Legalization of documents and apostille in Kyiv and across Ukraine

Apostille is a simplified legalization procedure. Countries that have not joined the Hague Convention and do not recognize the apostille require legalization through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and a consulate or embassy. This is a more complicated procedure, but we can help with this as well. The most popular countries among our clients that do not recognize an apostille and require legalization are Canada, the UAE, Qatar and Egypt.

An apostille on documents is an international confirmation of their authenticity and legality for use abroad. In 1961, a number of countries signed the Hague Convention, agreeing on a simplified document circulation procedure and mutual recognition of state documents, provided they contain a special stamp — an apostille. This stamp is mostly affixed by the ministries of education, justice and foreign affairs within the country where the document was issued. An apostille must be affixed to a document issued by a government body of one country for use in another. If the document is used within the country where it was issued, an apostille is not required.

A double apostille is a special type of document legalization in which the apostille stamp is affixed twice: first on the original document or its notarized copy, and then on the notarized translation of the document. It is important to first notarize the translation and only after that apostille it. A double apostille confirms the authenticity of the seal and signature of the notary who certified the translation. It is usually required for documents used in the following countries: Austria, Belgium, Great Britain, Denmark, the Netherlands, Italy, Norway, Portugal, France, Switzerland. However, this list is not exhaustive, and it is worth checking the requirements with the relevant authority of the country where the document will be used.

The apostille is affixed in one of the ministries of the country where the document was issued, and it confirms the authenticity of the document itself (that the seal and signature of the official of the issuing body match). Notarization usually confirms the conformity of a copy of the document or the qualifications of the translator who translated it. The apostille must be affixed in the country of issue, while the translation and notarization after the apostille can be performed in any country.

The following documents can be apostilled: diplomas, archival certificates, educational programs, school certificates; certificates of no criminal record, residence and health certificates; documents issued by civil registry offices (marriage, birth, divorce certificates, etc.); documents issued by a notary (statements, powers of attorney, notarized copies, affidavits); as well as registration certificates, statutes and other corporate documents. Passports, employment record books, military IDs, weapon permits, vehicle registration certificates and identity cards cannot be apostilled, although in some cases apostilled notarized copies of such documents may be required. Laminated documents are not subject to apostille, and birth, marriage, name change or death certificates must be issued after 2003. Old or laminated documents must be reissued first and only then apostilled.

The term for affixing an apostille depends on the type of document and can vary from several days to several weeks. Ministry of Justice of Ukraine: from 5 to 10 working days. Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine: from 5 to 10 working days, or up to 20 working days if additional information is needed from the institution that issued the document. Ministry of Education of Ukraine: from 1 to 30 working days, depending on the document type and the urgency of submission.

Yes, in most cases the apostille is affixed to the original document. It can look like a stamp placed or glued on the back, or attached as a separate sheet to the original. Exceptions are documents that cannot be stitched or stamped, such as a passport or driver's license. Also, in Ukraine it is not possible to put an apostille on state documents issued in the Soviet Union. In such cases, notarized copies of documents, not originals, can be apostilled.

No. A power of attorney is not required to obtain an apostille.

An apostille is usually issued in the state language, so after the apostille is affixed, the entire document together with the apostille must be translated into the required language and notarized.

Foreign countries often do not accept certificates issued according to old standards: certificates issued before 2003 and certificates issued during the USSR. To apostille them, you must first contact the civil registry office to obtain a duplicate document on a new-style form. Documents obtained within the last 10 years are usually apostilled easily, but old, laminated documents or those with additional marks and stamps cannot be apostilled — you need to get a clean duplicate on a new form, which can then be apostilled.

For Italy, Spain and France, two options for legalization of documents are possible: 1) apostille of the document → notarized translation → second apostille; 2) apostille of the document → translation made by an accredited translator with a consular seal.

To get an apostille, you can contact our MovaPro translation company. For more than 12 years, we have been providing document legalization and apostille services in Kyiv and across Ukraine. We fulfill orders within the time frame you need and at reasonable prices.

Today, there are several official bodies in Ukraine that are authorized to affix an apostille on documents: the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine, the Ministry of Education of Ukraine, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine (MFA) and the State Tax Service of Ukraine. The Ministry of Justice apostilles civil-registry, court, and notarial documents; the Ministry of Education handles education documents; the MFA covers police clearances and most of the rest. The authenticity of an issued apostille can be checked free of charge in the official online register at apostille.minjust.gov.ua.

The cost of an apostille varies depending on the type of document and the turnaround: from UAH 900 for a certificate of no criminal record to UAH 3,000 for an urgent apostille on a diploma. Current prices are listed in the "Cost of apostille" section on this page.

To obtain an apostille, you need the original document and additional documents or information, depending on the requirements of the specific institution. The original document must not be damaged or laminated.

An apostille has no expiry date: once affixed, it does not need to be affixed again. The exception is apostilled documents that themselves have a validity period. This usually applies to the certificate of no criminal record, which is valid abroad for 3 months. In rare cases, foreign institutions also require birth or marriage certificates to be issued no more than one year before submission — in this case, you need to obtain the certificate again and apostille it.

An apostille on documents in Ukraine is a seal, wet or electronic, placed on the back of the original document. Although the requirements for an apostille are uniform for all countries and follow a set template, the form of the apostille may differ slightly between different ministries of Ukraine. The apostille is a 10x10 cm square containing the main elements: the country where the apostille was affixed, the name of the document, the seal it confirms, the issuing authority, the date of issue, the signature of the responsible person and the seal of that authority.

An apostille is required to legalize documents for use abroad, for example, for educational purposes, work, starting a business, etc.

An apostille on a birth, marriage or divorce certificate, or any other document issued by the civil status registration authority, can be arranged through the registry office or a notary. You can also contact us — we will provide a free consultation and help you quickly obtain an apostille, translation and notarization at reasonable prices.