Relocating to another country is always a challenge. But with our tips, you can easily overcome all difficulties. Find out how to prepare for the move and why quick and easy adaptation is impossible without high-quality translation and localization

Legal assistance on migration issues for Ukrainians in Ukraine and abroad

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More than 6.5 million Ukrainians found themselves abroad because of the war. The most popular countries for migration are Germany (30%) and Poland (22%), and outside the EU - the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada. Each of the IDPs has a different background: education, experience, skills, and different life stories. However, there is one thing that unites them: the need to build a life in a new country, with an unfamiliar language and alien customs.

The algorithm of moving from Ukraine and adapted migration rules are the main things that everyone who is forced to seek refuge abroad needs to understand, and the Visit Ukraine.Today service portal is indispensable for this. It helps every Ukrainian to travel safely around the world for any purpose (immigration, tourism, business, employment, education, or escape from war).

At the same time, planning any long-term stay in another country begins with document translation, which is essential for the relocation process, starting a business, finding employment, studying and even resolving any issues with government authorities in a foreign country. Serhii Ventskovskyi, a CCO at MK:translations, talks about how professional translation and localization services aid both entrepreneurs and individuals in adapting to new life circumstances.

What does localization mean, and why is it significant?

Localization is a process where products, services or content are adapted to the specifics of a particular region or country. Unlike simple translation, localization considers not just the language but also the cultural background of the audience (including history, traditions, religion, humor, etc.), local legal regulations, consumer behaviors of potential customers and technical specifications for the products. So here are the reasons why localization is important:

1. Helps avoid misunderstandings that may arise from differences in the interpretation of identical words, colors, symbols, images, songs, jokes, events, etc.

2. Makes a product or service both clear and attractive to new customers.

3. Provides access to a broader audience, creating opportunities for business growth.

4. Prevents legal issues and fines by ensuring compliance with local laws.

5. Offers a competitive advantage, as a localized product is regarded as "local" and satisfies customer needs.

This establishes localization as a crucial resource for any business seeking successful growth in overseas markets. From the standpoint of an entrepreneur who has taken a leap to open their own company overseas, localization will be a tool for adjusting previous experiences, ideas, products, and business processes developed to fit local realities, socio-economic factors and legal standards.

How localization and translation can help you start and grow your business

According to the Diia.Business support center in Warsaw, in 2023, Ukrainians registered 30,325 sole entrepreneurships in Poland. They also register companies in Germany, the Czech Republic, the UK and other countries. Traditionally favored sectors include the beauty industry, cafés, restaurants and a range of services, including online offerings (like psychologists, targeting specialists, photographers, etc.).

Regardless of the niche you choose, opening a company in a new country requires careful preparations. At MK:translations, we have been assisting businesses in entering new markets for the past 10 years. Based on our extensive experience, I can confidently outline the services that entrepreneurs most frequently request when starting a company abroad:

● Legal documents translation: this includes business registration documents, agreements, contracts, extracts from Registers, charters and licenses.

● Financial documents translation: including reports, accounting documents and bank statements.

● Localization of websites and apps: customizing content and all user interface aspects to the cultural features and language of the target audience.

● Technical document translation: such as equipment instructions, compliance documents, drawings, tables and charts.

● Marketing materials translation: including promotional texts, brochures and product catalogs.

● International marketing services: branding, multilingual copywriting, SEO strategy for website promotion, email marketing, PPC, etc.

● Interpretation services for business meetings, negotiations, presentations and international events.

These services support entrepreneurs in preparing all necessary documents, facilitating effective communication with their partners and clients, and sidestepping misunderstandings related to non-compliance with local regulations and standards.

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Obstacles to starting business abroad

Our clients' experiences demonstrate that each country has its unique characteristics that may surprise Ukrainian entrepreneurs. As such, it’s essential to understand local specifics from the outset, including market conditions, laws, traditions, cultural mentality, competitors, marketing tools and consumer habits. Here are some key considerations:

Language specifics

When an entrepreneur explores a new market, they may unknowingly encounter obstacles or accidentally end up in controversies stemming from their ignorance of the local language and culture. This happens when local consumers associate negative undertones or uncomfortable connotations with the brand name, product, or slogan. For example, Ukrainians will be surprised by GAVNO beer from Denmark, Donna Dura brand from the Netherlands, and American Blue Water.

Advertising strategy

When developing a promotional strategy, it's essential to consider the unique aspects of the local mentality. For example, Germans prioritize functionality and benefits, which is why advertising often includes specific facts and figures. In contrast, Americans tend to focus on family values and traditions, as seen in ads that showcase scenes like backyard picnics or festive dinners featuring turkey.

Consumer habits

Discounts are popular among Ukrainians. Americans also appreciate them; just think about the stacks of discount coupons they bring to the supermarkets to save money. In contrast, the Japanese are skeptical, as they believe that quality goods come with a price tag and are wary of discount offers.

Business communication

The French are proficient in English, but they don’t particularly like using it, and they may even pretend not to hear someone speaking to them in English. As such, it is not advisable to start business in this country without knowing French; instead, you should promptly hire translators to assist you.

Accounting

In Ukraine, businesses usually have an accountant who prepares invoices, collects all required documents, makes payments and tax calculations. In Romania, it works differently: the accountant only submits reports prepared by the entrepreneur.

Legal regulations

Latvian regulations specify more than 4,000 professions that require knowledge of the state language. As an example, a housekeeper shall correspond to level A1, a courier to A2, a salesperson to B1, a chef to B2, and civil servants to C1/C2.

Thus, among the main obstacles to starting and developing a business abroad are:

● language;

● insufficient awareness of the culture and mentality of the target audience;

● ignorance of local legislation, accounting norms and taxation practices. 

These issues can be handled with the support of translation and localization services. Still, there’s one condition: it should be an experienced contractor who has case studies relevant to your market, and understands all its nuances.

Translation services for individuals

Adapting to life in a new country requires not just knowledge of the local culture and language, but also handling many bureaucratic issues. Any need — from visiting a doctor to registering a child in school — requires translation services. Let’s take a closer look.

1. Personal documents translation: including certificates, diplomas, transcripts, employment books, report cards, diplomas and criminal record certificates, among others. These documents will be useful in numerous situations, such as education, employment, legal residency and various issues related to local authorities.

2. Medical documents translation: medical histories, certificates, test and examination results, vaccination records. This allows for quick and convenient access to scheduled or emergency medical care in local hospitals.

3. Financial documents translation: bank statements, tax returns, etc. This may be necessary for opening a bank account, renting a house or taking out a loan.

4. Interpretation services: during paperwork, meetings with government officials and communication with doctors, teachers, lawyers, landlords, employers and bank employees.

As you can see, translation services are essential for migrants. They assist not only with legal and administrative issues but also facilitate quicker social adaptation and integration into a new society. For entrepreneurs interested in launching a business abroad, these services can help simplify the process by promoting adaptation to the market and its audience specifics, enhancing communication effectiveness, and building trust. 

Visit Ukraine.Today will help you understand what documents you need to prepare to move to another country/start your own business.

How do I find out what package of documents I need to provide for legal relocation, employment, or starting a business abroad? 

The legislation of each country is different, so the list of documents you will need to move, get a job or start a business abroad will depend on the country of destination and your citizenship.

To find out the specific requirements, you can visit the portals of diplomatic missions, search for information on the Internet, or ask your friends. However, each of these methods has its drawbacks, for example, information on the embassy's website is usually presented in complex legal language, an article on the Internet may be outdated, and your friends may not be able to understand the specifics of your situation.

Therefore, if you need information about the rules of entry and legal stay in any country of the world for tourism, business or employment, education, medical services, residence permit and/or citizenship, visit Visit Ukraine.Today. Here you will find structured information on any trip to one of the 200 countries of the world for Ukrainians and the current rules of entry and stay in Ukraine for foreign nationals. The service team monitors legislative changes regarding the rules of entry and legal stay, and provides one-time consultations or full support in solving the most common issues: migration, visa issuance, business relocation, etc.

For those planning one-time trips to or from Ukraine for tourism or business purposes, Visit Ukraine.Today specialists will help you arrange health and car insurance, book train, bus, and plane tickets to/from Ukraine and between cities around the world, and provide other additional services. In addition, the portal offers thousands of useful articles and guides that will be useful for those planning a trip, move or legalization in a new country.

Anton Taranenko, founder of Visit Ukraine, comments:

«The Visit Ukraine project was born as a public union that actively worked to popularize Ukraine in the world and develop tourism in the domestic and foreign markets. Unfortunately, the war has made its own adjustments, and today our service portal is not only about tourism.

We also understand those who were forced to flee the war and today need, among other things, legal support to feel calm and confident in a new country. We also understand those who, despite all the fears and risks, continue to come to Ukraine to help, see the country with their own eyes, or even to develop business and support the economy. Language and translation are among the tools that help us provide Ukrainians abroad with information in their native language, and explain the complex and sometimes bureaucratic aspects of life in Ukraine to foreigners in English. At the same time, everyone faces difficulties equally, because Ukrainians cannot find information in Ukrainian in Europe, and foreigners cannot find information in English in Ukraine. Therefore, our goal is to make complex things simple and help everyone travel confidently, comfortably and safely».

Contacting Visit Ukraine.Today specialists will save you time and give you confidence in planning your next steps.

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Green Card - compulsory car insurance for traveling abroad;

Visit Ukraine Tickets - book tickets for buses, trains, and airplanes to/from Ukraine and between cities around the world;

Private Lawyer service - professional legal support on visa and migration issues;

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