Before you start

For the НСЗУ programme: permanent residence, Ukrainian citizenship, or refugee/complementary-protection status
For a declaration: a РНОКПП tax number and an identity document, signed in person with the chosen doctor
For everyone else: a medical insurance policy valid for the whole period of your residence permit — a condition of the permit itself
A Ukrainian phone number, since clinic booking and results run through apps and SMS

Step-by-step

1
Buy insurance before the permit, because the permit requires it
ДМС lists a valid medical insurance policy covering the full permit period among the documents. Employers hiring internationally usually provide a policy; if yours does not, buy either a Ukrainian policy for foreigners or an international policy that explicitly covers Ukraine — many standard international policies exclude it as a war-risk territory, so read the exclusions rather than the brochure.
OnlineWho: You or your employerDaysVaries widely; war-risk exclusions are the thing to price, not the premium
2
If you hold permanent residence, sign a declaration with a family doctor
The declaration is the contract between you and a primary-care doctor, and it is what routes НСЗУ funding to them for your care. You choose the doctor — not the district — and sign in person at the practice with your identity document and tax number. The НСЗУ publishes dashboards to find doctors with open capacity. There is no fee, and no residency-by-address restriction.
In personWho: You, at the chosen practiceHalf an hourFree
3
Pick a private clinic for routine care
Kyiv's private sector is the practical answer for most foreign residents: same-week appointments, English-speaking doctors at the larger networks, and prices that are low by Western European standards. Dobrobut, Boris and Oberig are the names people cite most often. Pay per visit, or take an annual programme if you expect regular use.
In personWho: YouSame or next day for most appointmentsA specialist consultation typically ₴1,000-2,500; annual programmes considerably more
4
Know what to dial and where to go in an emergency
103 for an ambulance, 112 for the unified emergency number, 101 for fire and rescue — the last of which is also what responds after a strike. Emergency care is provided regardless of status or declaration. Keep your blood group, allergies and an emergency contact written on paper in your wallet as well as in your phone, because phones die in blackouts.
In personWho: YouImmediate
5
Get your prescriptions through the electronic system
Ukraine runs electronic prescriptions: the doctor issues an e-prescription and you collect at any pharmacy with the code sent to your phone. Pharmacies are dense, open late, and many drugs that are prescription-only elsewhere are available over the counter here — which is convenient and is also a reason to bring your own regular medication rather than improvising a local equivalent.
Mobile appWho: YouImmediate

Documents you’ll need

Identity document and residence permit
РНОКПП tax number (needed for a declaration)
Medical insurance policy valid for the full permit period
Vaccination and medical history, translated if you want it usable
An emergency card on paper with blood group, allergies and contacts

Things most newcomers don’t know

Temporary residence does not get you into the Programme of Medical Guarantees — permanent residence does.

This is the single most misreported thing about healthcare for foreigners in Ukraine. The insured population under Law No. 2168-VIII is citizens, permanent residents and refugees. A work-permit holder on a one-year temporary permit is outside it, which is exactly why ДМС makes insurance a condition of that permit.

Source: Law of Ukraine No. 2168-VIII / НСЗУ

Check your international policy for a Ukraine war-risk exclusion before you rely on it.

Many global expatriate policies carve out active conflict zones. A policy that looks comprehensive and excludes Ukraine is worse than no policy, because you will not discover it until you need it.

Source: community-reported

You choose the family doctor, not the catchment area.

The declaration deliberately broke the old Soviet address-based assignment. If you have permanent residence, you can pick a doctor across the city — including one who speaks English — and the money follows you.

Source: МОЗ

Emergency care does not check your status.

Ambulances and emergency departments treat first. Whatever your paperwork situation, 103 or 112 is always the right call — do not delay because you are unsure whether you are covered.

Source: МОЗ / НСЗУ

Common mistakes to avoid

Assuming a temporary residence permit brings you into the state programme. It does not.
Buying the cheapest policy without reading the territorial exclusions.
Waiting to sign a declaration until you are ill — do it while you are well and can choose the doctor rather than the availability.
Relying on a phone for medical information during a blackout. Keep a paper card.
Self-prescribing because pharmacies will sell you almost anything. Ukrainian pharmacy access is unusually permissive and that is a hazard, not a feature.

Some of this may be out of date. Spotted something inaccurate? Help us keep it right for the next newcomer.