Residence permit in Ukraine through marriage or family reunification

The two routes in one table

Ukrainian law treats marriage to a citizen differently depending on how long the marriage has lasted. The two-year line is set in Article 4, part 3, item 1 of the Law of Ukraine "On Immigration".

Price

What is paid separately

These are paid to the state or to third parties, not to us. You may deal with the authorities yourself and pay only these official charges.

• Immigration permit administrative charge: 0.5 of the subsistence minimum for able-bodied persons on 1 January of the year (Article 9 of the Law "On Immigration"). In 2026 that is UAH 1,664.
• Charges for the residence permit cards: the official fee as set by the state for the temporary or permanent residence permit. We tell you the exact amount before you pay.
• Long-term (type D) visa, where you need one: the consular fee is paid at the Ukrainian consulate. See how much the Ukraine visa fee is.
• Apostille or consular legalisation of your foreign documents in the country that issued them. See apostille in Ukraine for how the system works.
• Certified translation into Ukrainian and notary charges. See notarised passport translation.
• Medical insurance for the whole term of a temporary residence permit. See medical insurance for a visa and residence permit.
• Travel, accommodation and courier costs.

The binding figure for our fee is the one in your written engagement agreement. Official charges are set by Ukrainian law and may change.

Route 1: temporary residence permit through marriage

A foreigner who came to Ukraine for family reunification with a Ukrainian citizen, or who married a Ukrainian citizen while staying in Ukraine lawfully on one of the grounds in parts 3 to 13 of Article 4, is entitled to a temporary residence permit (Article 4 part 14 of the Law "On the Legal Status of Foreigners and Stateless Persons"). The grounds for issuing it are your application, a document confirming the marriage to a Ukrainian citizen and a valid medical insurance policy (Article 5 part 14).

The permit is issued for the term supported by your documents but not longer than one year. The law lists longer terms only for other categories, such as company founders, and marriage is not among them (paragraph 4 of the Procedure approved by Cabinet of Ministers Resolution No. 322 of 25 April 2018). While the marriage continues, the permit is exchanged for a new term. A foreigner who holds this permit is treated as lawfully staying in Ukraine until they obtain a permanent residence permit or Ukrainian citizenship (Article 4 part 14 of the same Law).

Documents for the temporary permit

• Your passport, with a long-term visa where one is required, and a copy of the page with the visa.
• A translation into Ukrainian of the passport page with your personal data, certified in the established manner.
• A valid medical insurance policy for the whole term of the permit.
• Proof of payment of the administrative charge.
• Your Ukrainian tax number (RNOKPP), if you have one. See how a foreigner gets a tax number.
• The document confirming the marriage to a Ukrainian citizen. The original is returned to you and a certified copy stays in the file.
• The passport of your Ukrainian spouse, which the spouse presents in person at the migration office. There is an exception for spouses who cannot attend during martial law because of military service, with supporting documents.

Source: paragraphs 32 and 33, subparagraph 11, of the Procedure approved by Resolution No. 322. If the marriage was concluded abroad under foreign law, its validity in Ukraine is decided under the Law "On Private International Law" (Article 58).

Do you need a type D visa first?

The general rule is that a foreigner must obtain a long-term visa in order to get a temporary residence permit, unless a law or an international treaty of Ukraine provides otherwise (Article 5-2 of the Law "On the Legal Status of Foreigners and Stateless Persons"). Paragraph 32-1 of the Procedure approved by Resolution No. 322 allows foreigners who are already in Ukraine and are not obliged to obtain a long-term visa to file without leaving the country. Whether that covers you depends on your nationality and your current status, so we check it against your passport before you travel. See Ukraine visa for the visa options.

Deadlines

• Documents must be filed no later than 15 working days before your permitted period of stay in Ukraine ends (paragraph 17 of the Procedure approved by Resolution No. 322).
• The permit is issued within 15 working days of accepting the documents (paragraph 5 of the same Procedure).
• If the facts in your documents change while the permit is valid, the new documents are filed within 10 days (paragraph 34).

Route 2: immigration permit and permanent residence

An immigration permit outside the immigration quota is granted to a spouse whose husband or wife is a Ukrainian citizen and to whom they have been married for more than two years, and to the children and parents of Ukrainian citizens (Article 4, part 3, item 1 of the Law "On Immigration"). Outside the quota means the application does not depend on any annual limit.

The immigration permit is a decision of the State Migration Service. It is followed by a separate application for the permanent residence permit, the plastic card you carry. That card is issued for 10 years and within 15 working days of accepting the documents (paragraphs 4 and 5 of the Procedure approved by Cabinet of Ministers Resolution No. 321 of 25 April 2018).

Documents for the immigration permit

• The application and three photographs.
• Your passport, with a certified Ukrainian translation of the pages with your personal data.
• A document on your place of residence in Ukraine and abroad.
• Information on family composition and a copy of the marriage certificate.
• Originals and copies of documents confirming the family relationship with the Ukrainian citizen, and documents confirming that the relative is a Ukrainian citizen.
• For a spouse: the written consent of each spouse to an interview and written tests.
• Proof of payment of the administrative charge.

Source: Article 9 of the Law "On Immigration". The medical certificate on the absence of certain diseases listed in Article 9 is not required for applicants under Article 4 part 3 item 1, which covers spouses, children and parents of Ukrainian citizens.

How the marriage is checked

Article 4-1, added by Law No. 3180-IX of 29 June 2023, lists circumstances in which a marriage to a Ukrainian citizen is not accepted as a ground for immigration (Article 4-1 of the Law "On Immigration"). They include a spouse receiving payment for consent to marry, the spouses not living together, not having met or communicated before the marriage, having no common language, not knowing basic personal facts about each other, and refusing the interview or the test.

The procedure for this check is set by Cabinet of Ministers Resolution No. 1983 of 26 December 2002. The interview and test take place within three months of filing. The test is 45 written questions in Ukrainian, an interpreter may be used, it lasts no more than three hours, and it is passed where at least 90 per cent of the answers (40 or more) match the information in the file. Spouses who are both in Ukraine are interviewed at the same time in different rooms. A spouse who is abroad may take part by video link where the technical conditions allow.

Deadlines

• The immigration permit application is decided within six months of filing with the State Migration Service, or one year if filed at a Ukrainian consulate abroad (Article 9 of the Law "On Immigration").
• Once you have the immigration permit, you apply for the permanent residence permit no later than 15 working days before your permitted stay ends. The application may be filed within one year of the date the immigration permit was issued (Article 11).
• The permanent residence permit is issued within 15 working days of accepting the documents.

Family reunification with a foreign resident

A family member of a foreigner who lives in Ukraine lawfully on one of the grounds in parts 2 to 13, 19 or 24 of Article 4 can also receive a temporary residence permit (Article 4 part 15 and Article 5 part 15 of the Law "On the Legal Status of Foreigners and Stateless Persons"). Family members are defined as the spouse, minor children, including minor children of the spouse, dependent parents who are unable to work, and other persons counted as family members under the law of the country of origin (Article 1 item 26).

This route needs more than a marriage certificate. The file includes the document proving the family relationship, legalised unless a law or treaty provides otherwise, proof that the resident family member has sufficient financial means to support the family, and that family member's own residence permit, presented by them in person (subparagraph 12 of paragraph 33 of the Procedure approved by Resolution No. 322). The permit is issued for the period of the family member's own status.

Foreign documents: apostille, translation, registration

• Apostille or legalisation. Documents issued by foreign authorities must be legalised in the established manner, unless a law or an international treaty of Ukraine provides otherwise (Article 9 of the Law "On Immigration"; Article 5 part 15 of the Law "On the Legal Status of Foreigners and Stateless Persons"). For countries party to the Hague Convention of 1961 this means an apostille. For countries with which Ukraine has a legal assistance treaty, often neither is needed.
• Translation. Foreign documents are filed with a translation into Ukrainian certified in the established manner. In practice this is a translation with the translator's signature certified by a Ukrainian notary. See notarised translation.
• Medical insurance. A valid policy for the whole term of a temporary residence permit is a required document (Article 5 part 14 of the Law; paragraph 32 of the Procedure approved by Resolution No. 322).
• Registration of your address. A foreigner who has received a residence permit must declare or register their place of residence under the Law "On the Provision of Public (Electronic Public) Services for Declaration and Registration of Place of Residence in Ukraine" (paragraph 58-1 of the Procedure approved by Resolution No. 322). The migration office may also check the address you give in the application (paragraph 36-1).

What we do

1. We check which route applies, from the date of your marriage, your nationality and your current status in Ukraine, and whether you need a type D visa first.
2. We list the foreign documents you need, and tell you which require an apostille or legalisation in the issuing country, so they are done once and in the right order.
3. We arrange the Ukrainian side: translation, notarial certification and medical insurance, and your tax number where you do not have one.
4. We prepare and file the application with the State Migration Service and accompany you and your spouse on the day of filing.
5. For permanent residence, we prepare you for the interview and test, explaining how it runs and what the migration officer checks.
6. We follow the case to the decision and then deal with the permit card and your address registration.

Not sure which route fits? Compare the options on compare residence routes in Ukraine, including the 2-year permit through employment and permanent residence by qualification.

Questions we are asked

UA-Residency is the practice of Taras Guk, a licensed Ukrainian attorney in Kyiv (certificate KV No. 000685). Temporary residence permits, immigration permits and permanent residence permits are granted by the State Migration Service of Ukraine, not by us, and we do not guarantee the result of any application. You may apply to the State Migration Service yourself and pay only the official charges. Official charges, statutory deadlines and document lists are set by Ukrainian law and may change without notice. The binding figure for our fee is the one we confirm in writing.

Last updated: 28 September 2026