Migration Law, Foreign Nationals and Documents · Migration Law
Opening a Bank Account for a Foreign National in Ukraine
Opening an Account
A foreign national may open an account with a Ukrainian bank, whether the person is in Ukraine or abroad. Where the person is abroad, the source describes use of a notarised power of attorney.
Banks carry out sanctions screening, checks against relevant search and debt registers and financial monitoring. A bank may refuse to open an account where those checks identify restrictions or risk and the outcome cannot be guaranteed.
Who may open an account?
A foreign individual may generally open an account regardless of citizenship, subject to sanctions and the bank's internal policy. It gives citizens of internationally sanctioned states, including Iran as an example, as a category for which banks may refuse at policy level.
Documents and information
foreign passport, provided as a high-quality scan or copy;
Ukrainian taxpayer number (INN/RNOKPP) where required by the bank;
full name, date and place of birth;
registered or residential address abroad;
purpose of opening the account and source of funds;
place of work and position;
the approximate amount expected to be transferred to Ukraine.
Procedure
select a bank and prepare the documents and required Ukrainian translations;
file the account-opening documents directly or through an authorised representative where the bank permits;
complete the bank's screening and financial-monitoring process;
receive the account details and, where applicable, payment cards after approval.
Taxpayer number and currencies
In some cases a bank account may be opened without a Ukrainian taxpayer number, depending on the bank and account type.
Depending on the bank, accounts may be available in Ukrainian hryvnia, US dollars or euros.
Banks do not open accounts for every applicant automatically. For applicants who are not excluded by sanctions policy, the decision is made individually after the bank's checks.
Immigration Law Consultation in Ukraine
Migration Lawyer and Advocate
An immigration-law consultation is intended to assess the foreign national's status, documents and available legal routes in Ukraine.
The source distinguishes a migration lawyer from an advocate. A migration lawyer specialises in migration law. An advocate is a lawyer who also holds the professional right to practise advocacy and may represent and defend a client in courts and other procedures for which advocate status is required.
Questions
lawful stay in Ukraine;
Ukrainian visas and extension of permitted stay;
temporary and permanent residence permits;
immigration to and emigration from Ukraine;
Ukrainian citizenship;
deportation, forced return or expulsion and challenges to entry refusals;
status of a stateless person;
appeals against refusals to accept or issue migration documents;
challenges to decisions and actions of state authorities;
other legal questions connected with the procedures above.
When an advocate is relevant
An advocate may be required in complex disputes with migration bodies, cases involving allegedly unlawful refusal to accept documents, court proceedings, law-enforcement matters or other procedures in which representation is reserved to an advocate.
It also states that representation may in some situations be based on the advocate agreement rather than a notarised power of attorney.
Purpose of the consultation
identify legal and practical risks in the applicant's situation;
determine the available migration or legalisation routes;
prepare a sequence of actions and identify additional documents that may be needed;
provide written recommendations where required.
Examples of matters
The source lists visa applications, invitations to foreign nationals, Ukrainian taxpayer numbers, employment of foreign nationals, extension of stay, criminal-record certificates, apostille, immigration permission, driving licences for foreign nationals, court representation, consular legalisation and citizenship matters.
It also lists temporary and permanent residence permits and their renewal, marriage and divorce involving a foreign national, adoption matters, citizenship for a child, withdrawal or loss of Ukrainian citizenship and related questions during martial law.
A lawyer may handle migration procedures that do not require the special powers of an advocate, while an advocate may provide representation where court, enforcement or other protected procedural access is necessary.
Registration or Deregistration of Place of Residence in Ukraine
Registration of Place of Residence
Registration or declaration of place of residence is the procedure for entering a person's official address in the territorial-community register. The modern legal term replaces the former Soviet concept commonly called “propiska”.
Registration identifies the official address used for administrative purposes, correspondence, electoral district and other public-service functions.
Ukrainian citizens must register their place of residence unless they have formalised permanent residence abroad. Foreign nationals who obtain Ukrainian residence documents must also register an address.
The source states a 30-day period for registration after arrival at a new place of residence, change of address or receipt of Ukrainian residence documents by a foreign national.
Is there temporary “propiska”?
Ukrainian law does not use a separate concept of temporary propiska. Residence registration itself is not given a fixed expiry date.
Where registration is based on a tenancy agreement, the owner may apply to cancel the registration after the tenancy ends, which the source describes as the closest practical equivalent to temporary registration.
Where to apply
Registration and deregistration are handled through the administrative-services centre (CNAP) for the area in which the dwelling is located. Where there is no CNAP, the source refers to the relevant city, village or settlement council.
Owner consent
For registration in a dwelling owned by another person, the owner may attend personally and give consent or provide a notarised consent statement. Copies of the documents proving ownership are attached as required.
Administrative processing period
Registration or deregistration is completed on the day of application or on the next working day.
Result of registration
The result is entry of the address in the territorial-community register. An extract with a QR code confirms the registered information.
Stamps are no longer placed in old-style passport booklets and Forms 13 and 16 are no longer issued. The register extract replaces those documents and may be obtained through Diia or a CNAP.
Changing address
When a person registers a new address, the previous registration is cancelled as part of the new registration procedure. A separate preliminary deregistration is therefore not normally required.
Foreign nationals holding Ukrainian residence permits may also change their registered address.
Online declaration through Diia
An electronic declaration of place of residence may be filed through Diia where:
the dwelling is privately owned;
the dwelling is entered in the electronic State Register of Rights to Immovable Property;
all owners of the dwelling are registered in Diia.
In other cases, the source directs the applicant to file through a CNAP.
Liability for absence of registration
The fine is UAH 51 for a Ukrainian citizen who fails to have the required residence registration and a fine of UAH 3,500 to UAH 5,100 for a foreign national. These figures are reproduced.
It states that the fine is paid when the registration application is filed after the violation and notes that absence of registration may complicate access to administrative and social services.
Deregistration
Deregistration may be requested through the CNAP for the registered address or, where the electronic procedure is available, through Diia. A representative acting under a power of attorney may handle deregistration in appropriate cases.
The source lists a passport, Ukrainian translation of the passport for a foreign national and the taxpayer card (INN/RNOKPP) among the basic documents.
An application connected with formal departure for permanent residence abroad cannot, be completed online.
Foreign nationals
The general procedure is described as the same for Ukrainian citizens and foreign nationals, but the source identifies additional foreign-national documents: a valid Ukrainian residence document or protected-person document and a notarised Ukrainian translation of the passport.
If registration is completed after the 30-day period, the relevant administrative-offence documents or fine may also need to be dealt with.
A property owner may register a foreign national in the dwelling and Ukrainian law does not set a special numerical limit on the number of persons who may be registered there.
Legal framework
The source refers to the Law of Ukraine “On Provision of Public (Electronic Public) Services Concerning Declaration and Registration of Place of Residence in Ukraine” and the Cabinet of Ministers procedure on declaration and registration of place of residence and maintenance of territorial-community registers.
Registration without personal attendance
Registration may be completed through a representative where the person gives an appropriate power of attorney, which may be certified by a Ukrainian or foreign notary.
Deregistration without personal attendance
Where the person agrees, the source describes deregistration under a power of attorney. Where a person refuses to deregister or no longer actually lives in the dwelling, the owner may seek a court decision and then file the effective decision with the CNAP.
For a foreign national who is abroad or whose residence document has expired, the source describes possible applications by the owner to the CNAP, a court route if the administrative application is refused, or a Migration Service-related route depending on the circumstances.
Additional source points
Registration for a foreign national may in practice be made for one year or another period connected with the validity of residence documents, even though the legal registration entry itself is described elsewhere in the source as having no independent expiry period.
It repeats that a foreign national living without required registration for more than 30 days may face the fine of UAH 3,500 to UAH 5,100.
No statutory limit is on the number of Ukrainian or foreign citizens registered in one dwelling.
Registration can normally be completed within one working day, with notification often received the next day. It also confirms that owner consent may be given personally or by notarised statement and a new registration automatically cancels the previous one.
The former “Form 3” family-composition certificate is described as no longer provided by Ukrainian law; the residence-register extract is used instead.
Support at the State Migration Service for an Administrative Fine
Migration Administrative Offences
Foreign nationals are generally liable for offences in Ukraine on the same basis as Ukrainian citizens, while migration legislation also creates specific administrative offences concerning stay, employment and residence registration.
After a migration administrative violation the foreign national should deal with the territorial State Migration Service so that the administrative offence is recorded and the fine can be paid before further residence or border-crossing issues are addressed.
Common violations
overstaying the permitted period in Ukraine, including staying beyond 90 days where that rule applies or remaining after a residence permit expires;
failure to register a place of residence for more than 30 days;
failure to exchange an old-format permanent residence permit within the 30-day period after reaching ages 25 or 45;
living in Ukraine on an invalid or expired foreign passport.
Administrative protocol and fine
The territorial Migration Service draws up the administrative-offence protocol. The fine recorded in the protocol should then be paid.
For many migration violations, the source states fines for foreign nationals and stateless persons of UAH 1,700 to UAH 5,100.
It gives UAH 1,700 to UAH 5,100 for violation of stay rules and UAH 1,700 to UAH 3,400 for violation of residence-registration rules. These amounts are reproduced .
Following amendments made in 2023, living in Ukraine on invalid or expired documents may be punished by a fine of UAH 3,400 to UAH 5,100.
Procedure
prepare the foreign national's documents and information concerning the violation;
file or present the documents to the Migration Service;
obtain the administrative protocol;
pay the fine and retain the protocol and payment receipt.
Residence-permit renewal after a registration problem
The source describes a situation in which renewal of a temporary residence permit is refused or delayed because the previously registered address was cancelled.
If the residence permit is still valid, the person should deal with the fine for absence of registration, register a new address and re-file the renewal documents.
If the permit has expired in the circumstances during martial-law rules, the fine and housing documents should be included with the residence-permit renewal filing.
The source refers generally to the Code of Ukraine on Administrative Offences as regulating violations of stay, employment, registration and related migration rules.
Lifting and Appealing an Entry Ban to Ukraine
Entry Ban: General Information
An entry ban is an official decision by an authorised Ukrainian state body restricting a foreign national or stateless person's right to enter Ukraine for a specified period.
The State Migration Service, State Border Guard Service, Security Service of Ukraine and National Police are bodies that may take or initiate such decisions. It states that a ban is commonly imposed for three years.
If the decision was unlawful or the circumstances on which it was based have been removed, the ban may be challenged or cancelled.
How to check whether a ban exists
There are two advance routes in addition to discovering the ban at the border:
an advocate's request, for which the source states a five-working-day response period;
a request to the State Border Guard Service in the foreign national's own name, for which the source states a period of up to 30 days.
Common reasons
breach of border-crossing rules, including attempted entry with false documents or travel to temporarily occupied territory outside official checkpoints;
overstay of the permitted 90/180-day period or stay after a residence permit expired;
unfulfilled financial obligations to the state, including unpaid traffic fines or unperformed court decisions;
a national-security or public-order ground, including a decision associated with the Security Service of Ukraine.
Notification and discovery at the border
Advance notification is not mandatory and a foreign national may learn about the ban only at the checkpoint.
Border officers execute the existing decision and cannot cancel it at the border. It is advisable to obtain the written refusal or decision information showing the reason and the authority responsible.
Refusal to cross the border versus entry ban
The source distinguishes a one-off refusal to cross the border from a formal entry ban. A refusal caused by a correctable deficiency, such as a missing visa or insurance document, may permit a new entry attempt after the issue is corrected. A formal ban prevents entry until the ban is cancelled or expires.
Administrative cancellation route
identify the authority that initiated the ban and the exact reason;
remove the cause where possible, for example by paying a fine, complying with a court decision or producing evidence that the ground was unfounded;
submit a reasoned request to the initiating authority with evidence and ask for cancellation of the ban.
A national-security ban associated with the Security Service is generally more complex than a ban based on an unpaid fine or similar administrative matter.
Decision period
After the initiating authority receives evidence that the violation has been remedied, cancellation is usually decided within five working days. Cancellation is formalised by a decision revoking the entry ban and the information is then transmitted to the State Border Guard Service information system.
The overall practical process may take about a month.
Court proceedings
The administrative route above is sufficient in many cases involving fines or minor violations. Where the ban cannot be cancelled administratively or the decision is unlawful, a court challenge may be required.
Documents
copy of the foreign passport, including relevant Ukrainian authority stamps;
copy of the border-crossing refusal or entry-ban decision where available;
evidence showing that the reason for the ban has been removed or that the decision is unfounded.
Medical Insurance Policy for Foreign Nationals in Ukraine
Medical Insurance for Foreign Nationals
Medical insurance is as relevant to Ukrainian visa applications, entry and temporary-residence procedures for foreign nationals.
The source contains an internal numerical inconsistency: its introductory line refers to EUR 57,000 of visa cover, while the substantive visa-insurance text repeatedly states a minimum cover of EUR 30,000. Both source figures are recorded here without external reconciliation.
A visa insurance policy requires cover of at least EUR 30,000 and must cover the planned visit period.
For a temporary residence permit, the policy should cover the full validity period of the residence permit and no specific minimum insured amount is for that purpose.
What is medical insurance?
Voluntary medical insurance is personal insurance providing medical assistance and reimbursement of covered medical expenses when an insured event occurs. It also uses terms such as visa insurance, residence-permit insurance and medical policy for foreign nationals.
When a policy may be required
for a Ukrainian visa, with the minimum cover of EUR 30,000;
for entry into Ukraine in the situations;
for issue or renewal of a temporary residence permit.
Policy period
For a visa, the policy should cover the planned visit. For a temporary residence permit, it should cover the residence-permit period. For entry, the policy period should cover the planned visit.
One medical insurance policy may be issued for a maximum period of one year.
Medical services
emergency outpatient care;
emergency inpatient treatment;
ambulance and urgent medical care;
urgent dental care.
Where an insured event occurs, the insurer reimburses expenses within the insured amount stated in the contract. The insurance premium is paid once in full.
Documents
The foreign passport is the principal document. For a child's policy, it refers to the child's foreign passport and the foreign passport of one parent.
It also states that an electronic scan or photograph of the passport and an email address may be sufficient for preparing the policy, depending on the insurer's process.
Insurance at the border
The source contains an internal distinction: it describes insurance as relevant to entry into Ukraine but later states that Ukrainian law does not generally require a foreign national to present a medical policy at the border. This wording is preserved without external reconciliation.
Carrying insurance may make it easier to answer questions during passport control.
COVID-19 Insurance for Entry to Ukraine
COVID-19 Insurance
The source contains a historical COVID-19 entry-insurance section stating that certain foreign nationals entering Ukraine were required to hold insurance covering treatment for coronavirus disease and observation.
It states that Ukrainian citizens and foreign nationals holding permanent residence were not subject to that requirement.
Persons as exempt
foreign nationals and stateless persons permanently residing in Ukraine;
persons recognised as refugees;
persons requiring additional protection.
Policy requirements
The legislation cited there did not prescribe a detailed technical list of policy terms, but that the policy had to cover expenses connected with COVID-19 treatment and observation.
It also states that the insurance territory should logically include Ukraine and that the policy should be valid when the foreign national enters Ukraine.
Documents
The source identifies the foreign-travel passport, together with a Ukrainian translation and notarised copy in the procedure it describes.
For a child, it refers to the child's foreign-travel passport and the foreign-travel passport of one parent, again with the translations/notarisation.
Historical legal reference
The source refers to Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine Resolution No. 480 of 12 June 2020 and states that during the quarantine period described there foreign nationals without the required COVID-19 insurance were prohibited from entering Ukraine, subject to the exemptions stated above.
This section is reproduced as source-derived historical material and is not externally updated or reconciled in this localisation batch.
Registration of a Temporarily Imported Vehicle of a Foreign National in Ukraine
Temporary Import and Registration
A vehicle temporarily imported into Ukraine by a non-resident without customs clearance for permanent import must, be registered with an MIA service centre when it remains in Ukraine beyond the period allowed without such registration.
The vehicle may remain for up to one month without MIA registration. For a longer temporary stay, a temporary registration certificate is required.
The foreign national should hold a temporary residence permit and residence registration and the vehicle must be registered abroad in the name of the same foreign national who applies for temporary registration in Ukraine.
The maximum temporary-import period is one year.
As at 2026, provision of the particular registration service described in the article was temporarily suspended for all applicants. This dated source statement is preserved without external verification.
Who may register the vehicle?
A foreign national holding a temporary residence permit in Ukraine and registered place of residence are the person entitled to complete the temporary registration procedure.
Customs period and penalties
The Customs Code allows a non-resident citizen to temporarily import a vehicle for up to one year.
For exceeding that period, it reproduces the following fines:
up to 3 days — UAH 850;
from 3 to 10 days — UAH 5,100;
from 10 to 20 days — UAH 17,000;
from 20 to 30 days — UAH 85,000;
more than 30 days, loss of the vehicle or dismantling — UAH 170,000 or confiscation of the vehicle.
A temporarily imported vehicle may not be dismantled for parts, transferred into another person's possession, use or disposal, or used for entrepreneurial activity or generation of income.
Crossing the border with the vehicle
On entry, border/customs information about the vehicle is entered in the customs database and the foreign national signs an undertaking to export the vehicle from Ukraine within the permitted period.
The source lists the foreign national's passport, vehicle registration document and motor insurance valid in Ukraine as the basic border documents.
Temporary registration procedure
obtain the required vehicle-registration confirmation from the customs authority;
apply to the MIA service centre;
receive the temporary registration certificate.
Penalty for failure to complete MIA registration
A first recorded offence costs the owner UAH 4,450 and a second offence may result in UAH 4,450 or community work for 30 to 40 hours, with or without compensated seizure of the vehicle. These figures and wording are reproduced .
Documents
document confirming registration of the vehicle outside Ukraine, with notarised Ukrainian translation;
vehicle registration certificate;
temporary residence permit and extract confirming declaration/registration of the place of residence;
passport, with notarised Ukrainian translation and copies of pages showing the latest Ukrainian border crossing and place of crossing;
taxpayer card (INN/RNOKPP).
Vehicle not registered abroad
A vehicle that is not registered abroad cannot be temporarily imported into the customs territory of Ukraine under the procedure described.
Permanent residence in Ukraine
MIA practice treats a foreign national holding permanent residence as a Ukrainian resident, which ordinarily prevents immediate use of the non-resident temporary-registration route. It adds that evidence of tax residence in another country may in some cases be used to establish non-resident status for the procedure.
Ukrainian citizen permanently resident abroad
A Ukrainian resident who is on temporary consular registration abroad may temporarily import one personal vehicle under a written re-export undertaking and written declaration for no more than 60 days during one calendar year, whether continuously or in separate periods, without payment of customs duties in the circumstances.
For that route, customs receives documents proving the person's ownership of the vehicle and the vehicle's registration in the relevant foreign state.
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