Ukrainian citizens and foreigners entitled to request government data on budgets and salaries
Individuals, legal entities, and citizens’ associations, regardless of citizenship or location, have the right to access information held by Ukrainian government authorities, including data on the budget, the use of state or municipal property, the results of inspections, and the salaries of managers, the Ministry of Justice reported.
Illustrative by UnsplashPublic information consists of documented data created or obtained by government authorities in the course of their duties, or information in their possession. It is open, except in cases defined by law.
Ukrainian and foreign individuals and legal entities, as well as citizens’ associations without legal entity status, have the right to request public information. Entities of authoritative powers – state or local government bodies and their officials – cannot submit such requests.
A requester can obtain information created or received by government authorities, data on the drafting and execution of budgets, the use of state or municipal property, and the results of inspections and internal investigations.
“Information about the structure and amount of remuneration of the heads of public law legal entities, state and municipal enterprises is public, as are data on the tax debts of individuals and the declarations of persons authorised to perform the functions of the state or local government, except in cases defined by the Law ‘On Corruption Prevention’,” the ministry explained.
Non-governmental organisations can also appeal to government authorities to protect the rights and legitimate interests of people and to represent the interests of their members or other social groups, the Ombudsman’s Office reported.
“The absence of a special legal act that separately regulates the procedure for considering public inquiries from non-governmental organisations does not exempt the relevant authorities from the obligation to process such inquiries. In its resolution of 31 October 2019 in case No. 813/1960/18, the Supreme Court confirmed: the right to appeal is guaranteed by the Constitution to everyone,” the institution emphasised.
Non-governmental organisations can raise issues regarding:
- protecting human rights and freedoms;
- restoring violated rights;
- appealing against decisions, actions, or inaction of officials;
- identifying shortcomings in the work of government authorities;
- submitting proposals to improve their activities.
A request for public information must be considered within five working days.
If the request concerns data necessary to protect a person’s life or freedom, the state of the environment, food quality, or emergencies, a response must be provided within 48 hours.
The deadline can be extended up to 20 working days if the request involves a large volume of data or requires searching through a significant number of documents. Information is provided free of charge unless the information holder has established a fee. However, personal data and information of public interest are provided free of charge, regardless of the volume.
A person in Ukraine wishing to draft a request or complaint to government authorities can seek advice from a lawyer through the free legal aid system. Specific categories of citizens have the right to legal representation in court:
- internally displaced persons;
- war veterans;
- family members of fallen military personnel;
- low-income individuals;
- others defined by Article 14 of the Law of Ukraine “On Free Legal Aid”.
Lawyers prepare procedural documents and represent the client’s interests in court hearings.
The free legal aid system can be contacted by calling +380 800 213 103 or using the contact details on the legalaid.gov.ua website.
A draft law to update the institute of public inquiries, currently under consideration in the Ukrainian parliament, requires further refinement. Human rights defenders previously prepared proposals for necessary changes, taking into account European integration obligations. In particular, they suggested that the obligation to consider appeals should apply only to public authorities.
The draft law should include mechanisms to prevent the abuse of the right to appeal. It should also stipulate that the systematic sending of a large number of appeals by a single person can be regarded as abuse.
Read also: How Ukraine collects data on equality and discrimination: Ombudsman’s office highlights gaps
Previously, in September 2026, ZMINA also reported that Russian entities posing as Ukrainian citizens are flooding state institutions and military bodies with mass complaints using real and fabricated personal data. The campaign, dubbed operation “Postman,” aims to create an additional bureaucratic burden, simulate public discontent and test which institutions respond to the appeals.
Earlier, ZMINA reported that since 2022, courts in Ukraine have reviewed nearly 2,000 cases regarding access to public information. Most often, information holders refused to provide data on the use of budget funds, land issues, and personnel decisions.
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