Buy Apartment in Ukraine

How to buy an apartment in Ukraine?

Foreign citizens can buy and own any type of apartment in Ukraine. There are no restrictions on buying any property in Ukraine except agricultural land. Also, the number and size of apartments that a foreigner can own are unlimited. You can acquire an apartment in Ukraine for personal use, as an investment, or for rent. Foreigners in Ukraine do have the same rights in buying apartments as Ukrainian citizens. In this article, we will inform you about the particulars of the Ukrainian apartment acquisition process. Generally, there are two legal ways to buy a flat in Ukraine:

• Acquire already registered real estate from an owner (so-called secondary real estate);
• Buy an unfinished apartment from a developer company (so-called primary real estate);

Now you’re probably wondering, why buy an unfinished apartment when it is inconvenient to wait before moving in? Well, Ukrainian tax law heavily favors the purchase of “primary” (under-construction) apartments. When you acquire an unfinished property through investment mechanisms or as a Special Property Right (SPR), total registration charges and legal fees are usually around 1-2%. In contrast, buying a secondary (move-in ready) property can involve total taxes, notary fees, personal income tax (PIT), and military tax ranging from 2% up to 24–25% (depending on ownership history and the seller’s tax residency status). So, a strong tax incentive still exists to buy a primary apartment in Ukraine.

In most developed countries, investing in a construction project entails some waiting, but you can expect to receive a finished apartment at the end of the process. However, in Ukraine, an apartment is considered finished once the bare walls have been put up and the State Inspection of Architecture and Urban Planning of Ukraine have officially approved the building. This means that after you have made the full payment for your property, you will still need to hire a contractor to finish the interior of your flat. If you do decide to purchase a primary property in Kyiv, we at Capital Law Consulting will assist you with finding a reputable and reliable contractor for this end.

If you are not a citizen of Ukraine and do not hold a residence permit, you must transfer funds to an account opened in a Ukrainian bank, as property transactions cannot be executed directly from a non-Ukrainian bank account. Under current National Bank of Ukraine regulations, foreign buyers can conduct real estate purchases either through a specialized investment account or via a standard personal current account (in foreign currency or UAH) opened at a Ukrainian commercial bank. To process the transaction, buyers must undergo financial monitoring (AML/KYC verification) and provide documents confirming the legitimate source of funds. Since compliance procedures, account opening, and international wire transfers typically take between 1 and 5 business days, it is essential to prepare these banking logistics in advance to avoid payment delays.

Another important thing is that the only official currency for conducting real estate transfers in Ukraine is the Ukrainian hryvnia (UAH). Official transfers are non-negotiable if you acquire an apartment from a developer or construction company. Even if the cost of the property is mentioned in US dollars or Euros, the payment must still be made in Ukrainian hryvnia. And always remember that within Ukraine, I mean between two accounts opened in a Ukrainian bank, money transfer is possible only in Ukrainian national currency. Another essential thing is that all foreigners acquiring property must have a Ukrainian tax ID number and a certified passport translation. Anyway, it is strongly recommended that the procedure for buying property in Ukraine be conducted by a qualified solicitor (legal adviser).

Comparison of Primary and Secondary Real Estate Markets in Ukraine

Please refer to this table to compare the main features of purchasing primary and secondary residences in Ukraine.

Criterion	Primary Market (New Buildings)	Secondary Market (Resale/Owner)
Seller	Developer / Construction Company	Individual or Legal Entity
Main Mandatory Fees	1% (Pension Fund contribution upon registration) + notary fees and potential VAT included in the price	From 2% (1% State Duty + 1% Pension Fund) up to 24.5%+ (depending on the seller’s total taxes)
Ownership Rights	Registration of special property rights during construction; full ownership after building commissioning	Transferred directly upon signing the deal at the notary and completing state registration
Risk Level	Higher (construction delays, abandoned projects, unfinished buildings)	Lower (requires history verification of the property, encumbrances, and legal arrests)

How do you buy an apartment from an owner in Ukraine?

This is the case when you have found an apartment that already belongs to an individual or to a company. The real first step is to visit an independent notary office. You need to find a good one because the notary is the authority who can register the property rights with your name at the end. Also, to minimize risks, the buyer of a Ukrainian apartment should choose an independent notary. It is essential during the process of Ukrainian property purchase because the notary bears all responsibility in the case of an incorrect apartment purchase. Also, the notary must verify all the documents at every stage when buying property in Ukraine. Usually, the notary fee, including property rights registration, is 1-2% of the apartment’s assessed valuation. A legal entity can also acquire the property, but you will need a company formation in Ukraine to conduct the transaction in such a way.

Firstly, an apartment shall be registered in the Ukrainian digital register of property rights. This real estate register was only introduced in 2012 in Ukraine. So, there is a chance that if the apartment you intend to buy in Ukraine was constructed before 2012, it might not be listed in that register. It is not a problem in such a situation, and the current flat owner shall take care of this. Registration can be done in just a few days. 

If the property is registered, the next step is real estate appraisal for tax purposes. Property valuation is performed either automatically via the State Property Fund of Ukraine (SPFU) electronic system or by a certified independent appraiser. The official taxable base cannot be lower than the assessed value registered in the SPFU database. Depending on ownership duration, residency status, and the number of property sales made within the calendar year, total taxes and mandatory fees range from 0% to 23%+ (comprising Personal Income Tax of 0%, 5%, or 18%, Military Tax of 0% or 5%, 1% State Duty, and 1% Pension Fund fee). The seller and buyer typically negotiate how these transaction taxes and fees are split.

The next stage of real estate acquisition is signing the contract. This is to be done directly at the notary’s office. At this stage also, full payment for the apartment and payment of all the taxes shall be made. That is because, under the Ukrainian civil code, the new owner’s property rights can be registered only after processing the full payment. If the official evaluated cost of the flat is less than the real cost of the property, then cash payment of the difference in cost to the seller is possible. But all the official payment amounts to the vendor shall be made by cashless money transfer. If there is more than one owner of the apartment, the contract shall be signed by all of them. If the owner is married, his/her spouse shall permit the sale of Ukrainian property. The notary is responsible for conducting due diligence to check whether any third parties have rights to the property.

The preliminary agreement is to be signed if the seller of Ukrainian real estate is ready to offer you the option of deferred payment. However, you will not receive your property rights under such a preliminary Ukraine apartment acquisition contract.

The last stage of this process is the state registration of property rights in the buyer’s name. As it was mentioned above, the notary must make such a registration. The apartment’s new owner is to be written in the governmental database after the agreement is signed and all the payments have been made. Both buyer and vendor shall receive the contract of sale and purchase of an apartment certified by the notary’s seal (stamp). The purchaser will also receive the extract from the Ukrainian Register of Real Estate Rights in which the buyer is mentioned as the new owner.

How do you buy an apartment from a development company in Ukraine?

The Ukrainian housing market is growing very fast. In Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine, you will find various buildings being constructed. Dozens of developers in Ukraine offer you a variety of apartments in Kyiv. During this type of purchase, the buyer is named as an investor in a Ukrainian apartment. You are not buying the apartment itself at the very beginning because, from a legal point of view, there is no official real estate at the time when such property is under construction. So, you will invest in a construction financial fund with the aim of getting the property rights after the commissioning (official government approval) of the property. The good thing is that there are fewer taxes when buying an apartment in Ukraine in this way. The bad thing is that due to still murky construction law in Ukraine, not all of the development companies have proper documents and needed permissions.

These are some of the problems that we have discovered in some residential buildings:

1. Absence or cancellation or expiration of construction license;
2. Problems or absence of land ownership documents;
3. Stoppage of construction due to a court decision or under an act of the State Inspection of Architecture and Urban Planning of Ukraine;
4. High risk of failure or bankruptcy of the construction company or developer.

In Kyiv alone, there are more than 15 000 apartments in more than 50 residential buildings that cannot pass the process of commissioning due to the problems mentioned above. Some houses have been constructed with no land ownership documents, and investors can not get property rights for apartments in such cases. Anyway, please consider that it is a bit riskier to purchase a flat at the stage of construction in Ukraine. But does not mean at all that you should avoid such an option. So if you have decided to buy a flat in a building under construction, you need to check property documents first. Legal due diligence of the construction company and of the needed permissions and available documents is strongly recommended. Consider also that when you visit the sales department of a Ukrainian developer or a construction company, the documents issued on the name of the house will be on the name of the company that is different from the name of the developer. It is normal in Ukraine. Our clients always pay attention to this because, in their opinion, it does not seem to be in the right way, and it looks suspicious. But the main thing is to check the following documents.

1. Permit for Construction Works and USESCS verification. In Ukraine, traditional construction licensing has been fully digitalized. You no longer need to check paper licenses on outdated websites. Instead, all construction permits, town planning conditions, and land records must be verified in the Unified State Electronic System in the Construction Sector (USESCS ) on the official portal. Make sure the developer has an active permit for construction works registered in the system that has not been canceled, suspended, or challenged in court.
2. Declaration about the beginning of building works. This is probably the main document. This also shall be checked on the website of the governmental construction authority. It shall also be reviewed on the website of Ukraine court cases because some litigations are potentially possible.
3. Construction company itself. You need to be sure that you will not invest in an apartment that is constructed by a corporation that is going to fail. You should find a company that has a lot of experience and many finished projects under its belts.
4. Registration of Special Property Rights. Under Law of Ukraine No. 2518-IX on Guaranteeing Real Estate Rights to Future Properties, primary market buyers purchase a Special Property Right (SPR) to a future unit rather than just an abstract investment share. This right must be officially registered in the State Register of Rights to Real Estate (DRRP) prior to completion, protecting buyers from double sales and fraudulent re-allocations. Additionally, the developer is legally required to set aside a “guaranteed share” of units that cannot be sold until the building is fully commissioned, providing an extra layer of financial security for investors.
5. Contract or agreement on apartment purchase through investment. Most Ukrainian real estate development companies usually have a standard/typical agreement on apartment acquisition. But that does not mean it can not be changed if some clauses or paragraphs are unacceptable. The price, apartment number, floor, dimensions, and payment terms in this contract shall also be mentioned.

You should pay the financial fund for construction only if all the documents are proper and the proposed Ukrainian apartment is acceptable. Ukrainian developers can provide you with a discount if you make a 100% payment for buying an apartment in Ukraine. The investment company shall issue a certificate about the full payment within 10 days after the full payment is made. This document will confirm that the buyer of the flat has fulfilled their obligation for this process. After the construction is completed, you need to wait for the commissioning process when the house is connected to water, electricity, gas, etc. It might take some time if the developer has some problems with documents. Remember that developers are not obligated to meet the deadlines they promise you. That is why in order to manage your expectations, you should check to ensure the company has all the proper documents before signing the contract. The ownership document in the investor’s name (you) can only be issued after commissioning. You will also receive some technical documentation of the flat issued by the Bureau of Technical Inventory of Ukraine. This documentation will mention the layout of the apartment, the size of each room, floor, etc.

Due to the war, what are the primary alterations in the property-buying procedure in Ukraine?

Since the beginning of the war between the Russian Federation and Ukraine in 2022, the rules for buying and selling real estate have undergone many restrictions. In particular, the technical procedure for drawing up documents has changed.

At the beginning of the war, the property purchase process in Ukraine was completely stopped for almost two months in all the regions. A full ban on buying, selling, and other types of sales was introduced. And the official register of real estate in Ukraine was blocked by the Ukrainian Government. However, as of 2026, it is possible to conduct property transactions in regions and provinces that were not considered war zones (the vast majority of the territory of Ukraine). There is a list of cities, regions, or provinces (frequently updated) where operations with the property are prohibited.

Ready to buy property in Ukraine safely and hassle-free? Reach out to us right now, and let’s complete your real estate transaction quickly and smoothly.

Sincerely yours, Capital Law Consulting.

(votes: 34, average: 4,00 из 5)

Загрузка...