Ukraine spouse visa and residence for partners of Ukrainians

Family reunification with Ukrainian nationals is one of the statutory grounds for temporary residence, and it also covers foreigners who married a Ukrainian citizen while staying legally in Ukraine on another listed ground. For permanent settlement, the law places the spouse of a Ukrainian citizen married for more than two years, and the children and parents of Ukrainian citizens, outside the immigration quotas set by the Cabinet of Ministers.

In addition to the common documents, the applicant shows the marriage certificate, and the Ukrainian spouse appears in person with their passport; originals are returned after checking and certified copies stay in the file. A long-term visa is normally required unless an exemption applies, and medical insurance must cover the full term of the permit. The fee is UAH 1,140 and the decision takes 15 working days.

Spouses married for more than two years apply for the immigration permit at a Ukrainian mission in their country of permanent residence or, if legally in Ukraine, at the State Migration Service where they live. The file includes the application, three photos, passport, proof of legal stay, proof of residence abroad and in Ukraine, family composition and marriage certificate, a medical certificate on listed diseases, a criminal record certificate from the previous country of residence and the fee receipt. In Ukraine the fee is UAH 1,664 and the decision takes up to 183 days; through a mission it can take up to a year.

The immigration permit is refused to people sentenced to more than one year in prison whose conviction has not been expunged, people wanted for or charged with serious crimes, people with chronic alcohol or drug dependence or listed infectious diseases, applicants who submit false information or forged documents, people banned from entering Ukraine and couples whose marriage is a sham. After a refusal a new application can be made after one year.

A temporary residence refusal can be challenged with the State Migration Service within 30 calendar days. An immigration permit decision can be challenged with the State Migration Service within two months, and the service reviews it within one month. In both cases the district administrative court can be approached within six months, or within three months after the administrative complaint.