Apostille for civil-registry certificates (birth, marriage, death, divorce)

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: we obtain the re-issued certificate at the civil registry for you - under a notarised power of attorney, even if you were born in another region or are currently abroad. The state duty for the re-issue is a symbolic UAH 0.51 (separate from the apostille). Competitors usually just tell you to "get a duplicate yourself"; we handle both the re-issue and the apostille in a single route.

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 final amount is made up of our service, the Ministry of Justice state fee, a notarised translation where needed, and delivery. The Ministry of Justice state fee in 2026 is UAH 670 for individuals and UAH 1,160 for legal entities; the Ministry has no separate "urgent" rate - the fee is flat. If a re-issue is needed, only the symbolic UAH 0.51 state duty plus our work to obtain it are added.

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

1. 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.
2. 2Re-issue, if requiredIf the certificate is laminated, Soviet-era or fails verification, we obtain a re-issued certificate at the civil registry for you under a power of attorney (state duty UAH 0.51).
3. 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.
4. 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, up to 3 working daysfrom UAH 950
• Ministry of Justice state fee (2026) individuals / UAH 1,160 legal entitiesUAH 670
• Re-issue (re-issued certificate) + our work, 1-7 daysstate duty UAH 0.51
• 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 of UAH 670 (individuals, 2026) is shown separately. 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