To confirm the source of income for a bank you need a document that directly links the funds on your account to a lawful event: salary, sale of property, inheritance, gift, loan or earnings from abroad. For official income, data from the State Register of Individual Taxpayers (DRFO) and the OK-5 and OK-7 certificates are suitable; these can be generated free of charge in the Diia app, the Electronic Taxpayer Cabinet or on the web portal of the Pension Fund of Ukraine (PFU).
For one-off receipts, a bank usually asks for an original document: a sale agreement, a certificate of inheritance, a gift or loan agreement. Below are documents for each source and steps to follow if the bank refuses.
Why the bank requires confirmation of income
Financial monitoring requirements
Under Law No. 361-IX, a bank is a subject of primary financial monitoring and has the right to request documents and explanations from a client about their transactions. Regulation No. 65 of the National Bank of Ukraine (NBU) dated 19.05.2020 details this obligation: when necessary the bank establishes the sources of a client’s funds and assets, and the depth of checks depends on the level of risk.
The law treats an operation as reportable at the threshold of 400 000 UAH only when there is an additional indicator, for example cash, a transfer abroad or involvement of a politically exposed person. However, a bank may request documents for a smaller amount if the transaction does not resemble your usual behaviour.
Raising transfer limits
A banking memorandum limits outgoing P2P transfers to 100 000 UAH per month for low- and medium-risk clients and 50 000 UAH for high-risk clients. A bank sets an individual limit only when it sees verified income sufficient for such turnover.
Large purchases and foreign credits
Requests most often arrive after a large cash deposit, receipt of funds from abroad or a sudden increase in card inflows. A bank also asks about the source of funds before a major purchase: paying for an apartment, a car or placing a substantial deposit.
Another reason is a mismatch between the questionnaire and actual turnover. If the questionnaire lists income of 20 000 UAH per month, but 600 000 UAH arrived to the account, the bank will ask for an explanation even if the operation is lawful.
Universal documents proving income
Extract from the DRFO
Data from the State Register of Individual Taxpayers (DRFO) show all incomes reported by employers, clients and other tax agents. You can request an extract via the Electronic Taxpayer Cabinet, the “My Tax” service or in the Diia app, and the response usually arrives within an hour.
Certificate from the workplace
An employer’s payroll department issues a certificate of income for the last 6 or 12 months. It is useful when salary is high and you need to show average monthly income, or when some payments have not yet been reflected in the DRFO.
Tax declaration with confirmation receipt
An income and asset declaration together with the receipt of filing confirms income on which you paid tax yourself: rent, sale of property, foreign salary. Individual entrepreneurs (FOP) add the single-tax payer declaration with the filing receipt and, if necessary, the income ledger or an extract from the single-tax payers register.
The set of documents depends on where the money came from. During financial monitoring banks usually ask for the following:
- employee: extract from the DRFO, OK-7, salary certificate;
- FOP: declaration with filing receipt, income ledger, extract from the single-tax payers register;
- one-off sale or inheritance: agreement or certificate plus proof of payment;
- income from abroad: foreign bank statement, employment contract, payslips, tax documents with translation;
- cryptocurrency: exchange statements and withdrawal history to the card.
| Source of income | Document | Where to obtain |
|---|---|---|
| Salary | Extract from the DRFO, OK-7, income certificate | Diia, Electronic Taxpayer Cabinet, payroll department |
| Entrepreneurial activity | FOP declaration with filing receipt, income ledger | Electronic Taxpayer Cabinet |
| Pension, social payments | Certificate of pension or benefit amount | Web portal of the Pension Fund of Ukraine (PFU) |
| Sale of real estate | Sale and purchase agreement, proof of payment | Notary, buyer’s bank |
| Sale of a car | Sale and purchase agreement | MVS service centre, notary |
| Inheritance | Certificate of the right to inherit | Notary |
| Gift | Gift agreement, documents on donor’s income | Notary or written agreement |
| Loan | Loan agreement, IOU | Notary or written agreement |
| Income from abroad | Bank statement, employment contract, tax documents with translation | Foreign employer and bank, translator |
| Cryptocurrency | Exchange statement, transaction history | Personal exchange account |
Confirming income from sale of property and inheritance
Sale and purchase agreement
For an apartment, house or land plot a notarised sale and purchase agreement is suitable, and for a car the agreement concluded at an MVS service centre or with a notary. If the buyer transferred money from an account, add the payment instruction or bank statement showing the receipt.
If payment was in cash and you deposited the funds to your account later, the bank may ask why there was a delay. In your explanation indicate the date of the transaction, the amount and the reason for the delay, and add the declaration if tax had to be paid on the sale.
Certificate of inheritance
A notary issues the certificate of the right to inherit and it confirms transfer of the testator’s property or funds to you. If the inheritance was money on an account, add a certificate from the deceased’s bank about payout of the balance.
Documents for gifts
A large cash gift is confirmed by a gift agreement stating the amount, date and parties. The bank may also request documents on the donor’s income because it needs to establish the donor’s source of funds.
Gifts from relatives of the first and second degree of kinship are not taxable. Gifts from other people must be declared, and the filing receipt strengthens your document package.
Loan agreement
Borrowed funds are confirmed by a written loan agreement or IOU; for large sums it is better to have notarisation. The bank will compare the date of the agreement with the crediting and may ask where the lender obtained the funds.
Confirming income from abroad
Foreign bank statement
A foreign account statement shows regular employer payments and the transfer to Ukraine. The best evidence is a 6–12 month statement showing salary and accumulation of balance.
Employment contract and tax documents
A bank usually asks for the employment contract and payslips, as well as annual tax documents from the country of work. This may be a tax declaration stamped by the foreign authority or an annual employer certificate of salary and taxes.
A tax resident of Ukraine must declare foreign income at home. A declaration with the filing receipt shows the bank that the income is legal and reflected before the State Tax Service (DPS).
Translation and apostille
Banks usually request translations of foreign-language documents into Ukrainian, and for official documents of state bodies they sometimes require an apostille. Whether notarised certification is needed depends on the specific bank, so check this before ordering a translation.
Savings, cash and cryptocurrency
The hardest funds to confirm are cash saved at home for years or funds held on a crypto exchange. Any document that shows where the money originally came from helps in these cases.
Old statements and closed deposits
Cash savings are confirmed by statements showing cash withdrawals from accounts or closure of deposits in the past. Old declarations, income certificates for previous years and a customs declaration for importing currency into Ukraine are also acceptable.
It is worth preparing a chronological explanation of when and from which income you accumulated the amount. The bank assesses whether the sum is realistic for your level of income.
Income from cryptocurrency
For funds from an exchange prepare a statement from your personal account, a history of trades and withdrawals to a card. If you bought cryptocurrency with your own money, add documents on the origin of the initial capital.
Profits from selling cryptocurrency should be declared. The filing receipt is strong evidence.
What to do if the bank did not accept documents
Response time and additional explanations
The law does not set a single deadline for a bank’s response to a request, so rely on the deadline stated in the request itself. If you cannot gather documents in time, ask in writing for an extension and indicate when you will submit them.
If you have no documents at all, write a detailed explanation with dates, amounts and all indirect evidence: statements, correspondence, witnesses to the transaction. Without any documents the bank may restrict outgoing operations or refuse service under Article 15 of Law No. 361-IX.
A refusal most often means the bank did not see a link between the document and the transaction. If your package is declined, act in order:
- Ask the bank in writing to specify exactly which documents are missing.
- Supplement the package and add an explanation for each transaction.
- Submit documents via the app or a branch and keep confirmation.
- If there is no answer or it is perfunctory, contact the National Bank of Ukraine (NBU).
- If necessary, open an account at another bank and transfer the balance.
Complaint to the NBU
The National Bank of Ukraine (NBU) accepts complaints against banks via an online form on its website and through the contact centre 0 800 505 240. Appeals are considered under the Law “On Citizens’ Appeals” within 30 days, and the overall deadline cannot exceed 45 days.
The NBU does not overturn a bank’s decision on a client’s behalf but checks whether procedures were followed. Regulation No. 65 explicitly requires banks to refrain from unjustified de-risking, i.e. refusing clients merely to avoid risks.
Moving to another bank
Termination of the contract does not mean loss of funds, because the balance is returned on the client’s request, usually by transfer to another bank. A backup account at a second bank greatly simplifies this step.
Frequently asked questions
Does a bank accept a DRFO extract from Diia?
Yes, most banks accept income data generated in the Diia app or the Electronic Taxpayer Cabinet. The file has an electronic signature, so a paper copy with a stamp is usually unnecessary.
How to confirm cash savings?
You will need documents showing where the cash came from: withdrawal statements, closed deposit records, sales agreements, old income certificates. Add a chronological explanation of how you accumulated the amount.
Are translations of foreign documents required?
Usually yes, banks request a translation into Ukrainian. Whether notarised certification or an apostille is required depends on the specific bank and the type of document.
How long does a bank check documents?
There is no universal verification period; each bank sets its own internal deadlines. A simple package is reviewed in a few business days, while for complex operations the bank may send a follow-up request.
