How can you formalize a car purchase and sale agreement in Ukraine?

A car purchase and sale agreement can be concluded in several ways. One of them is to finalize the deal at a notary’s office. With the necessary documents, any notary will draw up the agreement after checking the vehicle for various types of encumbrances. However, this service is not free; you will have to pay the notary’s fee as usual.

There is another way: formalizing the car purchase and sale agreement directly at a Service Center of the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA). This service is free as part of the vehicle re-registration procedure. The purchase and sale agreement is drawn up in three copies: one for the seller, one for the buyer, and one for the Service Center. The buyer pays for the car at the same time the agreement is signed. A Center employee acts as a witness to the transaction.

How to draft a car purchase and sale agreement yourself?

You can draft an agreement yourself either physically or through the Diia application. In general, for registration via Diia, you do not need to contact any authorities, only the Diia online service. However, it is also possible to formalize a purchase and sale agreement completely on your own, without involving authorities or services. To do this, you will need the documents of the seller, the buyer, and the vehicle.

An agreement template can be found on the internet; the main thing is to fill in all the fields carefully, without missing anything or making mistakes. You should be very attentive, but it is still recommended to contact the aforementioned authorities, where an authorized person will verify the correctness of the data.

What documents are needed to conclude the agreement?

The list of documents required to conclude a car purchase and sale agreement is quite simple. The buyer needs a copy of their Ukrainian citizen passport, registration address, and the registration number of the taxpayer’s account card (RNTRC). The seller, in turn, in addition to their passport, place of registration, and RNTRC, also needs the vehicle’s registration documents to specify the vehicle’s data in the agreement.

It is important to check whether the information specified in the vehicle registration certificate matches the actual data of the car. This includes the state license plates, the vehicle identification number (VIN), and the presence of any re-equipment and corresponding notes in the documents.

The price of a car purchase and sale agreement in Ukraine: how much does it cost?

At a Service Center of the MIA, the formalization of a purchase and sale agreement during the vehicle re-registration procedure is free. You will only have to pay for the re-registration services, which cost approximately 1200 UAH. The amount consists of the service fee of 350 UAH, the cost of the registration certificate form – 486 UAH, and the payment for license plates – 350 UAH. On the website of the Main Service Center,

https://hsc.gov.ua/, you can find a service cost calculator: you enter the type, value, other necessary data about the specific vehicle, and desired additional services (number combination, etc.), after which the cost will be displayed.

Formalizing a purchase and sale agreement with a notary will be more expensive. In addition to drafting and certifying the agreement itself, an extract from the State Register of Encumbrances on Movable Property is added, as well as state fees, which may depend on the value of the car and the specific circumstances of the buyer or seller. Furthermore, having a purchase and sale agreement does not grant the buyer ownership of the vehicle; state registration is required for that.

Therefore, when formalizing an agreement with a notary, you will have to pay for the cost of drafting and certifying the agreement (from 2000 UAH), the extract regarding encumbrances on the car (from 200 UAH), state fees, and the re-registration of the vehicle at the Service Center of the MIA, which, as mentioned above, is 1200 UAH. Therefore, if possible, it is better to go directly to the Service Center and make a secure transaction without overpaying.

Selling a car via a notarial contract: when is it necessary?

In some cases, a notarial contract can be indispensable, despite the higher cost. It all depends on the specific circumstances of the seller or buyer. An important condition is that after concluding the agreement, the buyer is obliged to re-register the car in their name within ten days; this rule is contained in the Law “On Road Traffic”. This condition can be useful in a situation where time for registration is limited, or there are queues or technical failures at the service centers.

For example, a buyer came to another city to purchase a car. They couldn’t get a spot in the queue at the Service Center by the end of the day and cannot stay for the next day. In such a case, drafting a purchase and sale agreement with a notary, returning home, and then registering the new car in their hometown is a very optimal solution.

Sample Vehicle Purchase and Sale Agreement in Ukraine

A template for a vehicle purchase and sale agreement should look approximately as follows; of course, some conditions can be added, the main thing is to adhere to the requirements of the Civil legislation for contracts:

VEHICLE PURCHASE AND SALE AGREEMENT

City of [city where the agreement is made] | [Date]

This agreement is entered into by, on the one hand, [Full Name], [Taxpayer Registration Number], residing at [address], hereinafter referred to as the “Seller,” and, on the other hand, [Full Name], [Taxpayer Registration Number], residing at [address], hereinafter referred to as the “Buyer,” acting voluntarily and being of sound mind and clear memory, understanding the significance of their actions, having been previously acquainted by the notary with the provisions of civil legislation regulating the transaction concluded by us (in particular, with the requirements regarding the invalidity of a transaction), guided by Chapter 54, as well as Art. 202-204, 626, 627 of the Civil Code of Ukraine, have concluded this Agreement as follows:

1. SUBJECT OF THE AGREEMENT

1.1. Under this agreement, the Seller undertakes to transfer the property into the ownership of the Buyer, and the Buyer undertakes to accept it and pay the agreed monetary sum for it.

1.2. The vehicle being alienated under this Agreement has the following characteristics: Make (model); Year of manufacture; Color; Body type; Body number; state license plate; Engine capacity: _____

, hereinafter referred to as the “Vehicle.”

1.3. The Vehicle belongs to the Seller on the basis of the vehicle registration certificate series ____ number

.

1.4. The Seller affirms that at the time of concluding this agreement, the Vehicle is not under arrest or prohibition, there are no legal disputes concerning it, it is not pledged, it is not in a tax lien, and no other agreements concerning its alienation or use have been concluded with other persons. Third parties have no rights to the Vehicle. The transaction does not contradict the rights and interests of minor, underage, or disabled children (p. 6 of Art. 203 of the Civil Code of Ukraine). The consent of the other spouse to conclude this Agreement has been obtained in the manner prescribed by law. The absence of a tax lien on the Vehicle is confirmed by extract No.

dated _______ from the State Register of Liens on Movable Property.

1.5. The Vehicle has been inspected by the Buyer. No defects that would prevent the use of the Vehicle for its intended purpose were found at the time of inspection. The Buyer has no claims against the Seller regarding the quality characteristics of the alienated Vehicle.

2. PRICE OF THE AGREEMENT

2.1. The appraised value of the Vehicle, according to the Expert Valuation Report as of

[date], issued by an expert, is [amount] hryvnias.

2.2. The sale of the Vehicle by agreement of the parties is made for

[amount] hryvnias, which have been received by the Seller from the Buyer before the formalization of this agreement, as the Parties have established that the terms of the Agreement regarding the payment of the Agreement price apply to the relations between them that arose before its conclusion (p. 3 of Art. 631 of the Civil Code of Ukraine).

2.3. The Parties confirm the fact of full settlement for the sold Vehicle.

3. RIGHTS AND OBLIGATIONS OF THE PARTIES

3.1. Obligations of the Seller: 3.1.1. To transfer the Vehicle to the Buyer in a condition that meets technical standards and ordinary requirements.

3.1.2. To warn the Buyer about the rights of third parties to the Vehicle.

3.1.3. To warn the Buyer about all known defects of the item.

3.1.4. To store the property in case the ownership of the property passes to the Buyer before the transfer of the item.

3.2. Rights of the Seller: 3.2.1. To demand payment of the established price for the Vehicle in accordance with the terms of this Agreement.

3.2.2. To demand acceptance of the Vehicle by the Buyer in a condition that meets technical standards and ordinary requirements and the terms of this Agreement.

3.3. Obligations of the Buyer: 3.3.1. To accept the Vehicle in a condition that meets technical standards, ordinary requirements, and the terms of this Agreement.

3.3.2. To demand from the Seller the fulfillment of other obligations under this Agreement.

3.4. Rights of the Buyer: 3.4.1. To demand from the Seller the transfer of the Vehicle in a condition that meets technical standards, ordinary requirements, and the terms of this Agreement.

3.4.2. To demand from the Seller the fulfillment of other obligations under this Agreement.

3.5. Other rights and obligations of the parties are in accordance with current legislation.

4. OTHER CONDITIONS

4.1. The requirements of the legislation regarding the content, meaning, and legal consequences of the transaction being concluded by the parties have been explained to them by the notary. The parties confirm that this transaction is not fictitious or sham, i.e., it is not as provided for in Art. 234, 235 of the Civil Code of Ukraine. The Seller has also been informed about the exemption from personal income tax, established by p. 12.1 of the Law of Ukraine “On Personal Income Tax” in the amounts provided for in p. 7.1 of this Law, as the Seller has paid the corresponding state fee to the budget.

4.2. In cases not provided for by this Agreement, the parties are guided by the current legislation.

4.3. The liability of the parties is established in accordance with the current legislation.

4.4. The Agreement is considered concluded from the moment of notarial certification, which complies with the requirements of Art. 639 of the Civil Code of Ukraine.

4.5. All changes and additions to this Agreement, made by agreement of the parties, must be notarized, which complies with Art. 654 of the Civil Code of Ukraine.

4.6. The costs associated with the conclusion of this agreement shall be borne by the parties in equal parts.

4.7. The notary has explained to the Buyer the need to carry out the state Registration of the Vehicle with state authorities within ten days after the notarial certification of this Agreement, in accordance with the “Rules for state registration and accounting of cars, buses, as well as self-propelled machines constructed on the chassis of cars, motorcycles of all types, makes, models, trailers, semi-trailers, motor-driven carts,” approved by the Resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine of September 7, 1998, No. 1388.

4.8. The Agreement is made in three copies, one is given to the buyer, the second to the seller, and the third is kept in the files of the private notary.

Signatures of the parties

Is it possible to formalize a sale using a general power of attorney?

From a legal point of view, no, a car cannot be sold under a general power of attorney. However, the person to whom the general power of attorney is issued may drive, use, or even sell the car to a third party, if they are granted such rights by the power of attorney. It is worth noting, however, that a power of attorney is not a contract of sale, and the person to whom the power of attorney is issued is not the owner of the vehicle in the legal sense of the term. However, with a general power of attorney, the owner can grant a person certain rights regarding the vehicle.

How to conclude a car purchase and sale agreement online in Diia

The Diia application has introduced a function for the purchase and sale of cars. For many vehicle owners, this experience will be new, so below we will briefly describe the algorithm of actions.

The procedure is different for the seller and the buyer. First, the seller must select the “Sell a vehicle” service or choose “Sell car” from the technical passport menu. They must read and agree to the terms of sale and confirm guarantees (regarding the absence of a wanted status, etc.). Next, the seller specifies the contractual value of the car and enters their personal data. After that, they can review the draft agreement and share a QR code or a link with the buyer.

Accordingly, the buyer, after scanning the QR code or following the link, can review and accept the terms of sale. They can choose one of several options for the license plate: keep the old one, change to a new one, or choose a custom one. Next, the buyer confirms that they are familiar with the technical condition, characteristics, and value of the car, after which consent for re-registration is given.

The buyer chooses the format of the technical passport: plastic or electronic only in Diia. If plastic is chosen, you must provide the details for delivery by Ukrposhta. After that, the service fee must be paid. Then the buyer has the opportunity to review the draft agreement.

The parties sign the agreement using Diia.Signature, after which it is sent for verification. The Main Service Center of the MIA checks the agreement for up to 5 working days. After verification, the finalized agreement will be sent to the parties in Diia, and both must confirm it with Diia.Signature.

Funds for the car can be transferred either before or after signing the agreement. If the previous owner’s license plates are kept, the car can be driven immediately after the transaction is confirmed. If new license plates are obtained, the car can only be operated after they have been received and installed.

How to Buy/Sell a Vehicle via a Sale and Purchase Agreement in 2026?

Which Registration Method to Choose in 2026?

All the aforementioned tips and recommendations regarding the sale and purchase of vehicles in Ukraine remain relevant in 2026. Therefore, we will briefly outline the most essential information that will undoubtedly be useful for the correct legal processing of these transactions.

To begin with, you still have the option to conclude a vehicle sale and purchase agreement directly at a Territorial Service Center of the MIA, at a notary, or via the Diia Unified Portal of State Services. Furthermore, it is important to remember that signing an agreement at a notary does not yet mean you have acquired ownership rights to the vehicle. To obtain these rights, you must re-register the vehicle in your name from the previous owner within 10 days of signing the agreement.

At the same time, processing the agreement through a Territorial Service Center of the MIA or via the Diia portal includes the immediate re-registration of the vehicle to the new owner. Additionally, as mentioned in previous sections, notary services are significantly more expensive; therefore, it is more practical and convenient to conclude the agreement and immediately perform all registration actions using the two aforementioned methods.

Required Documents for Concluding an Agreement in 2026

The documents required for processing a vehicle sale and purchase agreement can literally be counted on the fingers of one hand. To conclude a deal, both the buyer and the seller must have:

• a passport of a citizen of Ukraine;
• a Taxpayer Identification Number (RNOKPP).

In turn, the seller must also possess the vehicle registration certificate (logbook).

Cost of Concluding a Transaction in 2026

The cost of processing a sale and purchase agreement and re-registering a vehicle depends on several factors and is therefore not fixed. The following is taken into account:

• the type of vehicle and its construction;
• whether the vehicle has been previously registered in Ukraine;
• the number of vehicles sold by the seller during the reporting year;
• the desired license plate combination;
• the average market or appraised value of the vehicle in UAH.

To find out the cost of concluding a transaction and re-registering a vehicle at a Territorial Service Center of the MIA, use the estimated cost calculator for administrative services available on the Main Service Center of the MIA website at the following link: https://opendata.hsc.gov.ua/calculator/.