Kobzar ART

Exporting Paintings Abroad from Ukraine: Obtaining Permission

Exciting News for Art Collectors! Planning to export paintings from Ukraine? Look no further! We offer swift and hassle-free permit processing within 1-2 days.

How to obtain permission to export paintings and artworks beyond the borders of Ukraine? A permit from a state expert is required for crossing the Ukrainian border with art objects such as paintings, graphics, and sculptures created after 1950. This permit must be presented to customs officials at the Ukrainian border when exporting these items by airport, train, car, or when sending them by mail.

The purpose of this procedure is to preserve cultural treasures of national significance within Ukraine. Therefore, the permit covers only contemporary art objects created after 1950.

According to the current legislation of Ukraine, the following items are subject to export: paintings, small-scale sculptures, original graphics, tapestries, decorative and applied art objects made of ceramics, porcelain, faience, glass, wood, metal, textiles, and other materials, created after 1950. This is explicitly stated in paragraph 3 of Appendix No. 1 to the Instruction (Instruction on the procedure for obtaining the right to export, temporary export of cultural treasures, and control over their movement across the state border of Ukraine), approved by the Order of the Ministry of Culture and Arts of Ukraine No. 258 dated April 22, 2002.

The aforementioned Instruction is based on the Law of Ukraine "On Export, Import, and Return of Cultural Treasures" No. 1068-XIV (On Export, Import, and Return of Cultural Treasures). According to this law, the expert conclusion is issued no earlier than 30 days from the date of application (petition), to which the following documents must be attached:

1. Document confirming ownership rights to cultural treasures (purchase and sale agreement, receipt).
2. Printed photographs of the art object clearly showing the front side, signatures, and back side.

If you have the aforementioned documents, you need to make an appointment with an expert who will personally verify the accuracy of the information provided in the application. You will be asked to complete a form indicating your details, the approximate value of the art object*, the country to which you are exporting the item, and the recipient (if the artwork will be sent as a package).

KobzarART (Cultural Space Kobzar) recommends stating the actual value of the object, as customs, postal, and insurance services take these factors into account when crossing borders.

According to Article 371 of the Customs Code of Ukraine, goods whose total invoice value does not exceed the equivalent of 10,000 euros are not subject to written declaration by individuals.

It is important to understand that if the artwork is your personal possession, it cannot be considered as a commodity. To avoid ambiguous interpretation by customs services, the packages should be labeled with "For personal use" or "Non-commercial use only."

If you are transporting artworks or sending them by mail for the purpose of exhibition or resale, a different customs procedure applies, which requires full reporting and declaration of art objects as a commercial category.

How to apply for a permit to export paintings and artworks?

To obtain a permit for exporting paintings, you need to prepare the following information:

1. Photos of the painting from the front and back.
2. Painting title.
3. Year of creation.
4. Artist's full name.
5. Painting substrate (canvas, paper, MDF, etc.).
6. Medium used for the painting (oil, acrylic, pencil, etc.).
7. Dimensions of the painting in centimeters.
8. Estimated value of the painting in Ukrainian hryvnia.

KobzarART and Cultural Space Kobzar assists in the process of obtaining permits for exporting paintings and artworks created after 1950 beyond the borders of Ukraine.

For more detailed information, please contact us or call +380634503058.

Please note that the procedure for obtaining a permit may take some time, so it is recommended to start the preparations in advance. By complying with the legal requirements and procedures, you will be able to legally export your valuable paintings abroad.

Original article text "Вивіз картин за кордон України, дозвіл".