Selling without an agent · Europe
How to sell your home without an agent in Ukraine
You can sell your home in Ukraine without a real estate agent (ріелтор), because no law requires one. The binding step is a notary: under Article 657 of the Civil Code, a residential sale contract must be in writing and notarized, and the notary also registers the transfer in the State Register of Real Property Rights on the same day. An ordinary existing home does not need an energy certificate to sell. The seller pays personal income tax and a military levy where the sale is taxable, while the buyer usually carries the agent commission, so selling yourself saves a Ukrainian seller less than in markets where the seller pays it. Ukraine has been under martial law since February 2022; private sales in government-controlled areas continue and the register is operating, but property in occupied or active-combat areas cannot be transacted and some rules tighten under martial law, so confirm the current position for your locality.
What changes here
What is different about selling in Ukraine
- Selling on your own
- Selling without a ріелтор is allowed, and a realtor is not licensed or required in Ukraine: their core service is advertising the property, which an owner can do directly on the national portals. The central legal constraint is the notary. Under Article 657 of the Civil Code of Ukraine a sale-purchase contract for a residential house or apartment must be in written form and notarized, and a contract that should be notarized but is not is void. The notary acts as a single window: it checks your title and any encumbrances in the state registers, certifies the contract, and registers the ownership transfer in the State Register of Real Property Rights on the same day, which is the moment ownership actually changes. One honest caveat specific to Ukraine: the agent commission is usually paid by the buyer here, not the seller, so the direct cash saving from selling yourself is smaller than in seller-pays markets. The other is the war: ordinary sales on government-controlled territory remain legal, but martial law adds rules covered below.
- Required professional
- Notary (нотаріус) (mandatory). Mandatory. Under Article 657 of the Civil Code of Ukraine the residential sale contract must be in writing and notarized; without notarization the sale is legally void. The notary verifies the parties and the title, checks the registers for encumbrances or arrests, certifies the deed, and performs the state registration of the transfer on the same day. Under martial law only notaries on a list approved by the Ministry of Justice may perform the registration step, and the notary generally must be in the region where the property sits, so choose your notary with that in mind.
- Land registry
- State Register of Real Property Rights to Immovable Property (Державний реєстр речових прав на нерухоме майно). The electronic register of ownership and other rights to property, linked to the State Land Cadastre. Ownership transfers at the moment of registration here, not at signing. For a notarized residential sale the notary records the transfer on the same day as notarization. Registration is governed by Law of Ukraine No. 1952-IV on state registration of property rights (2004).
- Energy certificate
- Energy performance certificate (енергетичний сертифікат) under the Law on Energy Efficiency of Buildings No. 2118-VIII. An ordinary existing house or apartment can be sold without obtaining an energy certificate. Certification is mandatory only for specific cases, such as new construction or major reconstruction of larger buildings, state-supported thermal-modernization projects, and public buildings over 250 square meters. At a sale the seller must hand the buyer a copy of the certificate only if the building already holds a valid one; there is no duty to create one to complete a sale. A certificate, once issued, is valid for ten years.
- How local rules layer
- country > oblast > city
The local market
Ukraine by the numbers
- About 2% to 5%, usually paid by the buyer
- Typical agent commission DOM.RIA
- 0%
- Seller income tax on a first sale held 3+ years PwC, Tax Code Arts. 167, 172
- 5% since 1 Dec 2024
- Military levy on a taxable sale PwC Worldwide Tax Summaries
- Mandatory (Civil Code Art. 657)
- Notarization of the sale contract Civil Code of Ukraine
- In effect since 24 Feb 2022, renewed in roughly 90-day periods
- Martial law UkraineInvest
Figures are the most recent we could source; confirm current numbers against the sources at the foot of this page before you rely on them.
The process
Selling your home in Ukraine, step by step
- Confirm your locality and martial-law position. Ordinary sales on government-controlled territory are legal and the register is operating, but acquisition and registration are prohibited for property in temporarily occupied territories and active-combat areas. That list is maintained by the government and changes with the front line, so check the current position for your specific locality before you spend money on the sale. Sales to or by the Russian Federation or aggressor-state-connected persons are also banned.
- Assemble the seller's folder. Collect your title document, the technical passport (технічний паспорт) of the property, a fresh extract from the State Register of Real Property Rights, your passport and tax number (RNOKPP), and a certificate of the persons registered as residing at the address. If you are married, spousal consent to the sale is usually required. The notary will not certify the deal without a complete folder, so gather it early.
- Get the expert valuation. For a sale between individuals an expert monetary valuation report (звіт про експертну грошову оцінку) by a certified appraiser is required, and that valuation is the floor for the tax base. The State Property Fund runs an online database for this. The seller commissions and pays for the report.
- Price it and list it yourself. Set your asking price against current listings for similar homes in your city, then post directly on the national property portals. DOM.RIA lets owners list for free and verify the property in about a week to earn a Verified badge; OLX has the widest general audience; LUN.ua is owner-only. You do not need a realtor to advertise. See our comparison of where to list.
- Show the home and qualify buyers. Schedule and run viewings yourself and keep a simple log of who came through. Ask a serious buyer how they will pay and on what timeline before you take the home off the market. Agree clearly, in writing, who pays which cost, since by custom many of them are split or carried by the buyer.
- Agree terms and choose the notary. Once you have a buyer, agree the price and the split of the notary fee, the state duty, and any deposit. Choose a notary that is on the Ministry of Justice approved list and in the region where the property is located. The notary, not an agent, drives the closing.
- Pay the taxes and notarize. The seller's personal income tax and military levy, where the sale is taxable, must be settled before notarization. Both parties attend the notary, who reads and certifies the contract. State duty of one percent of the price is paid at this point, usually split or by agreement.
- Register the transfer. Immediately after notarization the notary registers the ownership transfer in the State Register of Real Property Rights, which is the moment the buyer becomes the owner. Confirm the registration entry and keep your notarized copy and the register extract.
Paperwork
Documents a sale needs
- Title or ownership document for the property
- Technical passport (технічний паспорт)
- Fresh extract from the State Register of Real Property Rights
- Seller's passport and tax number (RNOKPP)
- Certificate of persons registered (residing) at the address
- Expert monetary valuation report (звіт про експертну грошову оцінку) by a certified appraiser
- Spousal consent to the sale, where the seller is married
- Proof that the seller's income tax and military levy are paid, before notarization
The money
Taxes and fees on a sale
| Tax or fee | What to know |
|---|---|
| Seller personal income tax (PIT) | Paid by the seller. The first sale in a calendar year of a home held more than three years is exempt at zero percent. A second such sale in the same year by a resident is taxed at five percent. A third or later sale in a year, or any property held less than three years and not inherited, is taxed at eighteen percent, with documented acquisition costs deductible. The three-year holding rule does not apply to inherited property. Non-residents are taxed at eighteen percent. Tax must be paid before notarization. Basis: Tax Code of Ukraine, Articles 167 and 172. |
| Military levy | Paid by the seller alongside PIT. It is five percent on a taxable residential sale and zero percent when the sale is exempt from PIT, since the levy follows the income tax. The rate was raised from one and a half percent to five percent on 1 December 2024 and extended for the duration of martial law and three years after. Some older Ukrainian articles still print one and a half percent for property sales, which is out of date, so confirm the current rate with your notary at signing. |
| State duty (державне мито) | One percent of the contract value for notarial certification of the sale, and not less than one non-taxable minimum income. By law it falls on the party in whose interest the notarial act is performed; in practice it is commonly split between buyer and seller or carried by the buyer. The notary cannot certify the deal without proof that it has been paid. |
| Pension fund contribution (1%) | One percent of the contract value on the acquisition of property, paid by the buyer, not the seller. First-time homebuyers and people on the official housing waiting list are exempt, although in practice notaries often still collect it and exempt buyers reclaim it. Listed here so a seller can explain the buyer's closing costs; it does not apply to land plots. |
| Notary fee | A separate commercial cost on top of the one percent state duty. Private notaries set their own tariffs, which vary by notary, region, and deal size, with figures in Kyiv guides starting around 10,000 hryvnia and sometimes framed as roughly one percent plus a fixed amount. State notaries charge only the statutory duty but transactions take longer. Commonly split between the parties by agreement. |
This is general information for Ukraine, not legal or tax advice for your situation. Rates, thresholds, and who owes what change over time and can turn on details specific to your sale, so confirm the current figures with the official sources at the bottom of this page, and check anything that affects your liability with a qualified local professional before you rely on it.
Tailored to here
Your Ukraine selling checklist
A prep checklist built for Ukraine, in order. Here is the first section to get you started. The complete checklist, every section plus the universal essentials, is a free PDF you can print and tick off as you go.
0 of 5 done
Before you list
- Listing and viewings
- Closing with the notary
Go deeper
Common questions
Is it legal to sell a home in Ukraine without a real estate agent?
Yes. No law requires a realtor, and realtor activity is not state-licensed in Ukraine. What is mandatory is notarization of the sale contract and registration of the transfer, both handled by a notary rather than an agent. The realtor's main job, advertising the property, is something an owner can do directly on the national portals.
Do I need a notary to sell my home in Ukraine?
Yes, it is mandatory. Under Article 657 of the Civil Code the residential sale contract must be notarized, and a sale that should be notarized but is not is void. The notary also registers the ownership transfer in the State Register of Real Property Rights on the same day, which is when ownership actually changes.
What taxes does a seller pay on a property sale in Ukraine?
A first sale in a year of a home held more than three years is exempt from personal income tax. Otherwise the seller pays five percent income tax on a second sale in a year, or eighteen percent on a third sale or a home held under three years, plus a five percent military levy where the sale is taxable. A one percent state duty applies at the notary and is usually split. Confirm current rates with your notary.
Can you sell property in Ukraine during martial law?
On government-controlled territory, yes. Sales continue and the register operates, but only Ministry-of-Justice-approved notaries can register transfers, the notary generally must be in the property's region, and property in occupied or active-combat areas cannot be sold. The restricted list changes with the front line, so check the current position for your locality.
Do I need an energy certificate to sell a home in Ukraine?
Usually no. An ordinary existing house or apartment can be sold without obtaining an energy certificate. It is mandatory only for specific cases such as major new construction and certain public buildings. If your building already holds a valid certificate you must give the buyer a copy, but you do not have to create one to sell.
Where can owners list a property for sale in Ukraine?
Directly on the national portals. DOM.RIA lets owners post for free and verify the property to earn a Verified badge, OLX has the widest general audience, and LUN.ua is owner-only. Listing on more than one at the same time is common and free.
Sources used on this page
Every legal, tax, and process claim on this page traces to one of these. We re-check them on a schedule and date the page when anything changes.
- Civil Code of Ukraine, Article 657 (mandatory notarization of property sales)Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine · zakon.rada.gov.ua
- Law on State Registration of Property Rights to Immovable Property No. 1952-IVVerkhovna Rada of Ukraine · zakon.rada.gov.ua
- Law on Energy Efficiency of Buildings No. 2118-VIIIVerkhovna Rada of Ukraine · zakon.rada.gov.ua
- Ukraine individual taxation: income determination and developmentsPwC Worldwide Tax Summaries · taxsummaries.pwc.com
- Energy efficiency certification of buildingsState Agency on Energy Efficiency of Ukraine · saee.gov.ua
- Real Estate Laws and Regulations 2026: UkraineICLG · iclg.com
- Real property during the war: help deskUkraineInvest (Government of Ukraine) · ukraineinvest.gov.ua
See what an agent's commission would cost on a Ukraine sale: run your numbers.
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