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Business Registration in Ukraine

Incorporating a Ukrainian entity is straightforward on paper and unforgiving in practice. We take foreign investors from entity choice to a company that is registered, banked and ready to trade.

Overview

Ukraine has liberalised company formation considerably over the past decade: registration itself is now a matter of days rather than months, and most filings are electronic. What has not become simpler is everything around it — choosing the right vehicle, satisfying ultimate beneficial owner disclosure, legalising foreign corporate documents, obtaining tax and VAT status, and persuading a bank to open an account for a newly formed company with non-resident shareholders.

We act as the single point of contact for that entire sequence. Our clients are typically international groups establishing a Ukrainian subsidiary, foreign manufacturers appointing a local distributor entity, technology companies setting up a development centre, and investors acquiring a shelf company as part of a larger transaction. In each case the objective is the same: a functioning legal entity with clean corporate records, correct tax status and an operating bank account.

Typical situations

A foreign parent needs a Ukrainian subsidiary to sign local contracts and employ staff.
A group wants a presence in Ukraine but is not ready to create a taxable permanent establishment.
An investor is acquiring an existing Ukrainian company and needs the ownership chain restructured before closing.
A company registered years ago has outdated charter provisions that block a financing or a sale.
A bank has refused onboarding and the compliance file needs to be rebuilt.

Scope of work

What we do

The matters we handle within this practice. Engagements are usually a combination of several of them rather than a single item.

Entity selection

A reasoned recommendation between an LLC, a joint-stock company, a representative office of a non-resident and a branch, based on your commercial model, repatriation plans and exit horizon.

Incorporation

Drafting the charter and founders' resolutions, notarisation and apostille coordination, filing with the state registrar, and registration in the Unified State Register.

Representative offices

Accreditation of non-resident representative offices, including registration with the tax authorities and determination of permanent establishment risk.

UBO disclosure

Preparation of the ownership structure chart and ultimate beneficial owner filings, including the annual confirmation obligation that many foreign groups overlook.

Tax and VAT status

Selection between the general and simplified tax regimes, voluntary or mandatory VAT registration, and registration of the entity as an employer.

Bank onboarding

Preparation of the compliance file, source-of-funds narrative and corporate documents required by Ukrainian banks, and liaison with the bank's compliance team.

Corporate housekeeping

Corporate seal and signature arrangements, director appointment, powers of attorney for non-resident signatories, and the initial set of internal policies.

Changes and reorganisation

Amendments to the charter, share capital increases, change of director or shareholders, mergers, spin-offs and conversions.

How we work

From first call to completion

A predictable sequence with a written output at each stage, so that you always know the position and what it will cost to reach the next one.

Scoping call

We establish what the entity must be able to do commercially, who will control it and how profits will be repatriated.

Structure memo

A short written recommendation on entity type, share capital, governance and tax status, with the documents each option requires.

Filing

We prepare the corporate documents, coordinate notarisation and apostille abroad, and complete the state registration.

Activation

Tax and VAT registration, bank account opening, employer registration and handover of a complete corporate file.

Why clients instruct us

Local knowledge, international standards

We work the way our clients' in-house teams and international counsel expect: clear scope, written advice, English-language reporting and no surprises on fees.

Advice in English, drafted to be usable by a board that does not know Ukrainian law.
Fee estimates agreed before work begins, with fixed fees where the scope allows.
A named partner responsible for the matter, not a rotating team.
Practising in Ukraine since 2003, through every regulatory cycle since.

Questions

Frequently asked

How long does it take to register a company in Ukraine?

State registration itself is typically completed within one to three business days once the documents are in order. The realistic end-to-end timeline is three to six weeks, and the variable is almost always the foreign side: obtaining apostilled corporate documents from the parent company's jurisdiction, having them translated and notarised, and completing bank compliance.

Can a foreign national be the sole shareholder and director?

Yes. Ukrainian law places no nationality restriction on shareholders, and a foreign national may serve as director. A non-resident director will, however, need a Ukrainian tax number, and if that person will be physically employed in Ukraine, a work permit is required.

Is there a minimum share capital?

For a limited liability company there is no statutory minimum, and the capital may be contributed after registration within the period set by the charter. That said, banks and counterparties read share capital as a signal, and an entity capitalised at a symbolic amount will encounter friction during compliance review.

Do I need to travel to Ukraine?

Usually not. Registration can be completed through a power of attorney. Some banks still require the director or ultimate beneficial owner to attend an interview, though many now accept a video call.

Discuss your matter with us

Tell us what you need to achieve in Ukraine. The first consultation is free and confidential — we will tell you candidly whether we are the right firm for the task.

Request a consultation +38 044 240 75 10