Phone line and home rental

This page explains two things Turkish citizens arriving in Ukraine need to do in their first days: getting a phone line and renting a home. A contract is not required to get a mobile line in Ukraine; however, registering your line with your identity makes it easier to recover if it is lost. For home rentals, the lease agreement must be in writing by law. Below, you will find the basic rules of the Civil Code, the tax aspects, and precautions against fraud.

• In Ukraine, mobile service can also be obtained without entering into a written contract. The law recognizes that the service may be used without providing identity information (знеособлено, анонімно).
• Users who obtain a line without providing identity information have the right to apply to the operator for identity registration (ідентифікація).
• Identity registration is regulated by Resolution No. 235 of the National Commission regulating the communications sector (НКЕК), dated December 7, 2022. The resolution is in force as of October 17, 2026.
• The operator performs identity registration only for persons who are at least 14 years old.

• For non-resident foreigners, the application must include your first and last name, and the series and number of your passport (or of an identity document that may be used in legal transactions in Ukraine).
• Paper application:
  1. Go in person to the operator or an authorized sales point.
  2. Show your passport. If you give consent, the operator may make a copy of your document.
  3. Show the SIM card into which the line is inserted, or provide the one-time password sent to your line.
• Remote application: this can be done through the operator’s website, personal account, or application, using a qualified electronic signature (КЕП). If the operator has the technical capability, video verification may also be used (see U7.2).
• Legal safeguards:
  • Identity registration is free of charge.
  • The operator may not request documents other than those listed in the resolution.
  • The operator may not refuse registration to a person who meets the requirements.
  • The operator enters your information into the database and notifies you within 1 business day.
• Why is it important? To recover a lost or stolen SIM card, the operator will ask for your identity information. After registration, you may also request a record of the services provided to your line (from the date of registration).
• If your information changes (for example, you obtain a new passport), submit a new application to the operator.

• Residential leases are regulated by Chapter 59 (Articles 810–826) of the Civil Code of Ukraine (Цивільний кодекс України). The text on the official portal is dated August 5, 2026.
• A written contract is mandatory (Article 811). The law does not require notarization for a residential lease. Notarization is mandatory only for a “rent-to-own” (оренда з викупом) agreement.
• The parties may be individuals or companies. If the tenant is a company, it may use the residence only for individuals to live in (Article 813).
• The people who will live together with the tenant must be stated in the contract (Article 816).
• Term: if no term is stated in the contract, it is considered to be for 5 years (Article 821). Contracts of up to one year are “short-term leases”; some tenant rights do not apply to them.
• Rent: the amount is determined in the contract. Unless the contract or law permits it, the landlord may not change the amount unilaterally. If no payment date is stated, rent is paid monthly (Article 820).
• Utilities: unless the contract states otherwise, the tenant pays for utilities such as electricity, water, and heating (Article 815).
• Repairs: unless the contract states otherwise, minor repairs are the tenant’s responsibility and major repairs are the landlord’s responsibility (Article 819).
• The tenant may not make alterations without the landlord’s permission (Article 815).

• The tenant may terminate the contract at any time. To do so, they must give the landlord 3 months’ written notice. If the tenant leaves without notice, the landlord may claim three months’ rent if they prove that they could not rent out the home on the same terms (Article 825).
• If the residence becomes uninhabitable, the tenant may withdraw from the contract.
• The landlord may have the contract terminated only by a court decision. Grounds include:
  • non-payment of rent for 6 months (more than two missed payments for a short-term lease)
  • destruction of the residence by the tenant or persons for whom the tenant is responsible
• If part of a house or apartment, a room, or part of a room has been rented, the landlord may terminate the contract in order to live there with their family. They must give at least 2 months’ notice.
• Eviction may take place only by court decision (Article 826).
• Renewal: when the term ends, the tenant has a priority right to enter into a new contract. The landlord must make an offer or notify the tenant that they will not renew no later than 3 months in advance. If the landlord does not notify the tenant and the tenant does not leave, the contract is extended for the same term and on the same terms (Article 822). This rule does not apply to short-term leases.
• If the home is sold, the tenant has a priority right to purchase it (Article 822).

1. See the landlord’s passport and the property ownership document for the residence. The Ukrainian police expressly recommend this.
2. Include the following in the contract:
   • the names and identity information of the parties
   • the address and a brief description of the residence
   • the term, rent amount, payment date, and payment method
   • the deposit and refund conditions
   • who will pay the utilities
   • the people who will live together
   • an inventory of the furnishings
3. If possible, pay the rent by bank transfer and keep the receipts.
4. Do not send money without seeing the home and signing the contract.
5. Declare your address within 30 days after moving in (see U2.5). Online declaration is possible only for private residences registered in the land registry and certain dormitories.

• If the tenant is an individual rather than a company or individual entrepreneur, the landlord personally declares and pays tax on the rental income (Tax Code, Article 170.1.5).
• If the tenant is a company, it is responsible for the tax; it withholds the tax from the rent and pays it (Article 170.1.2).
• Rental income is subject to 18% income tax (Articles 170.1.4 and 167.1). An additional 5% military tax applies (see U8.1).
• A non-resident who owns a residence in Ukraine may rent it out only through an individual entrepreneur or company resident in Ukraine. This intermediary becomes responsible for the landlord’s tax (Article 170.1.3).
• Real estate agents must report the lease agreements they broker to the tax administration (Article 170.1.6).

• Sending a deposit without seeing the landlord’s identity document and ownership document.
• Sending money under pressure such as “There is a lot of demand, reserve it immediately.”
• Moving in under a verbal agreement. The law requires a written contract.
• Failing to list the people who will live together in the contract.
• Failing to comply with the three-month written notice period when ending the contract.
• Forgetting the 30-day address declaration after moving in.
• Not registering the line with your identity and being unable to recover the number when the SIM card is lost.

• Do I need a passport to get a phone line? The law recognizes that the service can be obtained without a written contract and without providing identity information. You can register your line with your passport free of charge.
• Can the operator request another document during identity registration? No. The operator may not request documents other than the information listed in the resolution and may not refuse registration to a person who meets the requirements.
• Do I have to sign the lease before a notary? For a residential lease, the law requires a written form but does not require notarization. Notarization is mandatory for a “rent-to-own” agreement.
• Can the landlord increase the rent halfway through the lease? The landlord may not increase it unilaterally unless the contract or law permits it.
• Can the landlord evict me immediately? No. Termination and eviction may take place only by court decision. If part of a house or apartment or a room has been rented, at least two months’ notice is required if the landlord needs the space for themselves or their family.
• What happens when my lease ends? If the landlord did not give notice three months in advance and you did not leave, the contract is extended on the same terms. This rule does not apply to short-term contracts of up to one year.

• НКЕК – Procedure for identity registration of end users (Resolution No. 235)
• Civil Code of Ukraine – full text
• Tax Code of Ukraine – full text
• Diia guide – address declaration (No. 02333)
• Cyber Police – online application form