Residence by investment

Can you get Ukrainian residence by investing $100,000?

Published 29 October 2026 · facts checked against the primary sources on 2026-10-29 · Ukraine For ALL, Kyiv

The route is old and written down in detail: Article 4 of Law No. 2491-III names the investor category, Article 9 lists the documents, and Cabinet of Ministers Resolution No. 1983 describes the bank certificate. Most of the work sits in the money trail. The certificate has to show a specific route for the funds, and it expires six months after it is issued.

What does the law require?

How does the money have to move?

Paragraph 6 of Resolution No. 1983 describes what the bank certificate must confirm. There are two routes, and the certificate covers one of them:

1. Through an investment account. At least USD 100,000 in foreign convertible currency arrives on the immigrant's investment account and is used to make a foreign investment in Ukraine's economy.
2. Into your own company. At least USD 100,000 in foreign convertible currency is transferred from the immigrant's own account abroad to the current account of a company that the immigrant set up in Ukraine.

The certificate is signed by the head of the bank or its branch, carries a date and number, is sealed and stays valid for six months from the date of issue. A copy goes to the State Migration Service, either through its local office on the day you file it there or directly on paper or electronically. The Service checks the certificate against the Law on Immigration and answers within three working days.

The second route also makes the money the company's capital. It brings the company law and the currency rules into play: registering the company, the charter, the beneficial owner record and the bank's compliance file. Those steps are covered in What a Foreign Investor Actually Deals With in Ukraine.

Where and how do you apply?

Article 9 of the Law on Immigration sets two filing points:

• You live abroad: the Ukrainian embassy or consulate in your country of permanent residence.
• You are lawfully in Ukraine on temporary stay or temporary residence: the State Migration Service at your place of residence.

The application is on paper. You file in person or through a legal representative. Applicants filing in Ukraine give biometrics from age 12 (face image and fingerprints) and a digitised signature from age 14.

A parent who immigrates with a child under 18 also files the other parent's notarised consent, or a court or guardianship decision on the child's place of residence.

What happens after the permit?

The immigration permit is a decision. The card comes next, under Article 11:

1. If you live abroad, the consulate issues a long-term visa on your request, and you enter Ukraine on it.
2. Apply for the permanent residence card in person or through a legal representative no later than 15 working days before your long-term visa expires. If you were already lawfully in Ukraine, the same 15-working-day limit runs against the end of your current stay or residence.
3. You file the application form with your passport (with the visa, where needed) and a copy of the immigration permit decision.

Is there a separate route for company owners?

There is a separate route to a temporary residence permit. Article 4(12) of Law No. 3773-VI lets a foreigner who is a founder, participant or beneficial owner of a company registered in Ukraine stay to oversee that company, if their share of the charter capital is at least EUR 100,000 at the NBU rate on the day the investment was made.

Why do applications fail?

Article 10 lists the grounds for refusal. Those that matter for investors:

• knowingly false information or forged documents, or documents that do not prove the basis under Article 4;
• not filing all the documents the law requires;
• a criminal record for a sentence of more than one year that has not been expunged, or a pending criminal suspicion;
• a disease on the Health Ministry's list.

A permit can later be revoked under Article 12, for example after a prison sentence of more than one year or for breaching the law on the legal status of foreigners. A refusal can be appealed within two months of the decision in the administrative procedure, with documents that support a review (Article 15).

Where people get stuck

• The certificate expires before the file is ready. Six months pass quickly when apostilles, translations and company registration run in sequence.
• Money sent the wrong way. Both routes in Resolution No. 1983 start with the immigrant's own money: contributed by the immigrant, or sent from the immigrant's own account abroad. A transfer from a third party's account fits neither.
• Company documents and the bank record disagree. The charter and the certificate must describe the same investment. A charter showing a different amount invites questions.
• Family members. An immigrant's spouse (married for more than two years), children under 18 and parents unable to work form their own category (Art. 4(2)(6)) with their own documents.

FAQ

Is the $100,000 investor route still open during martial law?

Yes. The investor category in Article 4(2)(3) of the Law on Immigration is in force in the version of 16 January 2026. Martial law was most recently extended for 90 days from 31 October 2026.

Does buying an apartment count as the investment?

The bank certificate has to confirm one of two routes: money on your investment account used for a foreign investment in Ukraine's economy, or a transfer from your own foreign account to your Ukrainian company's account. Whether a particular purchase fits is decided by the State Migration Service on the documents. Property rules are in the guide on buying property in Ukraine.

How long does the decision take?

Up to six months when you file with the State Migration Service in Ukraine, and up to one year when you file at a Ukrainian consulate abroad (Law No. 2491-III, Art. 9). The bank certificate check inside that process takes three working days.

Is there an investor quota?

The Cabinet of Ministers sets an immigration quota only when there is a mass arrival of immigrants (Art. 4(1)). Investors are listed among the categories to which such a quota can apply.

Does the permit give Ukrainian citizenship?

It gives the right to permanent residence and a permanent residence card. Citizenship is governed by a separate law with its own conditions.