Where can Ukrainian citizens move to?
Ranked by what the move actually takes on a Ukrainian passport specifically, not in general. Every rating below comes from the same verified data as the full guide it links to.
You keep your Ukrainian passport if you naturalise in 5 of these 12. Naturalising in Australia, Costa Rica, Japan, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Spain and Thailand would mean giving it up.
No working-holiday route is open on a Ukrainian passport in any of these 12. That shortcut is not on the table.
Easiest to keep driving on in Costa Rica, Italy, Portugal, Spain and Thailand. Each guide has the exact terms. Elsewhere expect more steps, often a full local test.
An apostille is accepted in 11 of these 12. Thailand still needs the full consular legalisation chain, so start earlier.
Straightforward 4 of 12
- Costa RicaA small but rising number of Ukrainians have relocated to Costa Rica since 2022 via Rentista status or the Digital Nomad visa, alongside a longer-standing pattern of retirees choosing Costa Rica for its cost of living.Straightforward
- ItalySince Russia's invasion, most Ukrainians in Italy arrived under EU Temporary Protection status rather than ordinary immigration channels; those moving via standard routes today typically use Decreto Flussi work permits — Ukraine has a reserved priority-country allocation — or family reunification.Straightforward
- PortugalUkrainians historically arrived through labour-migration work visas — one of the largest such flows into Portugal in the early 2000s — with post-2022 arrivals mostly holding temporary protection status rather than a standard national visa.Straightforward
- SpainSince 2022, EU Temporary Protection status has been the dominant route for Ukrainians in Spain, alongside standard work and family visas for those outside that scheme.Straightforward
Moderate 5 of 12
- CanadaUkraine became one of Canada's largest sources of temporary residents through the CUAET emergency program; that cohort is now converting to permanent residence through a dedicated family-reunification pathway.Moderate
- IrelandUkrainians in Ireland arrived overwhelmingly through the EU Temporary Protection Directive after the 2022 invasion, giving immediate right to work and access to services without a standard employment permit; a growing share is now converting toward longer-term residence routes as the war continues.Moderate
- JapanSince 2022, most Ukrainians have arrived under Japan's special humanitarian evacuee status rather than standard work visas, with some transitioning to Specified Skilled Worker or student routes.Moderate
- ThailandUkrainians relocate mainly through the DTV/remote-work route or the LTR visa, with a smaller number arriving via retirement or education visas; the community has grown noticeably since 2022.Moderate
- United StatesHumanitarian parole (Uniting for Ukraine) and Temporary Protected Status have been the dominant recent routes since the 2022 invasion, alongside longer-standing family-based sponsorship and a smaller employment-based stream.Moderate
Complex 3 of 12
- AustraliaUkrainians increasingly arrive through the dedicated Temporary (Humanitarian Concern) visa (subclass 786) created after the 2022 invasion, alongside the standard skilled-visa routes.Complex
- NetherlandsPrimarily Temporary Protection status since the 2022 invasion rather than standard labour migration, alongside a smaller pre-war Kennismigrant and student stream.Complex
- New ZealandUkrainian arrivals since 2022 have come mostly through special humanitarian and family-sponsored visa categories, alongside a smaller ongoing Skilled Migrant Category stream.Complex
Ratings weigh entry class, working-holiday access, licence exchange, dual citizenship and document legalisation. Each is checked against the issuing government. Open any destination for the full guide written for Ukrainian citizens.