Apostille for civil-registry certificates (birth, marriage, death, divorce)
An apostille on civil-registry certificates - birth, marriage, death or divorce - is issued by the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine. We handle it remotely across the whole country: you send the original by Nova Poshta, we submit the document to the Ministry of Justice in Kyiv on your behalf under a power of attorney, and return the finished apostille (with a notarised translation for the destination country where needed).
The standard turnaround is up to 3 working days. Old, laminated and Soviet-era certificates cannot be apostilled: the civil registry issues a re-issued certificate first, and the apostille then goes on that one - we check your form in advance and tell you whether that step applies. The Ministry of Justice state fee is already inside our price; we quote the exact amount for your case for free.
- We submit to the Ministry of Justice in Kyiv on your behalf - no queues, no travel, fully online across Ukraine
- We check the form up front: whether it will be accepted, or a re-issue is needed
- One turnkey price: the Ministry of Justice fee sits inside it, nothing to pay at a counter
- Where required - a notarised translation and a second apostille on the translation for your country
All the ministries that issue apostilles are located in Kyiv - so we submit your certificate to the Ministry of Justice with no inter-regional forwarding and no queues for you. We work across all of Ukraine remotely: you send the original by Nova Poshta, the consultation is online, and we return the finished apostille to you. Not sure where to start? Leave a request - we will go through your case free of charge and tell you exactly what you need.
Which civil-registry certificates we apostille, and what for
An apostille on civil-registry (DRATsS / ZAGS) certificates is issued specifically by the Ministry of Justice, because civil-status registration falls under the justice system. We work with all types: birth, marriage, divorce and death.
The tasks this apostille is most often needed for: a child's citizenship or residence permit abroad and family reunification (the birth certificate is the highest-volume case), marriage to a foreign national or recognition of a marriage/divorce abroad (marriage and divorce certificates), and settling an inheritance abroad (the death certificate).
Requirements differ by country. For Germany, Poland, Italy, the Czech Republic and Spain the format varies: some accept the Ministry of Justice apostille alone, others also need a sworn or notarised translation, and sometimes a second apostille on the translation itself. Canada has been a party to the Hague Convention since 11 January 2024, so it requires an apostille (not consular legalisation), usually together with a certified translation into English or French. We confirm the exact format for your country before we start, so we reduce the risk of rejection (the receiving authority makes the final acceptance decision).
Old, laminated and Soviet-era certificates: when a re-issue is required
This is the most common cause of rejection - and exactly where our main advantage lies. The Ministry of Justice does not apostille a laminated certificate: the protective film makes the form impossible to verify, so a new (re-issued) certificate is needed. Original Soviet-era certificates (before 1991) are not accepted either - they cannot be apostilled, and a re-issued certificate of the Ukrainian format is required. Forms from the 1990s of independent Ukraine often also need restoration - it depends on whether the record can be verified, so we check this in advance.
The key point: the re-issued certificate is issued by the civil registry, and your place of birth makes no difference. We look at your form before you pay and say plainly whether it will pass, so you do not spend time on a document the Ministry of Justice will not accept. From there we handle the paperwork through to the finished apostille.
One important distinction: an apostille is not nostrification (recognition of the document abroad). An apostille only confirms the authenticity of the Ukrainian document; recognition (nostrification), where needed, is done in the destination country - a separate step.
Cost and turnaround (transparent)
The price we quote already contains the Ministry of Justice state fee - there is nothing to settle at a counter afterwards. Only a notarised translation for the destination country and delivery are counted on top, and only if you actually need them. The Ministry has no separate "urgent" rate - the apostille fee is flat for everyone, so nobody can buy a faster review from the ministry. If the certificate needs a re-issue, obtaining the new form at the civil registry is on us too.
The standard apostille turnaround at the Ministry of Justice is up to 3 working days (under the procedure in force from 2026); if the record needs additional verification, this can extend to a month. A Ministry of Justice apostille can also be checked online in the electronic register - an extra signal of authenticity. We confirm the exact "from" figures for free after reviewing your certificate.
How we work
- 1Free consultation and certificate checkSend a photo or scan online - we check the format, lamination and year of issue, and determine the authority, the country, and whether a re-issue or translation is needed.
- 2Re-issued certificate, if requiredIf the certificate is laminated, Soviet-era or fails verification, we tell you straight away, free of charge: the civil registry issues the new form and the apostille then goes on that one - we will point you to the right office and tell you what to ask for.
- 3Apostille at the Ministry of Justice (Kyiv)We submit the certificate for an apostille at the Ministry of Justice in Kyiv; where needed, we add a notarised translation and a second apostille on the translation for your country.
- 4We return the resultWe send the finished apostilled certificate by Nova Poshta across Ukraine, or by international courier abroad.
Prices
- Apostille on a civil-registry certificate (our service) state fee included, up to 3 working daysfrom UAH 950
- Notarised translation of the certificate per documentfrom UAH 250
- Second apostille (on the translation) if the country requires iton request
- Delivery by Nova Poshta across Ukraine and abroadat Nova Poshta rates
Prices are indicative ("from") - the bureau confirms the final amount after reviewing the document. The Ministry of Justice state fee is already inside the quoted price, so there is nothing extra to settle at a counter. Officially the Ministry's standard is up to 3 working days (up to a month with additional verification); there is no separate urgent rate.
FAQ
Can a laminated certificate be apostilled?
No. The Ministry of Justice does not apostille a laminated certificate - the film makes the form impossible to verify, so a new (re-issued) certificate is needed. The re-issued certificate is issued by the civil registry; from there we handle the paperwork through to the finished apostille.
Can an old Soviet-era (USSR) certificate be apostilled?
Original USSR certificates (before 1991) are not accepted for an apostille. A re-issued certificate of the Ukrainian format from the civil registry is required first - your place of birth makes no difference. We then put the apostille on it.
Who issues the apostille on civil-registry certificates?
The apostille on civil-registry certificates (birth, marriage, death, divorce) is issued by the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine, because the civil-registry bodies fall under the justice system. We submit the document to the Ministry of Justice in Kyiv on your behalf - you do not need to come in person.
How much does it cost and how long does it take?
We quote a single turnkey figure - the Ministry of Justice state fee is inside it, as is filing the document in Kyiv. Only a notarised translation for the destination country and delivery are counted on top. The standard turnaround is up to 3 working days, or up to a month if the record needs extra verification. We quote the exact amount for your case for free after a review.
Can it be done without my personal presence, or from abroad?
Yes. Under a notarised power of attorney we submit the document for the apostille and collect the result for you - no queuing at the Ministry of Justice. You send the original by Nova Poshta (from abroad, by courier or through a representative), and we return the finished apostille the same way.
Is an apostille needed on the translation of the certificate?
Often yes: some countries require a double apostille - one on the document itself and one on the notarised translation. We confirm the specifics for your destination country so we reduce the risk of rejection (the receiving authority makes the final acceptance decision).
Updated: 2026-09-04
