Get a license for import in Ukraine quickly and the first time

In September 2021 we were contacted by a Client, a large company engaged in the sale of household appliances. Among other things, they needed to import a batch of freon-based dehumidifiers. To import such equipment, they needed an Import License in Ukraine.

The goods had to arrive at customs in less than a month. So they needed to get the license within the shortest possible time, otherwise they would have to pay for downtime. We noted that it is very difficult to obtain this kind of a license in a month, because the consideration period is 30 business days, not calendar days.

Please check the details about the procedure for obtaining this license and who needs to obtain it here. Today we will focus on the updated requirements for the execution of licensing documents, because only thorough preparation of the package of documents may give you a chance to get a license on the first try.

You may also like: Export of Ozone-Depleting Substances

Why is the Import License waiting period so long?

The deadline of 30 business days is set for a reason, because there are two ministries involved: the Ministry of Environmental Protection and the Ministry of Economy. And the entire package, which must have two copies of applications, shall be submitted to the Ministry of Economy, where the entire case goes through the clerk’s office, where it is signed by the relevant licensing department and transferred to a certain executor, who sends one copy of the application to the Ministry of Environmental Protection, where, in turn, this application also finds its executor.

The Ministry of Environmental Protection has three business days to report on the grounds for refusal to approve the issuance of a license, and if such grounds are not found, they must issue a consent to issue a license within 10 days.

So when the procedure involves several government agencies and many people, you should expect that at least one of them will have some comments. However, you can avoid problems if the entire package of documents will be properly prepared.

And what if there are some drawbacks? Then you will either be rejected (if the comments are incompatible with obtaining a license and they concern mostly the substances), or you will be given a recommendation to correct the mistakes, and to add only the corrected documents followed by a certain cover letter.

But what happens to the deadlines in that case? That’s right, they start all over again from the time the corrected documents are submitted.

What are the most common comments to the documents for an Import License?

The documents that fall under the strictest scrutiny of the regulatory authorities include the foreign trade contract, specifications, invoice/proforma invoice.

The documents, which are filed for a license, must be bilingual or with a translation into the Ukrainian language. The names of goods, the price per piece, their codes - everything must be clearly written. Extract from the Unified State Register must be up-to-date - it must be obtained one month before the date of filing at the earliest.

Attention is drawn to the certification of copies and their stitching. For example, a new state standard for certifying copies of documents was adopted this fall, according to which copies are certified as follows: signature, position, full name and surname, with the surname in full capital letters (for example: Alexander PETRENKO).

If you do not have so much time to study all the nuances and re-submit the documents, you should immediately contact the experts. We will get an Import License at the first try and without refusal.

In our Client’s case, the goods didn’t stay at customs for a long time, because the documents prepared by specialists can be considered faster, if everything is clear and transparent.

This helped the Client save money on the downtime of the goods at customs and solve the difficult problem in minimum time.

Do you want to be sure that you will obtain a license for the import of ozone-depleting substances into Ukraine within the desired timeframe? Don’t hesitate to contact us!

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Cost of legal services for obtaining a license for the import of ozone-depleting substances into Ukraine here.