Includes steps involved in establishing a local office.
Last Published: 8/6/2019
A foreign company interested in starting a business in Ukraine has the option of forming a joint stock company, a limited liability company, a wholly-owned subsidiary, or a representative office. It is also possible to work in Ukraine through joint venture/cooperation agreements and investment funds/mutual funds.  For regulatory and taxation purposes, representative offices are considered to be independent legal entities, with some exceptions. A representative office can carry out marketing, promotional, and other auxiliary functions, but it cannot sell goods or services. The Commercial Service recommends establishing a wholly-owned company in Ukraine if you intend to carry out manufacturing or other significant local commercial activities. A foreign legal entity may have both a representative office and a wholly-owned subsidiary. A limited liability company is the most popular form of a legal entity in Ukraine as it can conduct a broad range of business activities.

The Department of Trade and Economic Cooperation within the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade handles the registration of local offices of foreign companies. The process can take up to 60 days following the submission of all required documents and upon payment of the one-time $2,500 fee. For more information, please contact the Section of Foreign Representative Offices at the Department of Trade and Economic Cooperation within the Ministry (email: represent@me.gov.ua, phone: +38 (044) 596-68-43).
To register a representative office of a foreign business entity, you must submit the following documentation:
  • An application for registration of a representative office in free form
  • A notarized extract from the trade (banking) register of the country, where the foreign business entity is officially registered (Certificate of Incorporation)
  • A notarized reference from the banking institution where your account is officially kept, with the signature of the bank’s primary officer
  • A power of attorney to carry out representative functions issued under the laws of the country where the Head office of the foreign business entity is officially registered
  • The protocol of the establishment of representative office in Ukraine and the appointment of the Representative Director
  • Passport information and ID number of the head of representation
  • The lease agreement of representation’s legal address
All documents should have an official corporate stamp, be translated into Ukrainian, and the translation should be notarized. The documents should be issued no earlier than six months before submission to the Ministry. A full listing of the documents necessary for registration of a representative office please visit the Embassy of Ukraine in the United States of America.  All documents should be notarized by a notary at the place of issue and legalized in a consular institution of Ukraine in the United States. We recommend that U.S. companies work with local law firms, consultants, or business advisory services to ensure a smooth registration process. The Commercial Service can provide you with a list of local law firms.

U.S. companies can find professional personnel for their Ukrainian operations through many experienced local and international recruitment agencies operating in Ukraine.
 

Prepared by our U.S. Embassies abroad. With its network of 108 offices across the United States and in more than 75 countries, the U.S. Commercial Service of the U.S. Department of Commerce utilizes its global presence and international marketing expertise to help U.S. companies sell their products and services worldwide. Locate the U.S. Commercial Service trade specialist in the U.S. nearest you by visiting http://export.gov/usoffices.