What the National Bank requires
The rules for opening accounts for individuals are set by Instruction No. 162 of the НБУ (National Bank of Ukraine, NBU). Paragraph 60 asks for very little. The person shows a passport or other identity document and fills in an application to open a current account. An individual who is a resident also shows a document with their податковий номер (individual tax number, IPN). The bank and the client then sign a written bank account agreement.
Separately, the Instruction requires documents issued by foreign authorities to be legalised, unless a law or an international treaty provides otherwise. Copies of such documents are certified by a notary. Other documents a foreigner arranges in the first months are covered in the guide to first steps in Ukraine.
Document checklist
0/5 doneWhy the bank asks for more
In practice a bank almost always asks for more than the minimum in the Instruction. The reason lies in anti-money laundering legislation. The bank is obliged to identify and verify the client, assess the risk and understand where the money comes from. For a foreigner, especially one without a residence permit, the bank rates that risk higher.
So the bank may ask for your посвідка (temporary residence permit, TRP), your tax number, a document about your work or studies, or proof of an address in Ukraine. Requirements vary from bank to bank, and a refusal by one bank does not mean every bank will refuse. Call the bank in advance and ask for its list, so you do not have to visit the branch twice.
Are you a resident or a non-resident for the bank?
The Instruction distinguishes between individual residents and non-residents, and different conditions apply to each. A resident must show a tax number. A non-resident is not formally required to, but the number is still useful. The Instruction also provides that a non-resident who becomes a resident closes the non-resident accounts and opens resident ones, with the money moved to the new account.
A residence permit and tax number make everything easier
Opening an account is easiest for a foreigner who already holds a residence permit and a tax number. The residence permit identifies the person in Ukrainian, and the tax number lets the bank identify the client in state registers. How to get the number is explained in the article on the tax number for a foreigner.
A biometric residence permit can also be added to Дія (Diia, the Ukrainian state app), but logging in to Diia requires a bank account via BankID. The result is a chain in which each step depends on the one before it. Diia is covered in the article on Diia for foreigners.
An account for your salary
If a foreigner works under a дозвіл на застосування праці (work permit), the employer pays the salary into their account. For this kind of account the bank usually asks you to state that it is being opened to receive wages. The work permit and the employment contract help explain the source of funds to the bank. Working conditions are described in the article on employment conditions for foreigners.
An account for a child
The Instruction separately describes an account in the name of a young child. It is opened by the parents or other legal representatives. They show their own passport and a document that identifies the child, most often a birth certificate. Documents with tax numbers are added if both the child and the legal representative are residents. A foreign birth certificate has to be legalised and translated for the bank.
If the bank refuses
A refusal by one bank does not mean an account cannot be opened. First find out exactly what is missing, because most often the issue is documents for client checks rather than a ban. Sometimes it is enough to bring a residence permit, a tax number or an explanation of the source of funds. If the bank is not willing to work with your situation, try another one, because banks' internal rules differ.
Lawyer's experience
Most often foreigners run into a refusal not because of the law but because of one bank's internal rules. The NBU Instruction sets a minimum, and the bank has the right to assess risk and ask for more. That is why I advise getting a tax number first and, if possible, a residence permit, and only then going to the bank.
My second tip concerns documents from abroad. If the bank asks for a foreign document, for example about your income, it has to be legalised and translated, and the copy certified by a notary. Doing this separately for each bank is not cost-effective, so it helps to have such documents ready in advance, along with several notarised copies.
If you do not have a tax number yet, we handle obtaining a tax number for you, and with it opening an account is easier.
Official sources
Frequently asked questions
Can a foreigner open an account without a residence permit?+
The NBU Instruction asks an individual for a passport or other identity document and an application. There is no separate requirement to hold a residence permit. Each bank assesses client risk on its own, though, and without a residence permit and a tax number some banks refuse or ask for extra documents.
Do I need a tax number?+
A resident does, because the Instruction expressly requires a document with the tax number. A non-resident is not formally required to show one, but in practice the number makes opening an account easier and you need it for a salary or a business.
What happens to my account if I become a resident?+
The Instruction provides that a non-resident who becomes a resident closes the non-resident accounts and opens resident ones. The remaining balance is moved to the new account.
Can I open a business account the same way?+
No. An account for a sole proprietor or a company is opened under different rules, with the business registration documents. This article covers a personal current account of an individual.
If one bank refuses, will the others refuse too?+
Not necessarily. Banks apply their own internal rules on top of the NBU minimum, so a refusal by one bank does not mean an account cannot be opened elsewhere. Find out what was missing first, because often it is a document for client checks.
This article is general guidance, not individual legal advice.