Buying a Car Under a “General Power of Attorney” in Ukraine in 2026: Myths, Risks and Legal Reality

In Ukraine people still say that a vehicle was “bought under a general power of attorney.” The phrase may sound as though ownership has already passed to the person who paid for and received the car. Legally, that is not what a power of attorney does: the buyer pays, receives the keys and a document granting broad authority, but the registered owner remains someone else.

A power of attorney is not a sale agreement and does not by itself transfer ownership of a vehicle. Ukraine's Main Service Centre of the Ministry of Internal Affairs has repeatedly confirmed this position in its 2026 guidance. A genuine change of owner requires a proper legal basis, such as a sale and purchase agreement, followed by re-registration of the vehicle.

Why “bought a car under a power of attorney” is a dangerous illusion

Informally, a power of attorney with broad powers is treated as a substitute for a purchase. Legally it is not: the document allows someone to act for the owner, but does not make them the owner. While that confusion persists, the buyer depends on another person's legal will — even if they actually use the car and hold all the paperwork.

What a power of attorney is in legal terms

Under Article 244 of the Civil Code of Ukraine, a power of attorney is a written document issued by one person to another for representation before third parties. The concept is representation: the representative acts in the name and interests of the principal.

The key consequence: a power of attorney governs who may act instead of the owner and how, but it does not determine who owns the property.

Does a “general power of attorney” exist in Ukrainian law?

There is no separate statutory document officially called a “general power of attorney.” In everyday speech the term describes a power of attorney containing a broad list of powers. Their scope is defined by the wording of the particular document, not by its informal name.

What a car power of attorney allows

Depending on the wording, a representative may be authorised to:

• drive or use the vehicle;
• represent the owner before a service centre of the Ministry of Internal Affairs;
• submit and receive documents;
• perform specified registration actions;
• where expressly authorised, conclude an agreement disposing of the vehicle on the owner's behalf.

Each of these is an act for the owner. None of them makes the representative the owner of the vehicle.

A power of attorney does not transfer ownership

Ownership passes under a transaction — for example, a sale and purchase agreement or a deed of gift — and must be completed in the prescribed manner. A power of attorney is not among the grounds on which ownership is acquired.

The procedure for transferring a vehicle and the accompanying documents is covered in our article on the car sale and purchase agreement

What documents are needed for a power of attorney

To certify a power of attorney, a notary normally needs the principal's passport and tax identification number, documents for the vehicle, and the representative's details. The exact list depends on the scope of authority and the specific situation, so it is best confirmed before the visit.

Risk 1: the owner can revoke the power of attorney

The general rule in Article 249 of the Civil Code: the person who issued a power of attorney may revoke it at any time, except in specific statutory cases of an irrevocable power of attorney. A waiver of that right is void.

So where a person has paid the price of the car but received only a power of attorney instead of a completed transfer of ownership, they remain dependent on the registered owner's decision. Once revoked, the representative's authority ends.

Risk 2: the registered owner dies

Article 248 of the Civil Code lists the grounds on which representation under a power of attorney terminates. They include the death of the principal, a declaration of death, and a finding of incapacity or absence, among other statutory circumstances.

There is a narrow exception for urgent matters after the principal's death, but it does not turn a power of attorney into ownership. If the car still belonged to the deceased, it may form part of the estate, and the heirs will decide what happens to it.

Risk 3: the representative dies

If the representative dies, the authority also terminates in the cases provided by law. A vehicle that was never legally transferred into that person's ownership does not automatically become part of their estate merely because they used it.

Risk 4: the term and validity of the document

The term of a power of attorney is stated in the document. If no term is set, it remains effective until terminated on other grounds provided by law. A power of attorney that does not state the date it was executed is void.

So the document should be assessed not by its informal name, but by concrete details: who issued it and to whom, the date, the term, the scope of authority, validity and whether it has been revoked.

Risk 5: representation is not a purchase

In its 2026 guidance, the Main Service Centre states that an authorised representative may perform registration actions under a properly executed power of attorney, but the existence of the document does not make them the owner. If the goal is to acquire the car, a proper transfer of ownership is required.

Risks for the owner: why the seller suffers too

Until the vehicle is formally re-registered, the previous person remains the registered owner. That means notifications, fines and other consequences connected with the vehicle may still reach them.

In February 2026 the Main Service Centre highlighted situations where people handed over a car under a power of attorney, lost contact with the actual user and later faced consequences linked to that vehicle. Full re-registration protects both sides.

How to check a power of attorney before buying

Before paying, make sure the document is valid and has not been revoked:

1. compare the details of the power of attorney with the owner's data;
2. ask a notary to check the Unified Register of Powers of Attorney for revocation;
3. confirm that the scope of authority actually covers the step you need;
4. establish whether the authority ended on any other ground;
5. confirm who is legally the owner of the vehicle today.

How to revoke a car power of attorney

Revocation is done through a notary: the person files an application, the notary marks the copy of the document and the register, and the termination is entered in the Unified Register of Powers of Attorney. Read more about revocation of a power of attorney

Power of attorney or sale agreement: which to choose

If the goal is to acquire the car as property, choose an agreement and re-registration. A power of attorney is appropriate where you only need to represent the owner or drive the car without changing ownership. Substituting one document for the other is what creates the risk.

For the general power of attorney for a car itself, see general power of attorney for a car

How to buy a car safely in Ukraine in 2026

The safest approach is not to substitute a power of attorney for an agreement. Changing the owner requires a proper legal basis and re-registration:

1. complete the agreement at a service centre of the Ministry of Internal Affairs with re-registration;
2. where available, use online completion;
3. if the owner cannot attend in person, use properly executed representation — precisely to conclude the agreement and then re-register the vehicle in the new owner's name.

A power of attorney can therefore be a tool for completing a sale, but not a replacement for the sale itself. Where representation on behalf of the owner's representative is needed, an ordinary power of attorney is used; authority can be passed on through substitution.

On passing authority further, see substitution under a power of attorney

If the car has already been “bought” under a power of attorney

1. check the validity and wording of the power of attorney;
2. identify who is legally the owner of the vehicle;
3. verify that the power of attorney has not been revoked;
4. contact the registered owner;
5. execute a proper transfer agreement;
6. re-register the vehicle in the actual buyer's name.

If the owner has died, contact has been lost or a dispute has already arisen, individual legal analysis is required.

Common buyer mistakes

The most frequent mistakes come from haste rather than complexity. The most dangerous is paying the full price without completing the transfer of ownership. Then, in order of frequency: not checking the details of the document, not establishing who is legally the owner, and agreeing to a cash payment without proof that the money was handed over.

• paying without completing the transfer of ownership;
• unverified details and validity of the power of attorney;
• not knowing who the registered owner is;
• handing over money without supporting documents;
• relying on “we will re-register later” with no fixed date.

What to check in the text of the power of attorney

If the document is already in your hands, it deserves careful reading. Check the date of execution, the term, the full details of the principal and the representative, the description of the vehicle, the list of permitted acts and the absence of restrictions you were not told about.

1. date of execution — without it the document is void;
2. term of validity and how it is calculated;
3. full details of the principal and the representative;
4. description of the vehicle consistent with its documents;
5. list of permitted acts — does it cover the step you need;
6. absence of restrictions that make the document unusable for your purpose.

If the owner refuses to re-register the car

Where the money has been paid, the car is in use and the owner avoids re-registration, the claim should be put in writing and, if necessary, reviewed legally. In any case, avoid accumulating oral arrangements: every step is better confirmed by a document.

If the situation involves inheritance — the death of the owner, absent heirs or a dispute between them — that is a separate procedure in which rights to property are acquired in the manner prescribed by law.

How a notary can help

A notary can help determine the required scope of authority, certify a power of attorney where needed, explain the term and the grounds for termination, assess inheritance consequences and review representation risks.

Notarial certification of a power of attorney and state re-registration of a vehicle are, however, two different procedures.

Conclusion

The main myth belongs in the past: a “general power of attorney” does not make a person the owner of a car. A power of attorney is an instrument of representation. It may grant broad authority, but it does not replace a transfer agreement and proper re-registration.

If your goal is to buy a car, complete the purchase and the re-registration — not just a power of attorney.