Company Formation · Ukraine
Company formation in Ukraine, with the right advocate
Ukraine’s company rules sit in codified legislation, and the detail decides whether your incorporation runs smoothly. We introduce you to Ukrainian advocates who handle formation work, and we match you with one for free.
- Advocates entered in the Single Register of Advocates of Ukraine
- A civil-law system: statute, not precedent, shapes the documents
- Free matching and a first conversation at no cost
Free matching · No obligation · First response within 24–48 hours
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Why founders use this page
What company formation in Ukraine really involves
Company formation in Ukraine begins with two practical questions: which structure fits your plans, and who will prepare the documents correctly the first time? Ukraine is a civil-law country whose system rests on the Constitution of 28 June 1996 and on comprehensive codes, so the rules that shape a new business come from statute rather than from judicial precedent. That makes precise drafting and a careful reading of the current legislation essential. Our platform introduces you to Ukrainian advocates — members of the Bar and entered in the Single Register of Advocates of Ukraine — who work with founders on incorporation and the steps that follow. You describe your project; we match you with an advocate whose practice covers the kind of company you want to build. The matching service costs you nothing.
Ukraine in practice
How the Ukrainian legal framework affects a new company
Company formation in Ukraine is decided by written statute, so the practical detail matters more than the headline structure. The points below summarise the verified features of the Ukrainian system that shape incorporation work and everything that follows it.
A codified, civil-law framework
Ukraine follows the continental civil-law model: the Constitution of 28 June 1996 and comprehensive codes — the Civil Code (2003), the Commercial Code and the procedural codes — set the rules. Courts apply the law, and where a relationship is not regulated by statute they reason by analogy of statute and analogy of law. Founding documents must therefore be drafted against the written law, not against earlier judgments.
Who may advise you and act for you
Membership of the Bar is compulsory to practise as an advocate (advokat) in Ukraine. Candidates need a complete higher legal education, command of the official language, at least two years’ legal experience, a qualification exam, a six-month traineeship under a supervising advocate and the oath; all advocates are entered in the Single Register of Advocates of Ukraine maintained by the Bar Council.
Fees are agreed, not fixed by tariff
There are no official statutory tariffs for advocates’ fees in Ukraine. Remuneration is freely agreed between advocate and client in the contract on the provision of legal services, with no binding minimum or maximum. That lets you scope formation work precisely: a defined fee for incorporation and the constitutional documents, a separate arrangement for corporate support afterwards, all recorded in writing.
Digital access to courts and documents
Ukraine operates the Unified Judicial Information and Telecommunication System, established by Article 15-1 of the Law on the Judiciary and the Status of Judges. Its Electronic Cabinet, Electronic Court and videoconferencing subsystems allow documents to be filed with courts, procedural documents to be exchanged and hearings to be held remotely. Electronic filing became widespread during martial law, which shortens distances for founders working from abroad.
Martial law and the continuity of justice
Martial law has been in force since 24 February 2022 under Presidential Decree No. 64/2022 and has been repeatedly extended. Justice continues to be administered, but only by courts established under the Constitution; extraordinary or special courts are prohibited, and proceedings may not be shortened or accelerated. Where courts cannot operate, territorial jurisdiction may be transferred to courts in government-controlled territory.
Notarisation and registered rights
Under the Civil Code and the Law ‘On the Notary’, contracts for the sale, exchange or gift of real estate must be executed in writing, certified by a notary, and the resulting rights registered in the State Register of Real Property Rights. Without notarisation the agreement is unenforceable. A newly formed company that intends to hold or acquire premises needs this on its checklist from the outset.
The country data above is taken from official Ukrainian sources and the European e-Justice Portal, retrieved in 2025.
- European e-Justice Portal — National justice systems: Ukraine
- Law of Ukraine ‘On the Bar and Practice of Law’ (No. 5076-VI)
- Civil Code of Ukraine (No. 435-IV)
- Labour Code of Ukraine (No. 322-VIII)
- Code of Administrative Procedure of Ukraine (No. 2747-VI)
- Law of Ukraine ‘On the Legal Regime of Martial Law’ (No. 389-VIII)
- Law of Ukraine No. 4434-IX on the renewal of limitation periods
- Law of Ukraine ‘On the Notary’ (No. 3425-XII)
- Coordination Centre for Legal Aid Provision
Common concerns
What founders usually worry about first
Three recurring concerns we hear from people setting up a business in Ukraine.
Which structure actually fits
Choosing a vehicle that suits your founding team, your activity and your plans for outside investment is a legal question, not a formality. Documents drafted for the wrong structure are costly to unpick once the company exists.
The rules live in Ukrainian statute
Because the system is codified, the answer sits in legislation that is amended regularly. Working from English summaries or recycled templates leaves gaps that a Ukrainian advocate can identify before anything is filed.
Distance and martial law
Martial law, in force since 24 February 2022, has changed how courts and public bodies operate in parts of the country. Founders based abroad need someone on the ground who follows jurisdiction and procedural changes as they happen.
How we help
What the matching service gives you
You keep control of the instruction; we shorten the search for the right specialist.
Vetted, regulated advocates
Every advocate we introduce is a member of the Bar and entered in the Single Register of Advocates of Ukraine, so your formation work is handled by a professional bound by the Law on the Bar and Practice of Law.
Matched to your sector
You describe the activity the new company will carry on and the structure you have in mind. We look for an advocate whose practice covers that area, rather than sending your file to a generalist at random.
Transparent scope and fees
Ukrainian advocates’ fees are agreed freely in the services contract, with no statutory tariff. You can ask for a defined scope — incorporation, constitutional documents, registrations — and a fixed price for it.
One point of contact
Your advocate follows the file from the first drafts through the steps that follow registration, so you are not re-explaining the project to a new person at every stage of the process.
Cross-border founders
Founders we help from other countries
Most people who use this page are planning a Ukrainian company from outside the country. These are the places they usually contact us from.
Questions
Company formation in Ukraine: frequent questions
How do I start company formation in Ukraine?
Begin by defining the activity, the founders and the structure you have in mind. A Ukrainian advocate can then check the statutory requirements against your plan, prepare the constitutional documents and guide the registration steps. We match you with an advocate whose practice covers incorporation, and the first conversation costs nothing.
Must I instruct a Ukrainian advocate, or can I file the documents myself?
Representation by an advocate is not mandatory at first instance or on appeal for natural persons in civil, commercial and administrative proceedings, while legal entities must be represented by advocates in higher instances. For formation itself the practical issue is accuracy: an advocate reads the current statute and drafts documents that match it.
What does an advocate’s qualification actually guarantee?
Membership of the Bar is compulsory in order to practise as an advocate in Ukraine. A candidate needs a complete higher legal education, command of the official language, at least two years’ legal experience, a qualification exam, a six-month traineeship and the oath; every advocate is entered in the Single Register of Advocates of Ukraine.
Are advocates’ fees in Ukraine fixed by law?
No. There are no official statutory tariffs for advocates’ fees; remuneration is freely agreed between advocate and client in the contract on the provision of legal services, without a binding minimum or maximum. You can therefore request a fixed fee for a clearly defined block of formation work.
What limitation period applies to a commercial dispute?
The general limitation period for civil claims is three years. Shorter periods exist: one year for penalty claims and refutation of defamatory information, one month to challenge an unlawful dismissal and three months for unpaid wages. Limitation periods suspended during martial law were restored from 4 September 2025 by Law No. 4434-IX.
Does martial law change how a new company is treated?
Martial law has been in force since 24 February 2022 and has been repeatedly extended. Justice continues to be administered, but only by courts established under the Constitution, and proceedings may not be shortened or accelerated. Where courts cannot operate, the territorial jurisdiction of cases may be transferred to courts in government-controlled territory.
Next step
Tell us about the company you want to set up
Describe your project in a few lines — activity, founders, timing and what you want the company to hold. We will match you with a Ukrainian advocate who handles company formation, and you decide whether to instruct them.