Insights · Cross-border · 5 min read

Using a Ukrainian power of attorney in the UK.

If you live in the UK and need someone in Ukraine to act on your behalf — sell a flat, manage a property, represent you at a notary, deal with a Ukrainian bank — you need a Ukrainian-law power of attorney. Getting it accepted by the Ukrainian counterparty is straightforward in theory. The order in which you do it catches people out. Here is the working sequence.

The four pieces

1. A Ukrainian-law power of attorney, drafted in Ukrainian.
2. A notarisation of that document — by a Ukrainian notary (preferred) or, if you are abroad, by a Ukrainian consular notary in London.
3. If the document was notarised outside Ukraine, an apostille from the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) on the underlying notarial certificate.
4. If the document needs to be presented in English (for example to a UK bank for cross-confirmation), a certified translation into English.

Route A. You are in the UK, the document needs to work in Ukraine

This is the most common scenario for the Ukrainian diaspora.

Two viable routes:

Route A1 — Ukrainian consular notary in London. You attend the Embassy of Ukraine in London (or the Consulate-General in Edinburgh) with the draft power of attorney, your Ukrainian passport, and the consular notary fee. The consular notary witnesses your signature, applies the consular seal, and the document is then valid in Ukraine without further apostille. Booking lead times are typically two to six weeks; check current availability before drafting.

Route A2 — UK notary public + apostille. If consular slots are not available, you attend any UK notary public (most law firms can introduce one; cost is typically £100–£200). The notary applies their seal. You then send the notarised document to the FCDO Legalisation Office in Milton Keynes for the apostille (online application, current fee £30, typical turnaround 2–5 working days). On arrival in Ukraine, the document is then submitted with a certified Ukrainian translation. Some Ukrainian counterparties (especially banks) require the translation to be done in Ukraine by a state-approved translator — confirm with the Ukrainian end first, before you spend money on a UK translation.

Route B. The document was issued in Ukraine, needs to work in the UK

For example: you need to give your accountant in London authority to handle a piece of correspondence with HMRC on your behalf, but you happen to be in Ukraine when the issue comes up.

Sequence:

1. Draft and notarise the power of attorney at a Ukrainian notary in Ukrainian.
2. Apply the apostille through the Ukrainian Ministry of Justice — this is now possible online via the e-Apostille service for most documents.
3. Have the document translated into English by a certified translator. UK counterparties usually accept a certified translation completed in Ukraine; some prefer a UK-based sworn translation. Ask the receiving counterparty in advance.
4. Present the apostilled Ukrainian original together with the certified English translation to the UK counterparty.

The five mistakes we see most often

1. Drafting in the wrong language. The notarial original must be in Ukrainian if it is to be notarised in Ukraine. If you have it drafted in English first and then "translated for notarisation" in Ukraine, the notary will usually refuse it or insist on substantial redrafting.
2. Apostille on the wrong document. The apostille goes on the notarial certificate, not on the underlying power of attorney text. People sometimes apostille a plain photocopy and then are surprised when the Ukrainian counterparty rejects it.
3. Translation done before notarisation, by accident. The sequence is draft → notarise → apostille → translate. Translating earlier means the translation is of an unsealed document and won't carry across.
4. Powers worded too narrowly. Ukrainian notaries draft conservatively. If your power says only "sell flat at [address]", the agent cannot also sign the utility-transfer paperwork after the sale. Either list every act you anticipate, or draft a broader general power covering "any and all acts necessary for the disposal and completion of the flat at [address]".
5. Forgetting the expiry date. Ukrainian powers of attorney usually carry an explicit term (commonly three years). If left blank, default rules apply; if you want a different period, say so on the face of the document.

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Taran Legal is not a firm of solicitors and is not regulated by the SRA. This briefing is for general information only and is not legal advice on any specific matter. UK immigration advice is regulated separately and is not provided by Taran Legal.