Investing in Ukraine
Structuring, protecting and implementing foreign investment in Ukraine — from the holding structure to the day operations begin.
Request a feasibility assessment of your investment →A partner will respond within one business day.
An investment can be commercially sound and still fail legally: a shareholder agreement that collides with Ukrainian mandatory corporate rules, a filing made out of sequence, security that cannot be registered. Most failures we see are caused not by restrictions but by misalignment — and our job is to catch it before capital is committed.
Find your situation — go to the right practice
Why investing in Ukraine needs coordinated counsel
Mandatory rules beat chosen law
Ukrainian mandatory corporate rules apply no matter what law governs the shareholder agreement. Protections drafted for English law can be unenforceable here — the time to find out is before signing.
Sector screening is real
Banking, insurance, media, agricultural land, defense — ownership limits and authorizations vary by sector, with Antimonopoly Committee review on top. Admissibility is the first question we answer.
Structure drives tax
Corporate income tax at 18%, withholding at 15% before treaty relief, VAT at 20% — the rates are fixed, the exposure is not: it follows the holding jurisdiction and the structure.
How we start
- Conflict checkSame day.
- Feasibility reviewCan this investment be implemented in Ukraine — and where would the structure conflict with law, regulation or enforcement? 24–48 hours.
- Strategy callYou discuss structuring and sequencing directly with the partner who will run the project.
Common questions
Can a foreign investor own a Ukrainian company outright?
In most sectors — yes, full foreign ownership is available. Some industries require local partners, approvals or licences, and the choice between an LLC and a JSC affects governance, capital requirements and exit mechanics.
Which sectors are restricted?
Banking, insurance, media, agricultural land and defense carry ownership limits or special authorization requirements, and transactions may face Antimonopoly Committee screening. We assess admissibility before structuring begins.
What protection do investment treaties give?
Ukraine has signed over 70 bilateral investment treaties. Depending on the investor’s nationality and structure, they can protect against expropriation and unfair treatment — and open the way to ICSID or UNCITRAL arbitration.
What taxes apply to a foreign-held Ukrainian business?
Corporate income tax at 18%; withholding on dividends, interest and royalties at 15%, reducible under double-tax treaties; VAT at 20%. Actual exposure follows the structure — which is why tax is part of structuring, not an afterthought.
How long does market entry take?
An LLC registers in 3–5 business days once documents are ready. The full entry — tax registration, banking, compliance — usually runs 4–8 weeks, longer in licensed sectors.
When is the right time to involve Ukrainian counsel?
Before the structure is finalised. Constraints found early are design inputs; found late, they are renegotiations.
Enquiries
A partner will respond within one business day.