Duplicate death certificate and civil registry extract
A death certificate is rarely needed for its own sake — it is needed to open an estate: a notary will not begin probate without a document proving the fact of death. If the civil-status record is in the DRATS register, the office issues a repeat certificate or a registry extract; if the record is older or was never digitised, it comes from the state archive as an archival extract. On the finished document we place the Ministry of Justice apostille and produce the notarised translation — without you travelling to Ukraine.
- For probate: the notary needs a document proving the fact of death
- Repeat certificate or registry extract — whichever the institution asks for
- Apostille and translation handled remotely — no travel needed
- Ministry of Justice apostille and translation for a foreign notary or court
The request goes to whichever civil registry office or archive holds the record, anywhere in Ukraine; the finished document we apostille, translate and send to wherever the estate is being administered.
What the document is needed for: probate, pensions, accounts
The commonest reason is opening an estate. A notary will not start proceedings until a document proving the fact of death is produced; and if the heirs are abroad, the same document is needed with an apostille and a translation for a foreign notary or court.
The second most common case is stopping payments and closing obligations: pension and social authorities, banks and insurers ask for an official document rather than a copy. The third is repatriation or burial abroad, where the destination country sets the requirements. In all three it pays to know in advance exactly which form will be accepted — otherwise the request has to be filed twice.
Repeat certificate, registry extract or archival extract
A civil registry office can issue two different documents against the same record. A repeat certificate is a new form, issued to relatives of the deceased or to their representative. An extract from the State Register of Civil Status Acts is a statement about the record itself; notaries often ask for this one, because it carries the record’s details in full.
If the record is older or was never digitised, the document comes from the state archive as an archival extract. Soviet-era records almost always take this route, and the archive — not we — sets the timeline. Before filing we ask which document your institution requires, and check where the record is held.
| Document | Issued by | When it fits |
|---|---|---|
| Repeat death certificate | Civil registry office | A certificate form is required; record is in the register |
| Registry extract on the death | Civil registry office | The notary wants the record’s details in full |
| Archival extract | State archive | Record is older or not digitised |
Who may request it, and what we need
The document is issued to relatives of the deceased and to other people with grounds to apply — and to a representative acting under a notarised power of attorney. That power of attorney is what makes the matter remote: it is signed at a Ukrainian consulate or before a local notary.
For the request the full name of the deceased is needed exactly as written in the civil-status record, along with the date and place of death, and the date of birth where available. If the document is for probate, say so at the outset: the notary may specifically require the extract, and it is better to order the right document the first time.
Apostille and translation for an estate abroad
If the estate is being administered outside Ukraine, the document has to be legalised. Civil registry certificates and extracts are apostilled by the Ministry of Justice: for Hague Convention countries an apostille is sufficient, the rest require consular legalisation. The document is then translated in the form the foreign notary or court accepts.
Bear in mind that Ukraine has no sworn translators — a Ukrainian notary certifies only the authenticity of the translator’s signature. A sworn translation, where required, is produced by a translator in the destination country. We run the whole chain as one package, so while you deal with the estate locally the document is already being prepared in Ukraine.
How we work
- 1You establish which document is neededCertificate or extract — it depends on what the notary or court requires. The same answer decides where the request goes.
- 2You obtain the formAt a civil registry office, through the Diia app, or through a representative under a notarised power of attorney signed at a consulate or before a local notary.
- 3You send us a scanWe quote the apostille and the translation, and name the exact price and timeline before any work starts.
- 4We apostille and translateA Ministry of Justice apostille on the civil registry document, then a translation in the form a foreign notary or court accepts.
- 5We ship the packageNova Poshta across Ukraine, or international delivery to wherever the estate is being administered.
Prices
- Apostille on a civil registry document state fee includedfrom UAH 950
- Notarised translation notary tariff includedfrom UAH 250
Prices are indicative and start-from: the amount depends on whether the record is in the register, whether an archive request is needed, and on the translation language. The state fee is already included in the figures below, as are notary tariffs. We confirm the exact quote after checking your case.
FAQ
How do I obtain a duplicate death certificate from Ukraine?
If the civil-status record is in the DRATS register, the office issues a repeat certificate or a registry extract. If the record is older or not digitised, it comes from the state archive as an archival extract. We confirm which document your institution requires, and on the finished form we place the apostille and the translation.
The notary asks for an extract, not a certificate. What is the difference?
The certificate is the document form. The extract is a statement from the State Register of Civil Status Acts about the record itself; it carries the record’s details in full, which is why notaries in probate matters often ask for it. Tell us what the notary requires and we will tell you which one to order, so it is not done twice.
Can this be arranged without travelling to Ukraine?
Yes. The request is filed by a representative under a notarised power of attorney, which you sign at a Ukrainian consulate or before a local notary. Once the form is issued, we apostille it, translate it and send the finished package.
The document is for an estate abroad. What else is needed?
Besides the certificate or extract itself — a Ministry of Justice apostille (for Hague Convention countries) or consular legalisation, and then a translation in the form the foreign notary or court accepts. We do the whole chain together so probate does not wait on the document.
How much does a duplicate death certificate cost?
The state fee for a repeat certificate is set by the state and is not ours to change. The apostille and the translation each carry their own price in the list above; we confirm the exact quote once we have seen the document.
How long does it take?
An exact timeline cannot be promised: issuance by a registry office is usually faster, while archive requests take longer because the archive sets the pace. We give an estimate once we have checked your case.
Who is entitled to request the document?
Relatives of the deceased and other people with grounds to apply, as well as a representative under a notarised power of attorney. That power of attorney is what allows the matter to proceed while the applicant is abroad.
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Updated: 2026-09-05