Charity: are there any restrictions on money transfers?

Almost every Ukrainian during the war collected or sent funds for charity to the Ukrainian Armed Forces or to the injured regions. Consider whether there are legal limits on the size of charitable transfers.

Transfer from card/bank account to card/bank account

Are there any transaction limits?

The National Bank of Ukraine didn't set limits on the amount of charitable non-cash payments. So, you can transfer any amount from your own card or current account to a card or account within Ukraine. If you use non-cash payment, you don't need to divide the amount of aid into parts. You can transfer either one hundred hryvnias or one hundred thousand hryvnias in one payment. You don't need to go through the additional identification, because card accounts as well as current accounts are already verified in the bank.

Service limitations

Though the National Bank of Ukraine didn't establish any restrictions, there are some services which introduce their own restrictions referring to the rules of financial monitoring. Also, some banks may establish their own rules and restrictions on the transfer amount, referring to their internal rules. Therefore, if you decided to transfer a large amount of money to charity, please contact your bank first and make sure that your card or account won't be blocked for such donations.

Bank restrictions

If the bank imposed unreasonable restrictions on the amount or quantity of transfers for charity, you can remind them that during the martial law the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine adopted Resolution №202 dated March 05, 2022, which removes the legal restrictions on the receipt, use, accounting and reporting of charitable assistance from individuals and legal entities, residents and non-residents. If the bank continues to refuse the transfer, you can complain to the National Bank of Ukraine.
Also, the National Bank of Ukraine didn't establish any restrictions on transferring charitable funds from abroad to accounts opened in Ukrainian banks.

Transferring cash via a bank to the recipient's card or current account

If you transfer charity into a card or current account with an amount less than 30 thousand UAH or an amount in a currency equivalent to 30 thousand UAH, the parties should not be identified, because such an amount is not subject to financial monitoring.
If the transfer amount is UAH 30001 or more, it will be necessary either to open an account or to be identified. This requires either a passport or a bank terminal for verification.
If cash funds are first deposited on your own card and then transferred to charity, problems can arise with amounts over UAH 400 thousand. This amount is stipulated by Art. 20 of the Law №361. Banks can ask for documents about the sources of funds.
The Decree of the National Bank of Ukraine № 60 dated 23.03.2022 establishes special conditions for the period of martial law. Thus, Ukrainian banks are not required to check the origin of funds regardless of the transfer amount, if the funds are transferred for

• needs of the Ukrainian army, provided that the funds are transferred to a special account opened with the National Bank of Ukraine,
• an account of the Ministry of Social Policy opened with the National Bank of Ukraine for assistance to the most vulnerable categories of the population
• purchase of government bonds 一 «Military bonds».

Cash assistance

The limits of ten and fifty thousand hryvnias per day do not apply to charitable assistance. This is spelled out in Chapter II, paragraph 8 of Regulation №148. That is, you can donate cash to charity in any amount.