Russian citizens can obtain residence permits in Ukraine - State Migration Service
Russian citizens can extend their temporary residence permit in Ukraine on the basis of marriage, family reunification or employment.
Vyacheslav Huz, head of the Central Interregional Department of the State Migration Service in Kyiv and Kyiv region, said this in an interview with Ukrinform, Censor.NET reports.
According to him, in November 2022, the Cabinet of Ministers allowed Russian citizens who have a family or employment in Ukraine to exchange an expired temporary residence permit, that is, to actually extend their legal residence in Ukraine. Then, the acceptance of expired residence permits from Russian citizens was suspended.
"Today, they can exchange their residence permit until the last day of its expiration, but only on the grounds of marriage, family reunification or employment. For this purpose, the legislation introduced a novelty - a procedure for extending the period of temporary residence for the period necessary for documentation with a residence permit. That is, Ukraine, despite everything, demonstrates a humane attitude towards Russian citizens who have been living in Ukraine for a long time, have strong family ties and have lost any relations with Russia," Guz said.
He explained that the documents from Russian citizens, which the Migration Service accepted in February 2022 before the invasion, were processed in accordance with the requirements of the legislation, which at that time did not provide for any restrictions on this category of citizens, and therefore the documents were issued to them. Since the beginning of hostilities, citizens of the aggressor country have not been issued residence permits. According to international law, they enjoy the protection of the state of their citizenship, do not lose contact with it and are subject to the laws of the country of their citizenship, i.e. Russia.
"Now, for the first time, Russian citizens are documented with temporary residence permits if they enter Ukraine on a long-term visa D. This is a consequence of the introduction of a visa regime with Russia," said the Migration Service representative.
