Medical Care for Foreigners in Ukraine: Family Doctors, Emergencies and Who Pays

The key question: temporary or permanent residence

Most foreign workers in Ukraine live there on a temporary residence permit (TRC) obtained on the basis of a work permit. The type of residence permit directly determines who pays for medical care.

Ukraine's Law on State Financial Guarantees of Medical Care guarantees payment for medical services under the state medical guarantees programme to Ukrainian citizens and to foreigners and stateless persons who reside in Ukraine permanently. In other words, the full package — primary, specialist and emergency care paid by the state — is for people holding a permanent residence permit.

A worker with a temporary residence permit is not covered by this guarantee. That is exactly why a health insurance policy is required for your documents — see our article on health insurance for foreign workers.

Signing up with a family doctor

A declaration with a family doctor, general practitioner or paediatrician is the entry point to free primary care in Ukraine. To sign one you need an identity document and a tax number.

For foreigners: according to an explanation published on the official eHealth resource, citizens of other countries lawfully residing in Ukraine may sign a declaration, but to be registered in the electronic health system they need a permanent residence permit. We did not find an official explanation extending this right to holders of a temporary permit. So if you have a temporary permit, plan on care through your insurance policy or private clinics, and check the current rules with your chosen clinic or the National Health Service of Ukraine (NHSU) hotline.

Emergency care: you will be helped, but a bill may follow

If your life is in danger, call 103 (ambulance) or 112. Emergency care is provided regardless of citizenship, documents or a doctor declaration — in a critical situation, never delay the call out of fear of the cost.

You should still know about payment. Under a government decision of April 2018 (as reported by the Interfax-Ukraine news agency), foreigners and stateless persons temporarily residing in Ukraine who received emergency care paid from the state budget must reimburse its cost within 30 days of receiving the bill. This is exactly what a valid insurance policy is for — keep its number and your insurer's contacts on your phone.

Routine treatment: what to do with a temporary permit

1. Check your policy. See what it covers: emergency care only, or also outpatient treatment, tests and medicines. Find your insurer's assistance phone number.
2. Call the insurer before the visit. Insurers often refer you to a partner clinic, and the treatment is then paid directly.
3. Private clinic. If the case is not covered, private clinics will see you for a fee. Keep receipts and medical reports.
4. Medicines. Prescription drugs are sold only with a doctor's prescription, so self-treating with antibiotics "the way we do at home" will not work.
5. Language. Ask a colleague or coordinator to help translate, or use a translation app — describing symptoms and allergies correctly matters.

Sick leave and workplace medical checks

A legally employed foreigner has the same labour rights as a Ukrainian, including paid sick leave — see the rights of a foreign worker in Ukraine. Sick notes in Ukraine are issued electronically by a doctor, so check in advance whether your clinic can issue one.

Separately, some jobs (for example, in food production) require pre-employment and periodic medical checks — these are organised and paid for by the employer, not the worker.

What changes with a permanent residence permit

If you later obtain a permanent residence permit, the law gives you the right to the state medical guarantees programme on the same terms as citizens — including a family doctor declaration. How residence grounds and permit types change is covered in our residence permit guide and on the page how to get a residence permit.

How ASHA Ukraine helps

We help workers obtain the temporary residence permit and insurance policy they need to stay legally, explain what to do when they fall ill, and point them to where to go in the city where they work. We do not provide medical services and do not promise free treatment — we explain how the system works so that you are not left without help when you need it.

Sources: Law of Ukraine No. 2168-VIII of 19.10.2017 on State Financial Guarantees of Medical Care, Article 4; Interfax-Ukraine report of 25.04.2018 on the government decision on reimbursement of emergency care by foreigners temporarily residing in Ukraine; eHealth (ehealth.gov.ua) explanation on declarations for foreigners, 07.02.2019. Checked as of 23.10.2026; rules may change — confirm them with a clinic or the NHSU hotline.