Company registration in Ukraine: companies and sole traders

Registration is the foundation a business rests on: it determines the ownership structure and the ability to work with banks and counterparties. Mistakes at this stage cost time and money later.

When to get in touch

• you are a foreign individual or company planning to set up a company in Ukraine
• you are planning to register as a sole trader or to incorporate a company
• the name, the director, the address or the membership needs to be changed
• the registrar has refused to carry out a registration action
• the data in the register does not reflect reality

What the lawyer does

• chooses the best legal form and tax regime
• prepares the charter and the full set of registration documents
• handles the filing and the dealings with the registrar
• carries out registration changes: director, address, activities, membership
• analyses the grounds for refusal and prepares the challenge
• restores the accuracy of the data in the register
• prepares the document checklist for foreign founders: legalisation or apostille, certified translations, the ownership structure and the beneficial owner data
• files the documents with the registrar as your representative

Foreign founders: what to prepare

Where a founder or the ultimate beneficial owner is a foreign individual or company, the registrar requires additional documents:

• documents issued abroad must be legalised – by consular legalisation or an apostille – unless an international treaty provides otherwise (Article 15(1)(13));
• a document in a foreign language must be translated into Ukrainian, with the accuracy of the translation or the translator’s signature certified (Article 15(1)(14));
• a foreign corporate founder files an extract from the trade, bank or court register of its home country confirming its registration (Article 17(1)(18)); the extract must be issued no earlier than one month before filing (Article 15(1)(13-1));
• the ownership structure and a copy of the identity document confirming the citizenship of the ultimate beneficial owner are filed (Article 17(1)(17) and (19));
• a foreign applicant identifies with a national passport or another identity document of a foreign national; if the documents are filed by a representative, the original or a notarised copy of the document confirming their authority is attached (Article 14(2));
• since 27 October 2026, if the company’s address is used under a lease or loan agreement that by law does not require notarisation, the original or a notarised copy of that agreement is filed as well (Article 17(1)(20), added by Law No. 5020-IX of 14 October 2026). How the registrar now checks the right to the premises is explained in our article Registered Address of a Company in Ukraine.

Registration is refused where sanctions under the Law of Ukraine “On Sanctions” make it impossible (Article 28(1)(3-3)).

Legal basis

State registration is governed by the Law of Ukraine “On State Registration of Legal Entities, Individual Entrepreneurs and Public Organisations”: the documents for registering a legal entity are set out in Article 17 and for an individual entrepreneur in Article 18; the procedure for registration actions in Article 25; documents are considered within 24 hours of receipt, excluding weekends and public holidays (Article 26); the grounds for refusal in Article 28; and the procedure for challenging decisions, acts or omissions in the field of state registration in Article 34.

Legislation and case law are updated over time; this page reflects the position as of November 2026.

Frequently asked questions

How long does registration take?

Documents for legal entities and sole traders are considered within 24 hours of receipt, excluding weekends and public holidays (Article 26 of the Law).

What if the registrar refuses?

The grounds for refusal are set out in Article 28 of the Law; the decision is challenged under Article 34, either administratively or in court.

Do documents issued abroad need an apostille?

Yes, unless an international treaty provides otherwise: documents issued under foreign law must be legalised (consular legalisation or an apostille) and translated into Ukrainian with a certified translation (Article 15(1)(13)–(14)).

How recent must the extract for a foreign corporate founder be?

It must be issued by the competent authority of the founder’s home country no earlier than one month before the documents are filed (Article 15(1)(13-1)).

Need legal assistance? Call us or leave a request – a lawyer will contact you and explain what to do in your situation.