Obtaining a license to sell alcoholic beverages

Benefits of Working with Prikhodko & Partners

1. Comprehensive legal support – we handle the entire process: from determining the required type of licence and checking the initial data to preparing documents and assisting with communication with the State Tax Service.
2. Experienced tax lawyers – your matter is handled by specialists in tax law, licensing, and legal support for businesses in relations with regulatory authorities.
3. We work throughout Ukraine – we assist with obtaining licences regardless of the region, including for businesses with several retail outlets in different regions.
4. Individual approach to the business model – we develop a separate action plan for each specific business.
5. Minimisation of refusal risks – before submitting the application, we check the information, documents, and payments to identify possible inconsistencies.

Key Issues Regarding Obtaining an Alcohol Licence

The first important issue before starting the application process is to determine what type of licensing the business requires.

Retail Alcohol Licence

This licence is required if alcoholic beverages are sold directly to the end consumer. It is important to note that the licence is issued separately for each retail location – therefore, if a company operates several stores / establishments, each retail outlet must be taken into account separately.

When applying for the licence, the address of the place of sale, its registration with the tax authorities, information about cash registers / software cash registers (RRO/PRRO), and other data directly related to the specific retail outlet are important.

Wholesale Alcohol Licence

This licence is required for businesses that sell self-produced, imported, or purchased alcoholic beverages to other business entities for further resale / use. For example, it is required for a distributor, importer, or another company supplying alcohol to stores, restaurants, and other businesses.

The procedure for obtaining this licence differs from that for a retail licence. It is not linked in the same way to each individual point of sale, while the content of the application and the amount of the licence fee are determined specifically for wholesale activities.

Documents and Grounds for Obtaining the Licence

In 2026, the licensing procedure has been significantly simplified compared to previous years: primarily, an application in the prescribed form is submitted to the tax authority. To obtain a retail alcohol licence, the application must include:

• details of the legal entity / individual entrepreneur;
• type of licence;
• address of the place of sale;
• information about the retail outlet;
• information about the RRO/PRRO that will be used;
• payment details and the amount of the licence fee, etc.

For licensing wholesale trade in alcoholic beverages, an application is also submitted specifying the registration details of the business entity, the type of wholesale licence, information on the business activity, and payment of the required fee.

Therefore, the main task is to prepare the application correctly and carry out a preliminary check of all information that the tax authority will verify against its information databases.

Procedure for Obtaining an Alcohol Trade Licence

1. Preparation of documents and information – at the first stage, the initial data of the company / individual entrepreneur are checked, the required type of licence is determined, and the information to be included in the application is prepared.
2. Verification of compliance with legal requirements and payment of the mandatory fee.
3. After that, the application in the prescribed form is completed and submitted to the relevant territorial office of the State Tax Service in paper / electronic form.
4. The State Tax Service verifies the information and makes a decision on granting the licence / refusing to grant it. The consideration period is up to 10 working days.
5. Entry of information. Following a positive decision, the relevant data are entered into the appropriate register of licensees.
6. The legal entity receives an extract from the register confirming the granting of the licence and the right to sell alcohol.

Important! Wholesale / retail trade in alcohol without the appropriate licence is subject to a financial penalty of 200% of the value of the products sold, but not less than three minimum monthly wages. In 2026, the minimum amount of such a fine is UAH 25,941.

Separate liability applies where alcohol is sold through a PRRO that is not included in the Unified Register of Licensees. In such a case, the fine amounts to 200% of the value of the products sold through such RRO, but not less than 8.5 minimum monthly wages.

In addition to financial sanctions for the business, carrying out such activities may also result in administrative liability under Article 164 of the Code of Ukraine on Administrative Offences – a fine with the possible confiscation of products and funds received from such activities.