Business licensing in Ukraine: getting and updating a license

Price, timeline and state fee

Our fee comes from our price list; the state license fee and notarised copies are paid separately. We confirm the exact amount once we know the activity and see your documents. A 30-minute online consultation costs EUR 100.

How we obtain a license: 5 steps

A license is required only for the activities listed in Art. 7 of Law No. 222-VIII and in special laws — for example education, security services, tour operating and medical practice. For each activity the Cabinet of Ministers approves licensing conditions: requirements for staff, premises, equipment and the document list. The first step is to check your business against the conditions for your specific activity.

After filing, the authority reviews the documents and decides within 10 working days (Art. 13(8)). A refusal can be appealed to the Expert Appeals Council on Licensing or in court; on a repeat filing the authority may not refuse for reasons absent from the first refusal (Art. 13(1)).

What our support includes

• checking whether your activity needs a license, a declaration or a permit;
• identifying the licensing authority (ministry, state service or regional administration) and the current licensing conditions;
• checking your company or FOP against them — business codes (KVED), staff, premises, equipment — and telling you what is missing before filing;
• preparing the application, the authority’s forms and document copies, and filing via Diia, an administrative service centre (TsNAP) or the authority directly;
• following the review, answering queries and reminding you of the fee deadline after the decision;
• where needed: notices of changes, extension of the licensed activity or an appeal against a refusal.

Renewing a license and changing licensee data

Under the old law a license had to be re-issued after a change of name or address. Law No. 222-VIII replaced this with a notice of changes: the licensee informs the authority of new data — name, director, place of business — within the term in the licensing conditions, or within one month if none is set. The authority updates the register within 10 working days; missing the deadline leads to administrative liability (Art. 15(2)).

A new or changed place of business is also a notice, with no new license. Re-issue in the strict sense remains for the heir of a sole proprietor, who applies within 30 calendar days (Art. 15(7)). After a merger, accession or conversion, the legal successor works under the existing license as long as it meets the licensing conditions (Art. 15(4)). More on the license renewal page.

Extending, suspending and terminating a license

If you carry out part of a licensed activity and want to add another part — for example another level of education or type of works — you file an application to extend it with the documents required by the licensing conditions (Art. 15(9)).

A license can be suspended or terminated at the licensee’s request or after an inspection (Art. 16). After termination on certain grounds, such as refusing an inspection, a new license for the same activity can be obtained no earlier than one year later (Art. 16(20)). If an inspection has been scheduled, contact us before it starts.

Declaration instead of a license under martial law

CMU Resolution No. 314 of 18 March 2022 lets businesses obtain the right to operate during martial law by filing a free declaration of economic activity via the Diia portal or a TsNAP. Activities in Annex 2 to the resolution are excluded, among them gambling, hazardous waste, firearms, and TV and radio broadcasting. Fixed-term licenses issued earlier are extended automatically for martial law plus three months.

The resolution applies until the end of the year in which martial law ends, and for at least three months. For a business planning to stay long-term we compare both routes — a declaration now and a regular license — and tell you which suits your case.

What to send us first

• an extract from the Unified State Register (USR) or your company code / FOP tax number;
• a short description of the planned activity: what, where and with which staff;
• documents for the premises (lease or ownership), if the activity is tied to a place;
• your current license or the authority’s decision, if the question is about changes, an extension or an inspection.

Sources: Art. 13 · Art. 14 · Art. 15 · Art. 16 of Law No. 222-VIII · CMU Resolution No. 314 · Diia service card «eDeclaration» · subsistence minimum 2026