The National Bank of Ukraine is implementing a large-scale package of easing currency restrictions starting August 11. The biggest changes will affect individuals: Ukrainians will have increased limits on purchasing currency, withdrawing funds, and paying for goods and services abroad.
The National Bank of Ukraine is implementing a large-scale package of easing currency restrictions starting August 11. The biggest changes will affect individuals: Ukrainians will have increased limits on purchasing currency, withdrawing funds, and paying for goods and services abroad.
The NBU notes that the new rules will not create risks for the stability of the foreign exchange market. The easing has already been taken into account in the regulator’s updated macroeconomic forecast, which predicts an increase in Ukraine’s international reserves to almost $70 billion in 2026.
The most noticeable change is that the limit for purchasing non-cash foreign currency will increase from UAH 50,000 to UAH 200,000 per month.
At the same time, within the new limit, it will be possible not only to purchase foreign currency. The NBU will also allow the purchase of non-cash banking metals and securities of foreign issuers.
The regulator explains this, in particular, by the desire to develop an investment culture and expand the opportunities for Ukrainians to invest in investment assets. At the same time, the NBU plans to continue to maintain the attractiveness of hryvnia instruments — deposits and government bonds.
The limit on cash withdrawals from foreign currency accounts in Ukraine and abroad will also increase — from UAH 100,000 to UAH 200,000 per day.
Another change concerns the spending of Ukrainians abroad from hryvnia accounts. The monthly limit will be increased from 100,000 to 200,000 UAH. It will include not only payment for goods, works and services, but also rental of housing abroad. Moreover, it will be possible to pay not only by card. The NBU will allow transferring funds from account to account, in particular via SWIFT, with the bank’s prior purchase of the necessary currency on the client’s behalf.
Separately, the regulator will allow Ukrainians to pay for goods, works, and services abroad by transferring money from a foreign currency account to the recipient’s account. A separate limit of UAH 200,000 per month has been set for such transactions.
Also, the limit of UAH 500,000 per month, which is already in effect for paying for accommodation abroad with a currency card, will be extended to housing rentals. Such payments will also be possible by transfer from a currency account.
The NBU is also raising limits for legal entities.
In particular, companies will be able to remove:
The limit for paying for goods, works, and services abroad using hryvnia corporate cards will be increased from UAH 150,000 to UAH 400,000 per month.
At the same time, payments for similar transactions from foreign currency corporate cards will continue to be possible without restrictions.
Separately, the NBU is expanding opportunities for business within the framework of stimulating currency liberalization.
Along with the current «donation» limit, an «additional» one will appear. It will be formed at the expense of direct charitable contributions made from August 10, 2026 in favor of military units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the National Guard.
Such contributions must be confirmed by an audit report from one of the «Big Four» companies and relevant documents.
Companies will also be able to transfer their «investment» and «additional» limits or part of them to other legal entities within the same business group.
The list of transactions that can be carried out within the framework of stimulating currency liberalization does not change. These include the repatriation of dividends, the closure of «old» import contracts, the return of prepayments for goods, the return of «old» external loans, and the financing of foreign representative offices.
Another innovation concerns Ukrainian exporters.
They will be able to pay fines, penalties, bonuses, reimbursement of costs and losses under contracts for the export of goods to foreign counterparties.
The annual volume of such transfers should not exceed 10% of the total value of goods supplied to the relevant non-resident under contracts concluded after February 23, 2021.
The NBU believes that this should help increase the trust of foreign partners in Ukrainian exporters.
The regulator is also expanding the list of permitted currency transactions in a number of other cases — in particular, regarding the return of grants to foreign state grantors and the UN, transactions with bank guarantees, participation in international events, and the work of the Innovation Development Fund.
A separate block of mitigation measures concerns the financial sector.
The NBU will allow the Motor (Transport) Insurance Bureau of Ukraine to purchase foreign currency to place funds in the centralized insurance reserve fund of guarantees. This is to fulfill obligations under international automobile insurance contracts «Green Card».
Banks will also gradually be allowed to take into account a portion of the reserves formed for active operations when calculating the currency position. This rule will come into effect from September 1, 2026, rather than August 11.
The NBU expects that this will help banks better manage currency risks and support lending and other active operations in foreign currency.
In addition, banks will be able to return funds raised from non-residents as capital instruments if the NBU has refused to include such funds in the bank’s capital. The regulator expects this to contribute to the confidence of foreign investors.
The new rules were approved by NBU Resolution No. 90 of August 10, 2026 and will come into force on August 11. Changes regarding the calculation of banks' foreign exchange positions were approved by a separate NBU Resolution No. 239 and will come into force on September 1.
