recent post

Residence Permit for Military Personnel in Ukraine

Approved List of Countries for Dual Citizenship in Ukraine

TRP in Ukraine for Russians in 2025

Exams for the acquisition of Ukrainian citizenship

categories

Permanent Residence for IT Specialists in Ukraine

Ukraine has long been considered an attractive country for IT specialists due to the rapid development of the technology sector and wide opportunities for professional growth. Permanent residence for IT specialists in Ukraine opens doors to various benefits, including a stable working environment, competitive salaries, and participation in innovative projects. In this article, we will examine the key aspects of obtaining permanent residency for IT specialists in Ukraine, explain the main requirements and steps of the process, and discuss the advantages this status provides.

 

Who Can Apply for Permanent Residence for IT Specialists in Ukraine?

Every year, the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine issues a decree specifying the specializations that the Ukrainian economy urgently needs. This year, the decree includes 26 IT professions whose representatives can immigrate to Ukraine:

  1. Chief Programmer
  2. Information Security Systems Manager
  3. Database Administrator
  4. Data Administrator
  5. Systems Administrator
  6. Computer Communications Analyst
  7. Computer Systems Analyst
  8. Operational and Applied Software Analyst
  9. Computer Systems Engineer
  10. Software Engineer
  11. Programmer Engineer
  12. Database Programmer
  13. Application Programmer
  14. System Programmer
  15. Information Security Systems Developer
  16. Computer Usage Engineer
  17. Design Engineer (Electrical Engineering)
  18. New Equipment and Technology Implementation Engineer
  19. Information Technology Specialist
  20. Information Technology Specialist (in the field of blockchain, cryptocurrency, and virtual assets)
  21. Computer Graphics (Design) Specialist
  22. Software Development and Testing Specialist
  23. Computer Program Development Specialist
  24. Restricted Information Security Specialist
  25. Information Security Organization Specialist
  26. Information and Software Processing Operator

 

Requirements for Obtaining Permanent Residence for IT Specialists in Ukraine

All specializations have one main requirement and several additional requirements, of which it is enough to meet at least one.

Main Requirement: The main requirement is always work experience. You must show at least 3 years of experience at any time within the last 7 years (2 years for designers). This can be non-consecutive experience, or you may have ended work in the IT field 4 years ago but still be eligible to apply.

Work experience can be confirmed by the following documents:

  • Employment record book or its analogs
  • Reference letter confirming the provision of services in your field
  • Service contract with evidence of services provided in your field
  • Service acceptance certificate in the relevant field
  • Extract from the decree on appointment to a position in the relevant field
  • Payroll statements
  • Certificate from the place of work
  • Work characterization with indicated work periods

Additional Requirements: As mentioned earlier, there are always several additional requirements, and it is enough to meet at least one.

Additional requirements include:

  • Higher education in “Information Technology” or “Mathematics and Statistics”
  • Income from the profession in the last 12 calendar months of at least USD 24,000
  • One of the certificates: CISSP, CISA, CISM, ITIL Master, CompTIA Security+, confirmation of software skills in WordPress (for designers), Massachusetts Institute of Technology certificate in the relevant field
  • Recommendation letter describing implemented projects (for designers)
  • One of the following English language certificates at level B2: IELTS, TOEFL (for computer usage engineers)

Note that additional requirements may vary depending on the profession you want to apply for, so we recommend initially consulting with us to avoid mistakes, wasted time, and money.

 

Document Processing Procedure

Permanent residence for IT specialists has its specific processing features. Documents must go through 3 authorities: the Ministry of Economy of Ukraine, the Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine, and the Migration Service of Ukraine.

Steps to obtain permanent residence for IT specialists:

  1. Document Preparation: You need to prepare documents from your country of citizenship, legalize them if required, and send them to us.
  2. Submission of Documents to Ministries: This usually takes up to 1 month. As a result, the ministries will determine whether the applicant meets the requirements. The significant advantage is that the process can be started remotely, and you do not necessarily need to travel to Ukraine.
  3. Submission of Documents to the Migration Service of Ukraine: At this stage, the applicant will need to come to Ukraine personally. If family members (spouse and children under 18) also want to immigrate, everyone must cross the border of Ukraine together. Documents for immigration permission are processed within up to 6 months. While the documents are being processed, you can leave the country or extend your stay.
  4. Obtaining a D-01 Visa to Ukraine: This visa is required only if you left the country before the immigration permit decision was made. The D visa is issued within up to 2 weeks and is valid for 90 days. The validity period starts immediately upon issuance, so plan everything in advance.
  5. Submission of Documents for a Permanent Residence Plastic Card: This is the final and straightforward stage in obtaining permanent residence. The permanent residence card is issued within up to 3 weeks and is valid for 10 years.
  6. Registration of Residence in Ukraine: Ukrainian legislation requires all foreigners who have received residency documents and Ukrainian citizens to register their place of residence within 30 days.

 

Taxes for IT Specialists in Ukraine

Taxes are always an important aspect when choosing a country for relocation, especially if you work as a freelancer or entrepreneur. Regarding IT specialists, Ukraine is very flexible and can offer several options for business organization and taxation.

  1. Registration as an Individual Entrepreneur: In Ukraine, an individual entrepreneur is called FOP (фізична особа-підприємець). This form of business has several groups, each with its own taxation, but IT specialists choose the 3rd group of simplified taxation, which allows paying only 5% of income. You can work with individuals and companies, including foreign partners worldwide, without VAT. The maximum income threshold for the third tax group as of 2024 is about USD 207,000.
  2. Gig Specialist: Gig specialists are a relatively new concept in Ukrainian legislation. This is an intermediate option between FOP and a regular employee. Working as a gig specialist, you can count on social benefits, vacations, and guarantees you won’t get working on your own. However, this employment option is available only if your employer is a resident of the special legal regime Diia.City. Taxes for Diia.City employees are lower than for regular employees, consisting of: 5% PIT, 1.5% Military Tax, and 22% Unified Social Contribution. PIT and MT will be deducted from your salary, and USC will be charged on your salary but paid separately by the employer from their budget.
  3. Employee: This employment option in IT companies is quite rare due to the high taxes that need to be paid in this case. However, IT salaries are high, so neither employees nor employers want to lose a lot of money on taxes. Nevertheless, this option exists, and taxes will be: 18% PIT, 1.5% MT, deducted from your salary, and 22% USC, charged on your salary but paid by the employer.
  4. Starting Your Own Business: If you don’t work alone and have or plan to create a team, you may consider starting a company. In this case, everything is individual, and there are various options. For the IT sector, registering a startup resident of Diia.City is beneficial. In this case, the company pays 0% corporate tax until the profit is distributed. When distributing profits, only 9% (instead of the standard 18%) will be paid, and various benefits and forms of investment can be applied. If the profit is not distributed for 2 years, it can be withdrawn with 0% dividend tax. You can learn more during our consultation.

It is worth noting that several business options can be combined. For example, you can officially work for a company as a regular employee or gig specialist and take orders as an individual entrepreneur. This expands earning horizons and gives greater freedom of action.

 

Advantages of Obtaining Permanent Residence for IT Specialists in Ukraine

This is far from an exhaustive list, but we have tried to highlight the main benefits of obtaining permanent residence for specialists.

  1. Instant Path to Permanent Residency: Unlike many other European countries, specialists in Ukraine can immediately obtain permanent residence, valid for life.
  2. Ability to Bring Family: The primary applicant can bring their spouse and children under 18, who also receive permanent residence for life.
  3. Fast Path to Ukrainian Citizenship: After 5 years, you can apply for Ukrainian citizenship. With a Ukrainian passport, you can enter 148 countries visa-free.
  4. No Residency Requirements: Ukraine has no residency requirements like in Europe or even Latin America. If you need to leave the country, your permanent residence will not be canceled, even if you do not enter Ukraine for years.
  5. Resident Benefits: Becoming a permanent resident of Ukraine means you are no longer subject to requirements applied to foreigners with temporary residence permits. For example, you and your spouse can officially work in Ukraine without needing a work permit, and children can enroll in free university education.
  6. Favorable Tax System: You can work as an individual entrepreneur and pay only 5% of turnover, be a gig specialist, or register your startup under favorable conditions and receive state support.
  7. Independence: Obtaining permanent residence as a specialist means you are not tied to an employer, sponsor, Ukrainian citizen spouse, organization, or any other host party. You have complete freedom of action. You can run your own business, be a freelancer, or get hired.
  8. Prospects: Ukraine is moving towards the European Union, and it is only a matter of time. Once EU membership is accepted, the value of Ukrainian residency will increase along with the opportunities of an EU resident.

 

Conclusion

Permanent residence for IT specialists in Ukraine is truly a unique opportunity for a fast, affordable, and relatively simple way to relocate to a European country. At the same time, you immediately receive permanent residence rather than temporary documents that need annual renewal, and you are independent of anyone. As of 2024, the quota has been lifted, and there are no limits on the number of applications. However, we recommend acting quickly, as once the IT sector’s demand is met, the quota may be reinstated, complicating the process or possibly closing some specializations.

If you are considering obtaining permanent residence in Ukraine as a foreign IT specialist, leave an application on our website or contact us in any convenient way. We will be happy to help you through the entire process from start to finish.