Applying to universities in Ukraine

This page is for Turkish citizens considering studying at a university in Ukraine. It explains step by step how to apply through the official portal, fees, and visa and residence permit procedures. The most important issue is the decision on the Turkish side: YÖK does not grant equivalence to the diplomas of Turkish citizens who enrolled at universities in Ukraine after February 12, 2022. Be sure to read the first section before making a decision.

• YÖK announced a special decision for Ukraine on April 4, 2023.
• The Ministry of Foreign Affairs began evacuating Turkish citizens in Ukraine on February 12, 2022.
• Diplomas of students who newly enrolled in higher education institutions in Ukraine after this date are not granted equivalence.
• The decision covers associate, bachelor's, and master's degrees.
• YÖK's reason: proper education and instruction cannot be provided in a wartime environment.
• The status of those who began their studies before February 12, 2022 is assessed separately under the legislation (see U4.3).
• As of October 17, 2026, this decision is still listed on the frequently asked questions page of YÖK's Recognition and Equivalence Department.
• If your diploma needs to be valid in Türkiye, a bachelor's or master's program you begin in Ukraine today will not meet this need.

• The official channel for admitting foreign students is the Study in Ukraine portal. The portal is managed by the Ukrainian State Center for International Education (Український державний центр міжнародної освіти), affiliated with the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine.
• Modes of study: full-time, part-time, and distance learning. Distance learning is possible in all fields except medicine (MBBS) (see U4.2).
• Application periods:
  • associate, bachelor's, and master's programs: twice a year, by November 1 and March 1
  • doctoral programs, preparatory year, professional development and internships, transfer, and re-enrollment: throughout the year
  • Each university publishes its own deadlines on its own website.
• The academic year begins on September 1 and ends on June 30.
• Annual tuition fee ranges provided by the portal:
  • medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, and nursing: €1,500–5,000
  • engineering: €1,200–4,000
  • MBA: €2,000–6,000
• Estimated living expenses provided by the portal:
  • dormitory €50–150/month, private housing starting from €200
  • food €120–250/month
  • health insurance up to €1,000 per year
  • visa procedures starting from €65
  • transportation and personal expenses €20–50/month

1. Open a digital account. Enter your email address using "Register" on the application portal. Registration confirmation and instructions will arrive by email.
2. Complete the application form and upload the documents:
   • high school or university diploma (and a transcript if required by the legislation of the country where the document was issued)
   • an academic document for transferring to or continuing in the second year or above
   • passport
   • color passport photograph
   • Files must be in PDF or JPG format. Combine more than three documents into a single PDF.
3. Pay the application fee. The fee is 3,100 hryvnias and is paid once. You may submit a maximum of 20 applications. After payment, your application is automatically sent to the university.
4. Review the admission offer. If the university approves your application, an official Offer of Admission will arrive in your digital account. The offer states the university, accredited program, mode and language of study, year, duration of study, and fee. You may accept or reject the offer.
5. Obtain the education invitation. After you accept the offer, the university checks your documents and issues an education invitation (запрошення на навчання).
   • The invitation is electronically signed and valid for 6 months. You may print it if necessary.
   • The invitation details are automatically shared with Ukrainian embassies and consulates and the State Border Guard Service.
6. Visa. If you need a visa to enter Ukraine, obtain a type D student visa from a Ukrainian mission in your country. For the visa-free stay rights of Turkish citizens, see U1.1; for the D visa, see U1.2.
7. Enter your border information. Before setting out, enter the date and time of entry and the border crossing you will use in your digital account.
8. Obtain a residence permit in Ukraine. If you will stay for more than 90 days, you need a temporary residence permit (below).

• Study in Ukraine's student visa checklist:
  • valid passport
  • completed and signed visa application form
  • 35 × 45 mm color photograph
  • valid health insurance
  • document showing payment of the consular fee
  • education invitation
  • biometric data (fingerprints and facial photograph)
• Documents issued in a foreign country must be legalized and accompanied by a certified translation into Ukrainian (or English if Ukrainian is unavailable).
• Türkiye and Ukraine are parties to the Apostille Convention. In Türkiye, apostille certificates are issued by governorates and district governorates; for judicial documents, the competent authorities are the justice commissions at heavy penal court centers. Applications may also be submitted electronically through the e-Apostille system.
• Documents requested from students at the border:
  • passport and type D student visa
  • education invitation
  • valid health insurance
  • proof of sufficient financial resources for the stay: cash or a bank card with a statement showing a sufficient balance
• According to the portal, there are no direct flights to Ukraine. Entry is through land border crossings in Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, and Moldova. A visa may be required for the transit country (see U0.2 and U1.4).

• A student staying for more than 90 days must obtain a temporary residence permit (посвідка на тимчасове проживання). This card is your official identity document in Ukraine.
• Place of application: a local office of the State Migration Service (ДМС) or an administrative services center (ЦНАП).
• Submit the documents at least 15 business days before the end of your period of stay. The card is issued within 15 business days.
• Documents requested by the Migration Service:
  • passport (with a D visa except where a long-term visa is not required) and a copy of the visa page
  • certified Ukrainian translation of the passport identity page
  • valid health insurance policy covering the entire permit period (see U6.2)
  • certified copy of the university order showing the periods of enrollment and study
  • the university's undertaking to notify the Migration Service if your enrollment is canceled
  • document showing payment of the administrative fee
  • proof of housing, if desired (title deed or lease agreement)
• Fee: 34 hryvnias state duty, 452 hryvnias service fee, and 654 hryvnias card fee; total 1,140 hryvnias.
• The permit is issued for the period of study specified in the school's order.
• Services are not provided at Migration Service offices during air-raid alerts.

• The scholarship of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine is open only to citizens of countries that have an education agreement with Ukraine. Eligible countries are published on the Ministry's list.
• What the scholarship covers:
  • free tuition
  • a monthly allowance if provided for by the agreement
  • healthcare under Ukrainian legislation
  • dormitory accommodation under the same conditions as Ukrainian students
  • one year of free Ukrainian-language preparation
• What the scholarship does not cover: diploma equivalence (nostrification), annual health insurance, visa and travel expenses, or residence permit costs.
• Scholarship students study in Ukrainian-language programs. No monthly allowance is paid during the preparatory year.
• Schedule: Ukraine informs partner countries by December 15, partner countries submit candidates by March 31, and the Ministry decides by August 1.
• Applications are submitted not to the university but to the authorized education authority of your own country.
• Email to the Ministry: international@mon.gov.ua

• Study in Ukraine recommends applying directly to universities through the official portal. This is the safest and most transparent way.
• If you use an intermediary, check two things:
  • whether the intermediary is certified by the Ukrainian State Center for International Education
  • whether it is authorized to represent the university you wish to apply to
• The list of certified intermediaries and the universities they represent is published on the portal.

• Ukrainian State Center for International Education (Study in Ukraine) — application, invitation, and admission process
  • Address: 3 Oleksandra Dovzhenka St., 03057 Kyiv
  • Phone: +380 44 359 05 39, +380 67 402 63 61
  • Email: info@studyinukraine.gov.ua
  • Web: studyinukraine.gov.ua
• State Migration Service of Ukraine (ДМС) — temporary residence permit
  • Web: dmsu.gov.ua
• Embassy of the Republic of Türkiye in Kyiv — consular services
  • Address: 22 Panasa Myrnoho St., 01011 Kyiv
  • Phone: +380 44 281 07 50 (for consular services, weekdays 14:30–17:30)
  • Emergency: +380 63 211 47 65
  • Email: embassy.kiev@mfa.gov.tr
  • Appointments are accepted between 09:30 and 12:30. Consular fees are payable only in euros.
• Education Counsellor's Office of the Republic of Türkiye in Kyiv — private student files and school documents
  • Address: 22 Panasa Myrnoho St., 01901 Kyiv
  • Phone: +380 44 281 07 50
  • Email: kiev@meb.gov.tr
• Consulate General of the Republic of Türkiye in Odesa
  • Address: 5 Leontovycha St., 65014 Odesa
  • Phone: +380 48 722 79 11, +380 48 722 79 39, +380 48 720 72 00
  • Emergency: +380 93 711 00 24, +380 93 711 00 26
  • Email: consulate.odessa@mfa.gov.tr
• YÖK Department of Recognition and Equivalence Services — school recognition and equivalence
  • Address: 10 Üniversiteler Mah. 1600. Cad., 06800 Bilkent, Ankara
  • Phone: +90 850 470 09 65
  • Email: denklik@yok.gov.tr
• Ministry of Foreign Affairs Consular Call Center of the Republic of Türkiye (24/7): +90 312 292 29 29

• Enrolling in Ukraine without knowing YÖK's decision of February 12, 2022, and expecting equivalence in Türkiye.
• Searching for school recognition information on e-Government. Ukrainian universities do not appear in the e-Government query; apply to YÖK by petition (see U4.3).
• Paying an intermediary that is uncertified or not authorized to represent that university.
• Missing the education invitation's six-month validity period.
• Leaving the residence permit application until the last days of the stay. Documents must be submitted at least 15 business days in advance.
• Taking out health insurance that is too short to cover the entire residence permit period.
• Taking documents from Türkiye without an apostille or with an uncertified translation.
• Setting out without entering the border crossing information in the digital account.

• Is a diploma I earned in Ukraine valid in Türkiye? YÖK does not grant equivalence to associate, bachelor's, or master's degrees of those who newly enrolled after February 12, 2022. For those who began earlier, see U4.3.
• How many universities can I apply to? A maximum of 20. The application fee is 3,100 hryvnias and is paid once.
• When are applications open? For bachelor's and master's programs, by November 1 and March 1. Each university has its own deadline.
• Do I need a visa as a Turkish citizen? See U1.1 and U1.2 for short-stay and long-term visa rules. If you will stay for more than 90 days, you must obtain a temporary residence permit.
• Can I attend classes remotely? Ukraine permits distance learning in fields other than medicine. For YÖK's distance-learning rules, see U4.2.
• Do I have to use an intermediary? No. You can apply directly through the official portal.

• Study in Ukraine – Application portal (digital account)
• Study in Ukraine – How to apply
• Study in Ukraine – 2026 service fees
• Study in Ukraine – List of certified intermediaries
• YÖK – Sample school recognition petition (PDF)
• YÖK – April 4, 2023 Ukraine announcement
• YÖK – Information for candidates planning to study abroad (July 27, 2026)
• e-Government – YÖK school recognition certificate inquiry
• Migration Service of Ukraine – Temporary residence permit
• Diia – Temporary residence permit service card (No. 00929)
• e-Apostille application system