How Bimaris Helped a Swiss Foundation Establish a Representative Office in Ukraine
About the Client
Fondation Hirondelle, a Swiss-based nonprofit active in media and humanitarian zones, aimed to launch Ukrainian initiatives by establishing a local representative office fully controlled from Switzerland.
Challenge
- Recent legal changes moved registration of foreign representative offices from the Ministry of Economy to the Ministry of Justice, creating a regulatory gray zone with no defined procedures;
- The foundation planned to hire exclusively local Ukrainian staff, but needed a temporary residence permit for an international representative—yet no authorized person was in place to issue it;
- Opening a bank account proved difficult: Ukrainian banks required extensive compliance verification, documentation proving the Swiss headquarters, and explanations of the nonprofit status.
Our Approach
- Designed a legal roadmap to navigate the newly shifted registration regime and consulted directly with ministry officials to bridge procedural gaps;
- Prepared all documents (founding charters, board resolutions, power of attorney, employment contracts, internal policies) with apostille, notarization, and precise translation;
- Devised an interim legal workaround to obtain a temporary residence permit despite the absence of an authorized signer at the new office;
- Interfaced with multiple banks, crafted document templates, provided legal attestations of nonprofit status, and guided the client through KYC and compliance requirements.
The Solution
Within weeks, Bimaris secured official registration of the Swiss foundation’s representative office under the new Ministry of Justice regime. The office now functions legally, with local employees, Ukrainian bank account, and full operational capacity, all while integrated with its Swiss parent structure.
The Outcome
Fondation Hirondelle today has a fully authorized and compliant Ukrainian representative office. It can hire local staff, manage projects directly, and coordinate from Switzerland with legal certainty. This case demonstrates how proactive legal strategy and hands-on execution can turn regulatory complexity into functional structure.
