Divorce certificate and civil registry extract from Ukraine
Proof that a previous marriage has ended is needed to remarry abroad, to change a surname, and for visa and migration procedures. Which document you will actually be given depends on how the marriage was dissolved: through a civil registry (DRATS) office or by a court. We establish that before filing, obtain the document on a notarised power of attorney without you travelling to Ukraine, and add the apostille and translation where required.
- Registry or court — this decides which document is issued
- We check the route before filing, so nothing is paid for twice
- Handled remotely on a power of attorney — no travel needed
- Ministry of Justice apostille and translation, matched to the institution
We file with whichever registry office or court holds the record, anywhere in Ukraine, and send the finished package to wherever you are now.
Registry or court: two different paper trails
A marriage in Ukraine is dissolved along one of two routes, and each leaves its own document. If the dissolution was registered by a civil registry office, there is a civil-status record — and against it the office issues a divorce certificate or a registry extract. If a court dissolved the marriage, the court decision is the key document, and it is often what a foreign institution asks for; a registry extract may then be needed in addition.
Confusing the two costs money and time: people order the extract and are asked for the court decision, or the other way round. So we begin by asking how the marriage was dissolved and in what year, and only then file. Where a court decision is needed, we obtain it as a separate procedure.
| How it was dissolved | Main document | Where we obtain it |
|---|---|---|
| Through a civil registry office | Divorce certificate or registry extract | Civil registry office |
| By court decision | Court decision; registry extract in addition | Court and civil registry office |
| Record is old or not digitised | Archival extract | State archive |
What the document is usually needed for
The commonest reason is remarrying abroad: the foreign registrar requires proof that the previous marriage has ended, and accepts only a legalised document. The second is changing a surname in foreign documents after a divorce. The third covers visa and migration procedures, where marital status is checked, and inheritance matters, where the circle of heirs depends on whether the marriage was in force.
In each case what matters is not only having a document but having the right form of it: some institutions accept the extract, others need the certificate itself or the court decision with a translation. We ask about this in advance — it is cheaper than going round twice.
Who may request it, and what we need
The document is issued to the person the record concerns, or to their representative under a notarised power of attorney. That power of attorney is what makes the matter fully remote: you sign it at a Ukrainian consulate or before a local notary, and we take it from there.
For the request we need both former spouses’ surnames at the time of the marriage and at the time of the dissolution, the date and place the marriage was registered, and how exactly it was dissolved — through the registry or by a court — and in which year. If any of the documents survived, send a copy: it speeds up finding the record.
Apostille and translation for a foreign institution
For the document to work abroad it 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. A court decision is apostilled under its own procedure and is likewise translated to the receiving institution’s requirement.
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 you never have to coordinate several authorities yourself.
How we work
- 1Tell us how the marriage endedBoth surnames, the date and place the marriage was registered, whether the registry or a court dissolved it, and in which year.
- 2We identify the right documentCertificate, extract or court decision — it depends on the route and on what the receiving institution requires.
- 3You sign a power of attorneyAt a Ukrainian consulate or before a local notary — after that no further involvement is needed.
- 4We obtain and legalise itWe file the request, collect the document, and add the Ministry of Justice apostille and a translation where required.
- 5We ship the finished packageNova Poshta across Ukraine, or international delivery abroad.
Prices
- Obtaining proof of dissolution state fee already includedfrom UAH 700
- Apostille on a civil registry document state fee includedfrom UAH 700
- 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 a court decision or 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
Which document proves a Ukrainian divorce?
If a civil registry office dissolved the marriage — a divorce certificate or a registry extract. If a court did — the court decision, with a registry extract possibly needed in addition. We establish which route applied to your case before filing.
How does the extract differ from the divorce certificate?
The certificate is the document form. The extract is a statement from the State Register of Civil Status Acts about the record itself. Both are official, but institutions accept them differently, which is why we ask about the requirement in advance.
I need it to remarry abroad. What should I order?
A foreign registrar normally asks for proof that the previous marriage has ended, apostilled and translated. Tell us the country and we will say whether an extract will be accepted or the certificate or court decision is needed, and prepare the whole package.
Can this be arranged without travelling to Ukraine?
Yes. We act under a notarised power of attorney signed at a Ukrainian consulate or before a local notary. From there we file, collect the document and send you the finished package with apostille and translation.
How much does a divorce extract cost?
Retrieval starts from UAH 700, and the state fee is already inside that figure. The apostille and translation each carry their own price above. We confirm the exact quote after checking your case.
How long does it take?
An exact timeline cannot be promised: a registry office is usually quicker, while obtaining a court decision or an archive record takes longer — there the court or the archive sets the pace. We give an estimate after checking.
A court dissolved the marriage. What now?
The court decision will be the key document; we obtain it as a separate procedure and add a registry extract if needed. Both are then apostilled and translated to the receiving institution’s requirement.
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Updated: 2026-08-19
