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An apostille cannot be placed on laminated originals, plain (uncertified) photocopies, documents lacking an official seal or signature, or on diplomatic/consular and commercial-customs administrative papers — these are direct exclusions under the Hague Convention (Art. 1). A separate case is documents for countries that have not joined the Hague Convention: there the apostille does not apply and consular legalization is required instead. Below we cover each case and what to do about it.
Source: Ministry of Justice apostille register · as of 2026
Hague Convention exclusions: diplomatic and commercial-customs documents
Article 1 of the Hague Convention expressly excludes two categories from the apostille: documents executed by diplomatic or consular agents, and administrative documents dealing directly with commercial or customs operations (for example, customs declarations, invoices, certain certificates of origin). For diplomatic/consular papers the convention itself provides no apostille. For commercial-customs documents a different route is normally used — certification through the Chamber of Commerce and, where required, consular legalization according to the destination country's rules.
Ukrainian practice: lamination, missing seal, plain copies
In practice an apostille is refused if the original is laminated — the seal and signature cannot be verified under the film, so a duplicate is issued first (for example, a fresh certificate via ДРАЦС, the civil-registry office). It is likewise refused if the document has no official seal or signature, or if it is a plain photocopy that has not been notarised. Old (pre-1991) or worn certificates usually also need a fresh re-issued certificate via ДРАЦС — we handle that part for you. Birth, marriage and death certificates are apostilled through the Ministry of Justice.
Documents for non-Hague countries: consular legalization
If the destination country has not joined the Hague Convention, the apostille does not apply there — consular legalization is required (Ministry of Justice / Ministry of Foreign Affairs → that country's embassy), and for commercial papers often also certification at the Chamber of Commerce. For example, the UAE is not a party to the convention, so documents for the UAE are legalized through the consular route. Membership does change, though: China joined the Hague Convention effective 07.11.2023, so documents for China are now apostilled rather than consular-legalized (a recent change that many sites still get wrong); Canada joined on 11.01.2024. Always check a country's current status before filing.
Not sure whether your document can be apostilled — send us a photo and we'll suggest a solution and arrange the apostille or legalization for your country.
Frequently asked questions
Why is a laminated document not accepted?
The seal and signature cannot be verified under the film, so an apostille is not placed on laminated documents. The solution is to obtain a duplicate (a re-issued certificate via the civil-registry office, ДРАЦС), which is then apostilled. We can handle that part for you.
A document for the UAE or China — apostille or legalization?
For the UAE — consular legalization, because the country is not part of the Hague Convention. For China — an apostille: the PRC joined the convention effective 07.11.2023, so consular legalization for China is no longer needed (a recent change).
Can a plain photocopy of a document be apostilled?
A plain photocopy that has not been notarised cannot be apostilled. Either the original with seal and signature is apostilled, or a notarised copy — in which case the apostille via the Ministry of Justice certifies the notary's signature. The Ministry's fee is 670 UAH for an individual (1160 UAH for a legal entity); the bureau's service is charged separately, from 950 UAH.
If a document is refused for an apostille, it is almost always fixable: lamination and outdated forms are replaced with a duplicate, plain copies with notarised ones, and for countries outside the Hague Convention a consular legalization is arranged. The exact route depends on the document type and destination country, and countries' status changes from time to time, so the final requirements are worth confirming with the relevant authority (Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Internal Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs). Send us a photo of your document and we'll point you to the correct path without unnecessary steps.
