Foreign trade licensing

Some goods cannot be imported or exported without a license from the Ministry of Economy. We determine whether your goods fall within the list of licensed items, select the right type of license and arrange it. The service is for companies and sole proprietors across Ukraine — Kyiv, Odesa, Kharkiv, Dnipro.

What a foreign trade license is

A foreign trade license is a permit document for the export or import of certain goods. It is a tool of non-tariff regulation: the state controls the volumes and directions of trade for sensitive groups of goods. The legal basis is Article 16 of the Law “On Foreign Economic Activity”. Licenses are issued by the Ministry of Economy.

Which goods are licensed

The lists of goods whose export and import are subject to licensing, and the quotas on them, are approved annually by the Cabinet of Ministers. For 2026, Resolution No. 1795 of 31.12.2025 applies. The lists change every year, so goods must be checked against the current version. The UKT ZED code helps determine whether products fall within the list.

Types of licenses

Type	When it applies
General	Open permit for operations with a good/country for the whole regime period
One-off (individual)	Named, for each separate operation
Open (individual)	For a period (from a month) with a total volume of goods

Automatic and non-automatic licensing

Licensing can be automatic or non-automatic. Under automatic licensing the license is issued within 10 working days from the date the application and documents are submitted — it serves monitoring purposes without limiting volumes. Under non-automatic licensing the review period is up to 30 days in order of receipt of applications and up to 60 days under a competitive procedure; it is linked to quotas and restrictions.

Quotas

When a quota is set for a good, the license is issued only within its limits. Applications are reviewed in order of receipt, and if the quota is already exhausted at the time of submission, the application is not considered. So for quota goods it is important to apply as early as possible.

Ozone-depleting substances and greenhouse gases

Import and export of ozone-depleting substances and fluorinated greenhouse gases are licensed separately — both the substances and mixtures themselves and the goods and equipment that contain them (air conditioners, refrigeration equipment). This licensing was introduced under the Montreal Protocol and requires approval from the Ministry of Energy.

How a license differs from certificates and permits

A foreign trade license is a quantitative-permit document of the Ministry of Economy, not a confirmation of the quality of goods. It should not be confused with sanitary, phytosanitary and veterinary permits or with export control of dual-use goods. Sometimes one shipment needs both a license and a separate permit.

Reporting via the Single Window

After obtaining the license, the foreign trade entity enters data on the volumes of actual export or import into the state portal “Single Window for International Trade” on the day the operation is carried out. This is a mandatory part of working with a license.

Documents and customs

The license is presented to customs together with the invoice, foreign-trade contract and the rest of the document set. Without it, customs will not clear a licensed good. The consistency of the set and clearance are handled by our customs broker, and we work out the deal structure at foreign trade consulting.

How we arrange a license

List check

By the UKT ZED code we determine whether a license is needed and whether there is a quota.
Choosing the type

We select the license: general, one-off or open.
Application

We prepare and submit the package to the Ministry of Economy.
Receipt and customs

We obtain the license, use it at clearance and report via the single window.

Frequently asked questions