Can Foreign Investors Buy Property in Ukraine? A 2026 Guide

For foreign investors weighing an entry into Ukraine's real estate market, the first question is usually the simplest: is this even legal? The short answer is yes – but the details matter, and getting them wrong can be costly.

Buying Property: Largely Unrestricted

Ukrainian law places no legal restrictions on foreign or domestic ownership of buildings and constructions, granting equal rights to individuals and legal entities. In practice, this means foreigners can own real estate in Ukraine, and foreign citizens can buy, own, sell, or inherit residential property – apartments and houses – on the same terms as Ukrainian citizens. Both the primary market (new-build purchases from developers) and the secondary market (resale properties) are open to foreign buyers. 

The Land Question: Where Restrictions Apply

The picture changes when land enters the equation. Foreign investors are not entitled to purchase and own agricultural land in Ukraine, and this prohibition remains in place until lifted, which would require a referendum. Non-agricultural land is more accessible but still conditional: foreign individuals may buy non-agricultural land within settlements, but only when it's greenfield land or land already associated with real property they own. For legal entities, ownership rules are similarly restrictive, and it remains legally unsettled whether Ukrainian companies wholly owned by foreign shareholders can acquire land at all – a point on which court decisions have diverged. A more accessible route for investors is long-term land lease, which Ukrainian law permits for up to 50 years.

Process and Documentation

Practically, a foreign buyer will need a Ukrainian tax identification code, a notarized (and often translated) passport, and – depending on the transaction – a local bank account, since a bank account can be opened in any Ukrainian city, and a purchase agreement can be signed via power of attorney without the buyer's physical presence. The purchase-sale agreement itself must be notarized to be valid. 

The Bottom Line

For foreign investors, buying an apartment, house, or commercial building in Ukraine is straightforward under current law. Land – especially agricultural land – is where the real complexity begins, and structuring decisions here can have long-term consequences for control and legal certainty.

Navigating the documentation, land restrictions, and structuring options isn't something to figure out alone. Our team at UENTRY works with foreign investors through exactly these questions – feel free to reach out at ah@uentryadvisory.com if you'd like a hand.