USD business account in Ukraine
A Ukrainian company can hold US dollars in a foreign currency account at a Ukrainian bank and, under the 2018 Currency Law, in an account abroad in its own name. National Bank of Ukraine martial law rules restrict transfers out of Ukraine, so dollars collected abroad and dollars held in Ukraine are treated differently. This guide covers the options, NBU rules as reported in 2026, documents and where Helm fits.
- Ukraine's Currency Law No. 2473-VIII of 2018 removed the need for an individual NBU license to open an account abroad, and companies generally may open foreign accounts and receive funds into them from foreign sources.
- NBU Board Resolution No. 18 of 24 February 2022 introduced wartime currency restrictions, including a moratorium on cross-border currency transfers, with exceptions the NBU has widened since.
- Payments abroad for imports of goods, services and works are permitted where the import took place after 23 February 2021, as reported by Chambers and Partners in August 2025.
- Following NBU Resolutions No. 2 and No. 3 of 13 January 2026, all exports of services except transportation are exempt from statutory settlement deadlines.
- NBU Resolution No. 90 of 10 August 2026 raised business limits, including payments abroad with hryvnia corporate cards to UAH 400,000 a month, while foreign currency corporate cards remain without an amount limit.
- Wise lists Ukraine among addresses that cannot get USD account details, and Airwallex does not list Ukraine as an eligible registration country.
USD business account options in Ukraine: the short answer
A Ukrainian business can hold and receive US dollars in a foreign currency account at a Ukrainian bank, in a USD account abroad in its own name, or through a US company with its own US account. Ukraine's 2018 Currency Law lets companies open accounts abroad without an individual license from the National Bank of Ukraine (NBU), the central bank. Since February 2022, martial law rules from the NBU restrict moving currency out of Ukraine, so where the dollars first land decides what the company can do with them.
| Option | Account name and location | How US payers pay it | Main rules and limits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Foreign currency account at a Ukrainian bank | Company's own name, bank in Ukraine | International wire (SWIFT) through the bank's correspondent | Transfers abroad only for purposes the NBU permits under Resolution No. 18; settlement deadlines for goods trade |
| USD account abroad | Company's own name or a pooled account, held abroad | ACH, Fedwire or SWIFT, depending on the provider | Permitted without an NBU license; statistical reporting to the NBU |
| US company with a US account | A new US company's name | ACH and Fedwire as a US business | Separate legal entity, EIN and US filings; funding it from Ukraine falls under NBU restrictions |
| Stablecoin wallet | Wallet address, not a bank account | USDC or USDT on a blockchain | Not covered by the sources cited in this guide; take Ukrainian legal advice |
Sources: Kinstellar via Mondaq (August 2026); Chambers and Partners (August 2025); EY Ukraine and PwC Ukraine alerts (January 2026); dev.ua report of NBU Resolution No. 90 (11 August 2026). As published on 29 October 2026. This table compares option types and is not a ranking.
SWIFT is the global messaging network banks use for cross-border payments. ACH is the US batch network for lower-cost domestic transfers, and Fedwire is the Federal Reserve's same-day wire system; both reach only accounts in the United States.
Importers want dollars ready to pay suppliers abroad. Exporters of goods must watch settlement deadlines. IT companies, agencies and other service exporters want US clients to pay them as they pay a US vendor. This guide covers the NBU rules as reported in 2026, which foreign providers say they accept Ukrainian businesses, documents, stablecoins and where a Helm USD account fits. NBU rules change often during martial law, so confirm each point with your bank before you act.
NBU martial law rules on receiving and paying dollars
NBU Board Resolution No. 18 of 24 February 2022, On the Operation of the Banking System Under Martial Law, introduced wartime currency restrictions, including a moratorium on cross-border currency transfers. Since then the NBU has widened the list of permitted transfers through a series of amendments. The table sets out the points that matter most to a business account, as reported by law and accounting firms.
| Activity | Position as reported | Source and date |
|---|---|---|
| Receiving dollars from a foreign customer into a Ukrainian bank | Permitted; export proceeds that arrive in foreign currency let the bank close supervision of the contract | NBU Resolution No. 24 of 20 February 2024 (UkrAgroConsult) |
| Paying for imported goods, services and works | Restrictions lifted where the import took place after 23 February 2021 | Chambers, August 2025 |
| Paying dividends to foreign shareholders | Permitted for dividends accrued from 1 January 2023, up to the equivalent of EUR 1 million a month, through the NBU's E-Limits system, with conditions on the issuer and the shareholder | Chambers, August 2025 |
| Investment limit | Covers foreign currency paid into a company's charter capital from 12 May 2025 | Chambers, August 2025 |
| Loan limit | Equal to foreign currency received in the company's Ukrainian bank account from new non-resident loans after 1 January 2026; usable for listed purposes | NBU Resolution No. 2 of 13 January 2026 (EY, PwC) |
| Penalties, bonuses and compensation to foreign buyers under export contracts | Permitted up to 10% a year of the goods supplied to that non-resident under contracts signed after 23 February 2021 | NBU Resolution No. 90 of 10 August 2026 (dev.ua) |
| Payments abroad with corporate cards | Hryvnia corporate cards: up to UAH 400,000 a month; foreign currency corporate cards: no amount limit | NBU Resolution No. 90 (dev.ua) |
| Cash withdrawals from foreign currency accounts | Up to UAH 200,000 a day, in Ukraine and abroad | NBU Resolution No. 90 (dev.ua) |
Sources: Chambers and Partners, Ukraine continuously eases currency transfer rules (August 2025); EY Ukraine alert (29 January 2026); PwC Ukraine alert (19 January 2026); dev.ua (11 August 2026); UkrAgroConsult (21 February 2024). As published on 29 October 2026. Amounts and conditions change by NBU resolution; confirm with your bank.
UAH is the Ukrainian hryvnia. E-Limits is the NBU's electronic system through which banks process dividend transfers within the monthly limit. Resolution No. 90 also created an additional limit for companies that make direct charitable contributions to Armed Forces and National Guard units from 10 August 2026, confirmed by an audit report from a Big Four firm, and lets companies pass their investment and additional limits to other companies in the same group.
Buying dollars in Ukraine
Under NBU Resolution No. 24 of 20 February 2024, in force from 21 February 2024, when a company buys foreign currency its bank takes into account the company's foreign currency balances on current and deposit accounts and its unfinished currency swaps in which the company has already sold currency to the bank. A company holding dollars should expect its bank to ask about them before selling it more.
Settlement deadlines for exporters and importers
Ukrainian rules set settlement deadlines for export and import transactions, and the bank that services each contract supervises them. NBU Board Resolution No. 67 of 14 May 2019 sets the rules, and the NBU changes the list of covered and exempt transactions by amendment. Ask your bank for the deadline that applies to each contract before you sign it.
| Change | What it does | Source |
|---|---|---|
| NBU Resolution No. 3 of 13 January 2026, in force 14 January 2026 | Exempts export transactions for insurance services, and exports whose claim was assigned to the Export Credit Agency up to the insurance indemnity credited to the exporter's Ukrainian account | EY Ukraine alert |
| Result for service exporters | All services except transportation are exempt from settlement deadlines | PwC Ukraine alert |
| NBU Resolution No. 24 of 20 February 2024 | Banks may end supervision of an export settlement deadline on the credit of funds from a non-resident only if the funds arrive in foreign currency; hryvnia transfers no longer qualify | UkrAgroConsult report |
Sources: EY Ukraine; PwC Ukraine; UkrAgroConsult, 21 February 2024. As published on 29 October 2026.
Two practical points follow. A goods exporter should ask the buyer to pay in dollars or another foreign currency to the account the bank uses to close supervision of the contract. And because services other than transportation are exempt, an IT company or agency paid by US clients does not face a settlement deadline on its service fees.
If a goods exporter collects payment into an account abroad, ask the bank that supervises the contract, before shipment, how it will close supervision. Our guide to receiving USD from overseas buyers covers the buyer's side of the payment.
Accounts abroad: what the Currency Law allows
Ukraine's Currency Law No. 2473-VIII of 21 June 2018 abolished the requirement for an individual NBU license to open an account and hold funds abroad. As Kinstellar summarized in August 2026, Ukrainian companies are generally free to open accounts with foreign banks and use them for business, including receiving funds from foreign sources, and Ukrainian currency rules since 2019 have followed the principle that anything not expressly prohibited by law is permitted.
| Point | Position as reported |
|---|---|
| License to open an account abroad | Not required since the Currency Law of 2018 |
| Receiving payments from foreign customers into the account abroad | Generally permitted |
| Statistical reporting to the NBU | Required under the rules approved by NBU Board Resolution No. 140 of 18 December 2018; opening an account abroad may itself trigger reports |
| Sending money from Ukraine to the company's own account abroad | Subject to the martial law moratorium on cross-border transfers and its listed exceptions (Resolution No. 18) |
Sources: Kinstellar via Mondaq, Foreign bank accounts: when and how Ukrainian businesses report to the NBU (August 2026); Chambers and Partners (August 2025). As published on 29 October 2026.
The order of the flows matters. Dollars that a foreign client pays straight into the company's account abroad do not move out of Ukraine. Dollars that land first in a Ukrainian bank can leave Ukraine only for a permitted purpose. Service exporters and importers that pay suppliers abroad often hold both: a Ukrainian foreign currency account for local needs and a USD account abroad for collections and supplier payments. Agree the reporting duties with your accountant before the account opens.
Foreign providers and the US company route
Eligibility is set by each provider, and several well-known names do not serve Ukrainian businesses. The table records what each states on its own pages; it is not a ranking.
| Provider | What its own pages state for Ukraine |
|---|---|
| Wise | Ukraine is on its list of addresses that cannot get USD account details, for personal and business profiles; for business accounts, a personal profile with an address in Ukraine is also restricted |
| Airwallex | Ukraine is not on its list of eligible registration countries; unlisted locations cannot be processed |
| Payoneer | Global fee page: receiving into an account in a currency that is not your local currency costs 1% (minimum 1.00 USD); different prices may apply in different territories; check eligibility for your country |
| Mercury | Accepts only companies formed and registered in the United States or a US territory, and publishes a list of founder countries it cannot support |
Sources: Wise USD account details, Airwallex eligible countries, Payoneer pricing, Mercury eligibility; as published on 29 October 2026.
Before you apply, check whose name is on the account details, which rails they accept (ACH only, or also Fedwire and SWIFT), and how money reaches Ukraine when you need hryvnia.
A US company
Some Ukrainian founders form a US company and open a US account in its name. It needs an Employer Identification Number (EIN), the US federal tax number for a business. The IRS instructions for Form SS-4 state that applicants with no principal place of business in the United States may call 267-941-1099 from 6:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday to Friday, and may fax the form to 304-707-9471 from outside the United States. The US company is a separate entity with its own filings, and money it earns belongs to it. Funding it from Ukraine, or paying it from a Ukrainian company, falls under the NBU rules above, so take Ukrainian and US advice first.
Documents you need
Banks and providers ask for broadly the same company file. The list below is a typical checklist; each bank and provider sets its own.
| Document | Ukrainian bank | USD account abroad |
|---|---|---|
| Extract from the Unified State Register of legal entities | Yes | Yes, usually with a certified translation |
| Charter (statute) and any amendments | Yes | Usually |
| EDRPOU code (company identification number) | Yes | Yes |
| Identity documents of directors and signatories | Yes | Yes, passport |
| Beneficial ownership structure and details of owners of 25% or more | Yes | Yes, under provider rules |
| Description of trade, counterparties and expected volumes | Yes | Yes |
| Contracts and invoices for the first payments | For each contract under settlement supervision | Often, for the first large payments |
Typical requirements compiled by the Helm Editorial Team; requirements vary by bank and provider. As published on 29 October 2026.
The EDRPOU code is the identification number of a Ukrainian legal entity in the state register. Prepare the register extract and charter in English if you apply abroad, and keep the company name identical on every document. For goods contracts, have the contract, invoices and customs declarations ready before each payment, because the bank supervising the settlement deadline will ask for them.
Stablecoins in Ukraine: USDC and USDT
Stablecoins are digital tokens designed to hold a steady value against a currency such as the US dollar. USDC and USDT are the two most widely used dollar stablecoins. We could not confirm from a primary source, on 29 October 2026, the legal status in force for virtual assets in Ukraine or how NBU currency rules treat a stablecoin payment, so this guide does not state them.
Before a Ukrainian company accepts or makes payments in USDC or USDT, get written answers from Ukrainian counsel to four questions:
- Is a stablecoin receipt from a foreign customer treated as receipt of foreign currency for the settlement deadline on a goods contract?
- Does sending stablecoins to a supplier abroad count as a cross-border transfer under Resolution No. 18?
- How are stablecoin holdings and gains recorded for Ukrainian tax?
- Which provider will convert the stablecoins to dollars, and in which country is it regulated?
A company that is paid in stablecoins by customers abroad can convert them to US dollars outside Ukraine, in an account in its own name, and keep a clear record of each conversion.
Where a Helm USD account fits
Helm is a financial technology company, not a bank. Accounts are held with regulated partner institutions. Helm provides USD account details in your company's own name, with a US routing and account number that receives ACH, Fedwire and SWIFT payments, alongside EUR and GBP details. Helm can serve businesses in Ukraine.
- IT companies, agencies and other service exporters can give US clients domestic US payment details and hold the fees in USD or convert them.
- Importers can send international payments to suppliers from the account by SWIFT, or by local rails in the supplier's currency where available, with the rate, fee and expected arrival shown before sending.
- Companies paid in stablecoins can receive USDC and USDT and convert them to USD inside the account, subject to the Ukrainian advice above.
- Goods exporters should agree with the bank supervising each contract how a payment collected abroad will close supervision.
Each account has a named account manager, and review questions are answered in writing within one business day. Trade finance, such as supplier finance, receivables finance and working capital, is arranged case by case. Helm agrees pricing with each business in writing before the account opens, and shows the rate, the fee and the expected arrival before you confirm each payment.
Freelancers and FOPs
Many Ukrainian freelancers work as a FOP (fizychna osoba-pidpryiemets), a registered individual entrepreneur. The options are the same on a smaller scale: a foreign currency account at a Ukrainian bank, or an account with a provider abroad. Check eligibility first: Wise, for example, lists Ukraine among addresses that cannot get USD account details.
For individuals, NBU Resolution No. 90 raised several limits from 11 August 2026, as reported by dev.ua: non-cash foreign currency purchases up to UAH 200,000 a month; cash withdrawals from foreign currency accounts up to UAH 200,000 a day; and a separate UAH 200,000 a month for paying for goods and services abroad from a foreign currency account. Ask your bank which limits apply to a FOP account and which to a personal account. A freelancer who grows into an agency should incorporate and move client payments to an account in the company's name. For a comparison with another market, see our guide to USD business accounts in Mexico.
Open a Helm account
USD, EUR and GBP accounts in your company's name, with a named account manager.
Open accountQuestions
Can a Ukrainian company open a bank account abroad?
Yes. Ukraine's Currency Law No. 2473-VIII of 2018 abolished the requirement for an individual NBU license to open an account and hold funds abroad. The company must still file the statistical reports the NBU requires on accounts abroad.
Can a Ukrainian company transfer dollars from Ukraine to its own account abroad?
Only for purposes the NBU permits. NBU Resolution No. 18 of 24 February 2022 introduced a moratorium on cross-border currency transfers during martial law, and the NBU has since added exceptions such as payments for imports after 23 February 2021 and dividends within limits.
Can foreign clients pay a Ukrainian company's account abroad directly?
Generally yes. As summarized by Kinstellar in August 2026, Ukrainian companies may use foreign accounts for business, including receiving funds from foreign sources. Goods exporters should agree with their bank how a payment received abroad will close supervision of the settlement deadline.
Do Ukrainian service exporters face settlement deadlines?
Not for most services. Following NBU Resolution No. 3 of 13 January 2026, PwC Ukraine reported that all services except transportation are exempt from settlement deadlines.
Can a Ukrainian company pay foreign suppliers in dollars?
Yes, for imports of goods, services and works that took place after 23 February 2021, as reported by Chambers and Partners in August 2025. The bank checks the contract and documents before it sends the payment.
How much can a Ukrainian company pay abroad with a corporate card?
Under NBU Resolution No. 90 of 10 August 2026, payments abroad for goods, works and services with hryvnia corporate cards are limited to UAH 400,000 a month, as reported by dev.ua. Foreign currency corporate cards remain without an amount limit.
Can Ukrainian businesses get USD account details from Wise?
No. Wise lists Ukraine among the addresses that cannot get USD account details, for personal and business profiles. Airwallex does not list Ukraine as an eligible registration country.
What limits apply to dividends paid abroad from Ukraine?
As reported by Chambers and Partners in August 2025, dividends accrued from 1 January 2023 may be paid to foreign shareholders up to the equivalent of EUR 1 million a month through the NBU's E-Limits system, with conditions on the company and the shareholder.
Are stablecoins legal for Ukrainian businesses?
This guide does not state the position because we could not confirm it from a primary source on 29 October 2026. Take written advice from Ukrainian counsel on how virtual asset and currency rules apply before accepting or paying in USDC or USDT.
References
- Kinstellar via Mondaq: Foreign bank accounts, when and how Ukrainian businesses report to the NBU (August 2026)
- Chambers and Partners: Ukraine continuously eases currency transfer rules (August 2025)
- EY Ukraine: National Bank of Ukraine continues its policy of liberalization of currency restrictions (NBU Resolutions No. 2 and No. 3 of 13 January 2026)
- PwC Ukraine: The NBU continues easing currency restrictions (19 January 2026)
- dev.ua: NBU Resolution No. 90 of 10 August 2026 on currency restrictions (11 August 2026)
- UkrAgroConsult: NBU Resolution No. 24 of 20 February 2024 on business foreign currency purchases
- Wise: Can I get USD account details?
- Airwallex: Eligible countries and territories
This guide is general information for businesses, not financial, legal or tax advice. Rules, fees and timings were checked against the sources listed on the review date and may change.