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In Ukraine the apostille on a birth, marriage or death certificate (civil-registry / ДРАЦС records) is issued by the Ministry of Justice — the sole competent authority for civil-status documents, with a state fee of 670 UAH for individuals. The apostille goes on the original, so Soviet-era (pre-1991), laminated or worn forms usually need a fresh duplicate (повторне свідоцтво) from ДРАЦС first — which we arrange for you. We work remotely across Ukraine: you send the documents by Nova Poshta, we file them with the Ministry of Justice and return the finished apostille. Bureau service starts at 950 UAH; the state fee is paid separately.
Who apostilles a certificate — and why it's the Ministry of Justice
Under Cabinet of Ministers Resolution No. 61 the apostille is split between authorities by document type: civil-registry (ДРАЦС) records — birth, marriage, divorce, name-change and death certificates — together with notarial acts (e.g. powers of attorney) and court rulings are apostilled by the Ministry of Justice; education documents by the Ministry of Education; the criminal-record certificate by the Ministry of Internal Affairs; medical and most others by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. So a birth certificate cannot be apostilled by the education or foreign-affairs ministries — it is the Ministry of Justice's remit, with a state fee of 670 UAH for individuals (1160 UAH for legal entities). The apostille is always placed on the original document bearing a proper signature and seal.
Soviet-era, laminated and worn forms: a fresh duplicate first
The most common reason for refusal is the condition or type of the form itself. Soviet-era certificates (issued before 1991) and badly worn originals are usually not accepted for apostille because their data has to be verified against the register — in that case a fresh modern-format duplicate is issued through ДРАЦС first, and that duplicate becomes the original for the apostille. Separately: laminated certificates cannot be apostilled at all, because the seal cannot be verified under the film — such a document also requires a duplicate first. We handle all of this for the client: we file the request with ДРАЦС, obtain the new certificate and pass it straight to the Ministry of Justice for the apostille, so you don't have to travel between offices.
Steps, turnaround, and when you need legalization instead
The order is simple: you send the original certificate (or we obtain a duplicate through ДРАЦС first), then we file the document with the Ministry of Justice, get the apostille and, if needed, add a notarised translation for the destination country. The Ministry of Justice's turnaround is roughly from a few working days; if a duplicate has to be requested first, the overall timeline grows. It's important to check the destination country: an apostille is valid only for Hague Convention states. A recent change — China joined the Convention effective 07.11.2023, so it now requires an apostille rather than consular legalization (Canada joined 11.01.2024). The UAE, however, is not a member — instead of an apostille they need consular legalization via the UAE embassy.
Send us a scan of the certificate and we'll arrange the apostille on your birth certificate, marriage or death record remotely and return the finished document by Nova Poshta.
FAQ about apostille on a certificate
How much does an apostille on a birth certificate cost?
The Ministry of Justice's state fee is 670 UAH for individuals (1160 UAH for legal entities), paid separately for each certificate. The bureau service starts at 950 UAH per document. If a ДРАЦС duplicate or a notarised translation is needed, these are charged separately. We'll quote the exact amount after seeing your scan.
Why isn't a laminated certificate accepted for apostille?
The seal and signature can't be verified under the lamination, so laminated certificates cannot be apostilled. The solution is to obtain a fresh certificate through ДРАЦС first, which then serves as the original for the apostille. We arrange that duplicate for you.
Does a certificate going to China or the UAE need an apostille?
For China — yes: it joined the Hague Convention effective 07.11.2023, so an apostille is now required rather than consular legalization (a recent change many sites still get wrong). For the UAE an apostille won't work — it's not a Convention member, so consular legalization via the UAE embassy is required. We'll point you to the right route for your country.
An apostille on a birth, marriage or death certificate is the Ministry of Justice's remit with a 670 UAH state fee for individuals, while Soviet-era, laminated or worn forms first need a duplicate from ДРАЦС, which we arrange for you. We take on the filing, the duplicate if required, the translation and Nova Poshta delivery across Ukraine, so you don't have to travel between offices. The figures and timelines here are current for 2026; we don't guarantee the outcome at a specific foreign institution, but we'll honestly tell you which route — apostille or legalization — your country needs.
