Temporary residence permit on the ground of cultural, scientific, educational activities, participation in international and regional volunteer programs or participation in the activities of organizations and institutions involving volunteers in their activities

A temporary residence permit is a document that gives the right to reside in Ukraine during the period specified in it. As a general rule it is issued for one year (with a possible extension) and allows foreigners to reside as well as freely and without any restrictions to enter Ukraine during its validity period.

You can read about the general procedure of obtaining a residence permit in our article by the link: https://legalaid.ua/ua/article/posvidka-na-tymchasove-prozhyvannya-inozemtsya/. However, each ground that gives foreigners the right to obtain a residence permit in Ukraine has its characteristics.

Which institutions and organizations have the right to invite foreigners?

The implementation of cultural, scientific, educational or volunteer activities is one of the most common legal grounds for obtaining a temporary residence permit. Its specificity lies in the fact that not every organization or institution which performs this activity has the right to invite foreigners to Ukraine. For example, the rights to invite foreigners to carry out volunteer activities have only those organizations and institutions that are included in a special list published on the website of the Ministry of Social Policy.

How to get to this list?

To get into such a list volunteer organizations shall send official letters to the Ministry of Social Policy (on the organization’s letterhead signed by the CEO) with information about the legal entity (which must correspond to the information on state registration). Such information should include:

– full name, company registered code, location, mailing address, numbers of communications, information about CEO (last name, first name, middle name).

* If available should be noted the email address and the address of the official website on the Internet; optionally – other information.

Within three business days from the date of receiving the relevant information, the Ministry of Social Policy publishes on its website the available information about organizations and institutions that involve volunteers, including foreigners, in their activities.

How to obtain a temporary residence permit?

If the organization is included in this list, you cannot immediately apply for a temporary residence permit in most cases. First, you need to get an invitation from the host party and then apply to the Ukrainian embassy abroad for a long-term visa (type D). This requirement does not apply only to citizens of Azerbaijan, the Republic of Belarus, Armenia, Georgia and other countries for which the legislation of Ukraine does not provide obtaining a type D visa.

Foreigners who apply for a visa, in addition to the general list of documents and depending on the basis, must submit one of the following documents:

  • invitation from a religious organization for a long-term stay to preach religious creeds, perform religious rites or other canonical activities;
  • invitation from the relevant state body responsible for the implementation of cultural, educational, scientific, sports programs, programs in the field of volunteer activities;
  • an invitation from organizations or institutions that attract volunteers to carry out their activities, information about which is available on the official website of the Ministry of Social Policy.

Important! In case when the host party is a religious organization, the law provides for the requirement to coordinate the invitation with the state body that registered the charter (regulation) of this religious organization. If the host party is an organization that involves volunteers in carrying out its activities, a copy of the certificate of state registration of such an organization or institution is attached to the invitation.

After obtaining a visa, foreigners can enter Ukraine and apply for a temporary residence permit within the validity period of the visa. For this, it is necessary to prepare a package of documents prescribed by law, and also to receive from the host party one of the following documents:

  • statement of the relevant religious organization and approval from the state body that registered the relevant religious organization (for foreigners or stateless persons who arrived in Ukraine to preach religious creeds, perform religious rites or performing other canonical activities at the invitation of religious organizations and agreeing with the state body who registered the relevant religious organization);
  • statement of the relevant state body responsible for the implementation of cultural, educational, scientific, sports, volunteer programs for participation in which a foreigner or stateless person arrived in Ukraine or representation of an organization or institution that involves volunteers in its activities and a certificate of state registration of such organizations or institutions (for foreigners or stateless persons who have arrived in Ukraine for cultural, scientific, educational activities on the grounds and in the manner established by international agreements of Ukraine or special programs, as well as for foreigners or stateless persons who have arrived in Ukraine to participate in international and regional volunteer programs or to participate in the activities of organizations and institutions that involve volunteers in their activities under the Law of Ukraine “On Volunteering”, information on which is available on the official website of the Ministry of Social Policy).

The general list of documents for obtaining a temporary residence permit is determined in the Decree of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine No. 322 dated 04/25/2018 on the approval of the sample, the technical description of the form and the Procedure for issuing, exchanging, canceling, sending, withdrawing, returning to the state, invalidation and the destruction of a temporary residence permit.

Important! Foreigners can apply for a residence permit no later than 15 business days before the visa expires.

The period of processing the temporary residence permit may not exceed 15 business days. After obtaining a residence permit, a foreigner must register a place of residence in Ukraine within thirty calendar days.

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