-passport simultaneously — the e-passport has a longer validity period (10 years for adults vs. 5 years for standard MRP) and the ICAO chip reduces questions about document authenticity at border control. However, do not renew a passport mid-process if it causes the passport number on your work permit to become invalid without a corresponding DSZ amendment — coordinate timing carefully.
Validity Calculation — Do This Before Anything Else
The validity calculation most applicants get wrong is failing to add the 6-month buffer to the right endpoint. The rule is: your passport must remain valid for at least 6 months after your intended last day in Ukraine — not after your entry date.
Example: you intend to enter Ukraine on 1 September 2026 and stay for 6 months (leaving by 1 March 2027). Your passport must be valid until at least 1 September 2027. If it expires on 1 June 2027, it has only 3 months of buffer beyond departure — the Embassy will refuse the visa application.
For long-stay TRP applicants intending to stay for 1 year or more, the calculation extends further: a 12-month TRP from 1 September 2026 means a departure date of no later than 1 September 2027, meaning the passport must be valid until at least 1 March 2028. If your TRP period is expected to be extended, ensure your passport validity covers the extension period plus buffer.
Before You Apply — Passport Self-Check
- Count blank pages carefully: open your passport and count only pages that have zero stamps, stickers, or notations of any kind. Partial pages with a small stamp in one corner may not have space for a full visa sticker. Count conservatively — 2 minimum, 3 or more preferred.
- Check MRZ under bright light: hold the biographical page under direct light and check both MRZ lines. Any character that is partially obscured, smeared, or missing will cause the passport to fail automated scanning at the embassy or border.
- Inspect the photo: the photo must be firmly attached at all corners, not peeling. It must clearly show your current likeness — if you have significantly changed appearance (weight, surgery, aging), a new passport is advisable to avoid identity questions.
- Check for water damage: pages that have been water-damaged, even if not visibly stained, may have compromised data page lamination. Ukrainian border control can reject a water-damaged passport for security reasons.
- Verify your name spelling: the name in your passport must match the name you give to your Ukrainian employer for the work permit. Even a minor spelling difference (one letter) requires a work permit amendment from DSZ — catch this before the permit is filed.
What to Do If Your Passport Is Expiring Soon
If your passport has less than 18 months of validity remaining, renew it before beginning the Ukraine immigration process. Renewing mid-process creates specific complications:
- If the work permit was issued on your old passport number, the permit is linked to the old document. Contact your Ukrainian employer immediately so they can file a DSZ amendment request. Some DSZ offices allow a brief grace period; others require a full amendment before proceeding. Do not attempt to use a work permit issued on one passport number when your current passport has a different number without confirming this with the employer's legal team.
- If your visa is already stamped in the old passport and you receive a new passport before travel, you must carry both passports — the new one for biometric scanning and the old one with the visa sticker. The visa sticker cannot be physically transferred to a new passport.
- Passport renewal through the Department of Immigration and Passports (DIP) takes 7–21 working days for standard service. Apply for urgent renewal (3–5 days at premium cost) if you are already mid-process and cannot delay the work permit filing timeline.
Children's Passports and Family Applications
Children under 18 accompanying a parent or joining a parent already in Ukraine on a family-based TRP application must each hold their own valid passport. A child listed on a parent's passport (older format) is not accepted by the Ukrainian Embassy — each child requires their own MRP or e-passport.
The same validity requirements apply to children's passports: minimum 6 months beyond the intended last day in Ukraine, minimum 2 blank pages. For children on a family TRP application, both parents' passports and the child's birth certificate are typically required at the DMSU application stage.
Bangladesh issues child passports at DIP offices. For children below 5 years old, the passport is typically valid for 5 years; for children 5–18, it may be valid for 5–10 years depending on the format applied for. Renew a child's passport before the Ukraine application if it has less than 18 months remaining.
Certified Copy of Passport for the Employer
Your Ukrainian employer needs a legalised copy of your passport's biographical page to file the work permit application with DSZ. Bangladesh is not a member of the Hague Apostille Convention, so the chain for the passport copy is full consular legalisation:
- Clear photocopy of the biographical page
- Certified by a Bangladeshi notary public — the notary attests the copy is a true copy of the original
- Bangladesh MFA attestation — MFA stamps the notarised copy
- Ukrainian Embassy in Dhaka legalisation — Embassy verifies the MFA stamp
- Certified Ukrainian translation in Ukraine — arranged by the employer's legal team
Plan at least 3–4 weeks for this chain. Your employer's legal team typically handles steps 4–5; you handle steps 1–3 and courier the attested copy to Ukraine or the employer's local agent in Bangladesh.
Passport Photos
| Size | 3.5 cm × 4.5 cm (width × height) |
|---|---|
| Background | White, plain — no patterns, shadows, or colour gradient |
| Glasses | Not permitted in Ukrainian visa and TRP photos |
| Head covering | Not permitted unless for documented religious reasons — full face must be visible |
| Expression | Neutral, mouth closed, eyes open, looking directly at the camera |
| Recency | Taken within the last 6 months — current likeness required |
| Print quality | Printed on photo paper at a photo studio — not printed on plain inkjet paper |
Get 8–10 photos taken at one sitting. You will need them for the visa application, TRP application, DMSU biometrics, and ancillary forms. Confirm current specifications at mfa.gov.ua before your embassy appointment, as requirements can be updated.
Disclosing Previous Visa Refusals
Ukrainian visa application forms ask whether you have been refused a visa to any country. Answer honestly. Ukrainian consular officers can access Schengen-shared refusal data and cross-reference information from other sources. Concealing a prior refusal — even from a third country — is grounds for immediate refusal and can result in a multi-year ban.
A prior Schengen or US visa refusal does not automatically disqualify you from a Ukrainian D-visa if you have genuine supporting documentation (a verified work permit or a real university admission letter). Disclose it, explain it briefly in a cover letter, and let the substance of your application speak for itself.