What You Need to Know When You’re Moving to Kiev

Relocating to Kiev

About the City

Located in the northern central part of Ukraine at the Dnieper River, Kiev is the country’s largest and also its capital city, with a population of just under 3 million on a 839 km² territory. Like the rest of Ukraine, Kiev has a very diverse population, with different nationalities represented in the city. The largest groups are Russians, Jews, Belarusians, and Poles.

Over 82% of people living in Kiev identify as native Ukrainians. The main languages are Ukrainian and Russian, with most people using both as their first languages in everyday life. Many people also speak English, especially in the business district. There is a growing expatriate community in Kiev, drawn to the city by its reasonable tax rate, strong industrial history, and growing services sector.

The Climate in Kiev

Moving to Kiev means adjusting to a humid continental climate. The summer months, from May to August, come with temperatures of between 13.8 and 24.8°C on average. During these months the city experiences very little precipitation, and gets the most sunshine hours on average. In the winter, temperatures fall to between −4.6 and −1.1 °C (23.7 and 30.0 °F) on average. Snow and frost are expected every year, usually covering the city from November to February, with around 34 cm falling each year on average. However, Kiev usually has around 200 days without frost or snow every year.

Visas for Ukraine

Expatriates moving to Kiev will need a visa. This is true even if you have already secured a work permit, as the two are considered separate. Citizens from most countries are able to enter Ukraine for 90 days on a tourist visa, but you will need a residence permit to stay for longer than this. You have to apply to your local embassy or consulate for a temporary residency permit, which allows you to move to Kiev. You can do this once you have arrived in Kiev, but will need to complete the process before your 90-day tourist visa expires.

Once you have the residency permit you must ensure that you register with your local housing administration (ZHEK) within 10 days. Completing this process will grant you a temporary residence propiska (registration), which you will need to do certain things in Kiev, like selling or buying property. This process must then be repeated every year to renew the permit.