Who needs a type D visa to Ukraine?
Most foreigners need to obtain a long-term visa type D in order to obtain a visa in Ukraine.
However, the possibility of visa-free entry to Ukraine often misleads foreigners, and they believe that they can get a residence permit without a visa. Being able to enter Ukraine without a visa means that you do not need to obtain a Type C visa, which is a short-term travel visa.
Visa D is long-term and means that a foreigner enters for the purpose of processing documents for residence. Therefore, in order to submit documents for obtaining a residence permit, a foreigner must first obtain a D visa and enter Ukraine with this visa, even if such a person has not previously received a visa for tourist trips.
Example:
A citizen of Egypt needs to get a type C visa for a tourist or private trip to Ukraine. At that time, a US citizen, as a citizen with a visa-free travel regime to Ukraine, will not need a C visa for a trip with this purpose.
However, if a US citizen or an Egyptian citizen wants to obtain a residence permit in Ukraine, regardless of the established regime for short-term trips, it will be necessary to get a long-term visa type D, the code of which must correspond to the reason for obtaining the permit.
For example, in order to obtain a residence permit on the basis of marriage with a citizen of Ukraine, it is necessary to obtain a D-14 visa. And to get a work permit - D-04. With a D-14 visa, it will be impossible to obtain documents based on a work permit or any other basis, a permit with this type of visa is only on the basis of marriage.
Also, do not be misled by the name of such a visa - long-term. It is issued only for 90 days, and it is called long-term because on its basis foreigners can obtain documents for long-term residence in Ukraine. You need to apply for residence permit no later than 15 working days before the visa expiration date.
Who does not need a visa to get residence permit?
Citizens of Azerbaijan, Belarus, Armenia, Georgia, Moldova, and Uzbekistan do not need a visa to enter Ukraine and submit documents for a residence permit. For citizens of these countries, it is only necessary to comply with the norm of applying for a permit no later than 15 working days before the end of their legal stay in Ukraine (approximately 20-25 calendar days).
Read more about obtaining a type D visa in our publication.
