Apostille in Zhytomyr: who does what in 2026

In Zhytomyr search statistics, "apostille" comes up about as often as "translation agency" – so let us start with an honest division of labour. Since 1 February 2026 the apostille has been a three-party procedure: the state has already done most of the work, a few simple steps remain yours, and a bureau is needed only for the rest. Below is the full split – what the reform covers, what stays with you, and where Etalon genuinely earns its fee.

Civil-registry certificates, notarial copies and court rulings are filed in Zhytomyr: the city DRACS office at 1 Sobornyi Maidan, any other office, a notary, a state archive or Diia
The state fee is 670 UAH for individuals and 1160 UAH for legal entities; processing up to 3 business days
The criminal-record extract is both issued and apostilled by the Interior Ministry – in Diia it arrives with the stamp already on it
Diplomas are apostilled by the Ministry of Education and Science (MES) in Kyiv – we run that filing, as well as the paper-extract one

Certificates and notarial copies are apostilled in Zhytomyr itself – at 1 Sobornyi Maidan or via Diia; the diploma and the paper police-check extract go through Kyiv. Etalon runs all the agencies at once and returns the translated set by Nova Poshta.

One procedure, three participants

The apostille long felt like a procedure where the citizen runs between offices while the offices wait. Since the reform of 1 February 2026 (Justice Ministry order No. 3177/5) the roles are assigned differently: the largest share of the work now sits with the state. So instead of retelling the regulations, we lay the procedure out by role – exactly the way we walk Zhytomyr clients through it in a messenger chat.

That layout settles the main question upfront: for the stamp itself, most documents do not need a bureau at all. A bureau earns its place where the procedure leaves Zhytomyr, or where translation begins after the stamp. Let us take the roles one by one.

The state's part: a stamp with no fixed address

The Justice category – birth, marriage and divorce certificates, notarial copies, powers of attorney, court rulings – can be filed anywhere since 1 February 2026: at any DRACS office, a notary, a state archive or via Diia. In Zhytomyr the nearest window is the city civil-registry office at 1 Sobornyi Maidan, though any other office works just as well. The fact that the oblast registry system is administered by the interregional justice department headquartered in Khmelnytskyi is the state’s internal geography – it has no bearing on where you file.

The numbers are fixed in advance too: 670 UAH for individuals, 1160 UAH for legal entities (since 01.01.2026), standard processing up to 3 business days – stretching to a month only when a signature or a registry record needs verification.

Your part: two decisions

If the document belongs to the Justice category, your share of the procedure comes down to two decisions. First, how to file: in person at Sobornyi Maidan, or from a smartphone in Diia, where both the application and the status tracking run without a single visit. Second, pay the fee and wait for the stamp.

Let us be frank: with one such document you will manage on your own – that was the whole point of the reform, and we will not pretend otherwise. The bureau’s work starts with the documents the reform passed by, and with what happens to the set after the stamp.

The extract where the state plays every role

In the criminal-record extract the roles collapse into one: the Interior Ministry issues the document and apostilles it itself (Cabinet resolution No. 631). Its only in-person counter is in Kyiv, but no trip is needed: in Diia the extract is ordered together with the apostille and Ukrposhta delivers the finished paper. For a Zhytomyr resident that means zero visits of any kind.

There is one exception: if a paper extract is already in your hands without the stamp, only the Kyiv Interior-Ministry counter can add the apostille. That is precisely the filing we run – along with the rest of the order.

The bureau's part: Kyiv agencies and full sets

Educational documents were left out of the reform: diplomas, supplements and school certificates are still apostilled by the Education Ministry – the filing is Kyiv-based and the timelines are longer than Justice ones. Zhytomyr diplomas – from Polissia National University, Zhytomyr Polytechnic or Ivan Franko University – go through this stage like any other Ukrainian diploma. Etalon runs the ministry filing without your presence, including when you are already abroad.

The other half of our role is full sets. When one order holds a certificate, a diploma and an extract, three agencies move at three different speeds: we run them in parallel, watch the deadlines and return everything in a single Nova Poshta shipment – to any branch or parcel locker in Zhytomyr, or wherever you are now. We have no office in Zhytomyr, and this work does not need one.

Translation: the participant assigned last

The stamp is not the end of the procedure but its midpoint. A foreign institution expects a translation that covers both the document and the apostille on it, so the order matters: stamp first, translation second. A translation made in advance, without the stamp, often has to be redone. For some countries and institutions the sequence differs – we confirm the requirements of your destination before starting, and add notarisation or a sworn translator within the same order.

The division of labour in one line: the state – the stamp in Zhytomyr or in Diia; you – the filing and the fee; Etalon – Kyiv, translation and delivery.

How we work

1Scans and the list go to a messengerSend photos or scans of the documents via Telegram, Viber or WhatsApp. You get back a breakdown by agency: what is stamped in Zhytomyr, what travels to Kyiv and what each line costs.
2Originals by Nova PoshtaEverything possible runs through Diia without paper; when the stamp must sit on the original or a notarised copy, ship the documents by Nova Poshta.
3Agencies in parallelWe run the Justice, Education and Interior Ministry lanes at the same time, watch the deadlines and prepare a notarised translation for your destination country.
4The set back in ZhytomyrDocuments with stamps and translation return to a convenient branch or parcel locker in Zhytomyr – or wherever you are now.

Prices

Apostille on a document (Ministry of Justice) + 670 UAH state fee (individuals)from UAH 950
Apostille on a diploma / supplement (MES) + state feefrom UAH 950
Urgent apostille if the agency allows iton request
Translation + notarisation per documentfrom UAH 250

Bureau rates are starting points ("from"); state charges are separate: 670 UAH (individuals) or 1160 UAH (legal entities) from 01.01.2026, plus 51 UAH for the Interior-Ministry stamp on the extract.

FAQ

Justice, Education or Interior: how do I tell where my document goes?

Look at the issuer. Civil-status records, notarial documents and court rulings are apostilled by the Justice Ministry; diplomas, supplements and school certificates by the Education Ministry; the criminal-record extract by the Interior Ministry itself; documents of other agencies go through the Foreign Ministry. The agency determines the filing point, the fee and the wait. Send a scan and we sort it for free.

Where in Zhytomyr do I file documents for an apostille?

The nearest window is the city civil-registry office at 1 Sobornyi Maidan. That said, since 1 February 2026 the address is not critical: any DRACS office, notary or state archive accepts the application, and Diia needs no visit at all. If you go in person, double-check the office hours and address beforehand.

The oblast is administered by the justice department in Khmelnytskyi. Does that affect me?

No. The interregional department headquartered in Khmelnytskyi covers the Khmelnytskyi, Vinnytsia and Zhytomyr oblasts administratively, but that has no effect on document intake: you file and collect wherever suits you – at a Zhytomyr DRACS office or in Diia. No trip to another city is needed.

What does an apostille cost in Zhytomyr and how long does it take?

The state fee is national: 670 UAH for individuals and 1160 UAH for legal entities (from 01.01.2026); the Interior-Ministry apostille on the extract is 51 UAH. The Justice category takes up to 3 business days, extendable to a month when a signature or registry record is verified. Education-Ministry documents take longer. Bureau support starts at UAH 950 per document.

What can Diia do about the apostille?

Diia accepts apostille applications for the whole Justice category – from certificates to court rulings – and shows the processing status. The criminal-record extract is a story of its own there: it is ordered together with the Interior-Ministry apostille and delivered by Ukrposhta. A visit is needed only when the stamp goes on the original or a notarised copy.

Which comes first: the apostille or the translation?

The apostille. A foreign institution expects a translation of the whole set, stamp included, so a translation ordered in advance is often wasted. For some countries and institutions the sequence differs – we verify the requirements of your destination before starting the work.

Updated: 2026-07-14