Apostille or consular legalization: how to tell what your country needs (2026)

The short answer: it depends on the destination country. If it is a party to the 1961 Hague Convention, you need an apostille; if it is not, you need full consular legalization (Ukraine's Ministry of Foreign Affairs plus the country's embassy or consulate); and if a bilateral legal-assistance treaty is in force between Ukraine and that country, documents are accepted with neither an apostille nor legalization. To avoid guessing, use the country search below — it instantly shows which procedure applies in your specific case.

How to determine the procedure in 3 steps

To work out what your document actually needs, check the destination country against three rules:

• The country is a party to the 1961 Hague Convention (around 129 of them as of late 2025) → an apostille is enough.
• The country is outside the Convention → you need full consular legalization: first through Ukraine's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, then through the destination country's diplomatic mission (embassy or consulate).
• A bilateral legal-assistance treaty is in force between Ukraine and the country → documents are accepted without an apostille and without legalization. Caveat: despite the treaty, in practice an apostille is still often required by educational institutions (especially in Poland) and certain authorities — so it is worth confirming the requirements with the receiving institution in advance.

Countries that require consular legalization

Consular legalization is required for countries that have not joined the Hague Convention. These include, in particular, the UAE, Egypt, Qatar, Kuwait, Iraq and a number of other states in the Persian Gulf, Africa and Asia. The procedure is more complex and slower than an apostille: the document passes through Ukraine's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and then the destination country's diplomatic mission. We walk through how this works in practice in our article on consular legalization for Egypt.

Countries that need neither an apostille nor legalization

Thanks to bilateral legal-assistance treaties, Ukrainian documents are accepted without an apostille and without legalization in a number of countries: Poland, Czechia, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Hungary, Romania, Moldova and others. There is, however, an important practical caveat: despite the treaty, educational institutions (especially in Poland) and some authorities still often require an apostille in practice. So before submitting, always confirm the specific requirements with the receiving institution.

New Convention members and changes 2023–2026

The list of countries that accept an apostille keeps expanding, so the status is worth checking at the time of submission. For China (PRC) the Convention has been in force since 07.11.2023 — so instead of consular legalization, an apostille for China is now enough. For Canada the Convention has been in force since 11.01.2024, so an apostille is now required — we covered this in our article on documents for a Canadian visa. Earlier joiners include Saudi Arabia (07.12.2022), Indonesia (04.06.2022) and Singapore (16.09.2021) — these also use an apostille. Among the newer and upcoming members: Rwanda (since 05.06.2024), Bangladesh (since 30.03.2025), Algeria (entering into force 09.07.2026) and Vietnam (since 11.09.2026).

Which Ukrainian authority issues the apostille and how much it costs (2026)

In Ukraine the apostille is issued by three authorities, depending on the type of document: the Ministry of Education and Science — for education documents; the Ministry of Justice — for documents from justice bodies, courts, state archives, notaries and civil-status (DRATS) records; and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs — for the remaining documents (including those issued by the MFA and consulates). As of 01.01.2026 an apostille costs UAH 670 for individuals and UAH 1160 for legal entities (0.2 and 0.35 of the UAH 3328 subsistence minimum). We handle the entire process for you — details are in the apostille service section, and a full breakdown is in our article on the apostille price in 2026.

Electronic apostille with a QR code

Since 02.03.2026 the updated Electronic Register of Apostilles has been operating: every apostille now carries a QR code for verifying authenticity, and an electronic version of the document (e-apostille) is also available. This makes it easier for the receiving party abroad to confirm that the apostille is valid. Read more in our article on the electronic apostille.

Frequently asked questions

How do I tell whether I need an apostille or legalization?

Look at the destination country. A party to the 1961 Hague Convention — you need an apostille; not a party — consular legalization through Ukraine's MFA and the country's embassy; a bilateral legal-assistance treaty is in force — you need nothing. You can check your country using the search on this page.

Which countries require consular legalization?

Countries outside the Hague Convention — in particular the UAE, Egypt, Qatar, Kuwait, Iraq and other states in the Persian Gulf, Africa and Asia. For them an apostille is not enough: the document passes through Ukraine's MFA and then the destination country's diplomatic mission.

For China in 2026, is it an apostille or legalization?

An apostille. The Hague Convention has been in force for China (PRC) since 07.11.2023, so consular legalization is no longer needed — placing an apostille on the Ukrainian document is enough.

Is an apostille required for Canada?

Yes. For Canada the Hague Convention has been in force since 11.01.2024, so Ukrainian documents are now accepted with an apostille rather than consular legalization.

For which countries is neither an apostille nor legalization needed?

For countries where Ukraine has a bilateral legal-assistance treaty in force: Poland, Czechia, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Hungary, Romania, Moldova and others. Caveat: educational institutions (especially in Poland) and some authorities may still require an apostille in practice, so confirm with the receiving institution.

How much does an apostille cost in 2026?

As of 01.01.2026 — UAH 670 for individuals and UAH 1160 for legal entities. That is 0.2 and 0.35 of the subsistence minimum (UAH 3328). The bureau's own service fee is calculated separately.

In short: an apostille for Hague Convention members, consular legalization for the rest, and nothing at all where a bilateral treaty applies (subject to universities' requirements). To avoid choosing the wrong procedure, use the country search above or contact Etalon bureau — we will identify the right path and process the documents remotely.