Translation of Foreign Documents into Ukrainian for Use in Ukraine
If you are submitting a foreign document to a Ukrainian authority — for citizenship, a residence permit, employment, marriage to a Ukrainian citizen, or study — you need a notarized translation into Ukrainian. Etalon handles this remotely across Ukraine: you send scans, we translate and have a notary certify the translator's signature. Important: the foreign document itself usually must be legalized in its country of issue (apostille or consular legalization) — that step is done abroad before translation. A notarized translation starts from UAH 250 per document; we quote the exact cost after reviewing your scans. State legalization fees are separate.
- Narrow direction: foreign document → Ukrainian, for submission IN Ukraine (citizenship, residence permit, work, marriage, study)
- Notarized Ukrainian translation: a notary certifies the authenticity of the certified translator's signature
- For countries with a legal-assistance treaty (Poland, Czechia, Moldova, CIS) no apostille is needed — a notarized translation is enough
- Remote across Ukraine: scans online, originals via Nova Poshta, filing with Kyiv authorities by power of attorney
We work remotely across Ukraine: headquarters in Kharkiv, office in Kyiv, scans online, originals and finished translations via Nova Poshta — no travel required.
Which document and which legalization Ukraine requires
A Ukrainian authority accepts a foreign document on two conditions: the document is legalized in its country of issue and has a notarized translation into Ukrainian. Legalization depends on the document's country of origin, not on Ukraine. If the issuing country is a Hague Convention member (the EU, USA, UK, Canada since 11.01.2024, mainland China since 2023), the document is apostilled in that country. If the country is outside the Convention, consular legalization is required there. A separate case: Poland, Czechia, Moldova and CIS countries have a legal-assistance treaty with Ukraine, so no apostille or legalization is needed — a notarized translation is enough. We will tell you free of charge which regime applies to your country and prepare the translation to the receiving authority's requirements.
Which foreign documents we translate into Ukrainian
Most often these are documents for migration and civil procedures: a foreign passport, birth certificate, marriage or divorce certificate, diploma and supplement, residence card or permit, criminal record certificate from the issuing country, and bank or medical statements. A citizenship or residence-permit package usually requires a set of documents, each translated and notarized separately. We unify the spelling of your first and last name across all translations to match your passport, so the authority does not reject the file over a discrepancy. Send the list of documents and the authority's requirements, and we will quote the whole package at once.
Why Ukraine requires a notarized translation, not a sworn one
Ukraine has no institution of sworn translators — a sworn (court) translation is produced in the country of destination: a tłumacz przysięgły in Poland, a vereidigter Übersetzer in Germany, a soudní překladatel in Czechia. For a document submitted IN UKRAINE, such a foreign sworn translation is not needed — you need a Ukrainian notarized translation. This means a certified translator translates the document and signs the work, and a notary certifies the authenticity of that signature (the notary does not verify the text content). It is the notarial certification that gives the translation official force before Ukrainian authorities. If someone mistakenly advises a "sworn translation" for submission in Ukraine, that is an unnecessary expense; we will explain the difference for free.
How we work
- 1Send scans of your documentsSend clear scans or photos of the foreign documents and briefly describe the purpose (citizenship, residence permit, work, marriage, study) and the authority you are filing with.
- 2Get a quote and a routeWe check for free whether an apostille/legalization is needed in the issuing country and quote the exact price and timeline for the notarized translation of your package.
- 3Translation and notarial certificationA certified translator translates the documents into Ukrainian with consistent name spelling, and a notary certifies the translator's signature. If needed, we prepare notarized copies.
- 4Receive the finished packageWe send the finished translations via Nova Poshta across Ukraine or hand them over at the office. If needed, we file documents with Kyiv authorities under a notarial power of attorney.
Prices
- Notarized translation of a document per document, translation + certification of the translator's signaturefrom UAH 250
- Translation without notarization per document, depending on language and volumefrom UAH 150
- Citizenship / residence-permit package set of documents; exact quote after reviewing scansfrom
- Notarized copy per document, if required by the receiving authorityfrom UAH 250
Prices are indicative, shown "from", per document. The final amount depends on the language, volume and number of documents. State fees for apostille/legalization in the issuing country are paid separately and are not included in the translation price. The exact quote follows a review of your scans.
FAQ
Does a foreign document need legalization before translation for Ukraine?
Usually yes. A foreign document is accepted in Ukraine after legalization in its country of issue: an apostille (for Hague Convention countries) or consular legalization (for non-Convention countries). The exception is countries with a legal-assistance treaty (Poland, Czechia, Moldova, CIS): for them a notarized translation alone is enough. We check your country for free.
How does a notarized translation differ from a sworn one?
Ukraine has no sworn translators — for submission IN Ukraine you need a notarized translation: the translator translates and signs, and a notary certifies the authenticity of that signature. A sworn (court) translation is produced in the country of destination (Poland, Germany, Czechia) for documents filed THERE — it is not needed for Ukraine.
How much does translating a foreign document into Ukrainian cost?
A notarized translation starts from UAH 250 per document; a translation without notarization from UAH 150. For a citizenship or residence-permit package we price the whole set. State fees for apostille or legalization in the issuing country are separate. We quote the exact amount after reviewing your scans.
Which documents are needed for Ukrainian citizenship or a residence permit?
Usually a foreign passport, birth certificate, marriage certificate, criminal record certificate from the issuing country, and sometimes a diploma and bank statements. Each document is translated and notarized separately. The exact list is set by the specific authority — send the requirements and we will quote the whole package.
Can the translation be arranged remotely, without a visit?
Yes. Send scans online, we will translate and notarize, and ship the finished documents via Nova Poshta to any city in Ukraine. If needed, we file documents with Kyiv authorities under a notarial power of attorney — no travel required.
My document was issued in Poland — do I need an apostille?
No. Poland has a legal-assistance treaty with Ukraine, so an apostille and legalization are not required for submission in Ukraine — a notarized Ukrainian translation is enough. The same applies to Czechia, Moldova and CIS countries. For other countries we check the regime separately.
Updated: 2026-06-17
