Apostilling and legalization

Apostil is a special form of document certification in compliance with the provisions of the Hague Convention dated 5 October 1961. It is applicable only in the countries that are parties to the Convention. Apostil may not be stamped if a country is not party to the Convention.

The distinctive feature of apostil is the header as follows:

APOSTILLE (Convention de la Haye du 5 Octobre 1961)Apostil is commonly required when Ukrainian documents are sent abroad. Resolution No 61 of the Ukrainian Government on the Grant of Authority to Stamp the Apostil Stipulated by the Convention, which cancels the requirement to legalize foreign public documents, as of 18/01/2003 determines that apostil be stamped by:

  • Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine on public documents issued by academic institutions, public authorities, enterprises, and organizations related to education and Such documents include education certificates, degree award certificates, declarations from academic institutions, curricula, etc.
  • Ministry of Justice of Ukraine on documents issued by judicial authorities and courts, as well as on documents completed by Ukrainian Those include licenses and certificates issued by general register offices; documents issued or certified by notaries; and legal judgments and declarations.
  • Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine on certificates issued by Ukrainian archive bodies; health certificates (provided those are certified with the official seal of a regional health department); certificates issued by Ukrainian law enforcement agencies; and other public
  • Note: Any document issued by a general register office (certificates of birth, death, marriage, ) has to be legalized with the Oblast (Regional) Department of Justice of the oblast (region) in which the general register office is located. For example, Kyiv Oblast Department of Justice is located in Kyiv; Odesa one is in Odesa; and Lviv one is in Lviv. The documents issued by a general register office are apostilled with the Ministry of Justice only after they have passed through an oblast department.

However, apostil may not be stamped on any document issued by foreign diplomatic institutions of Ukraine, or on any administrative document directly related to business or customs transactions.

Any principal, copy or photocopy of passports, military service cards, employment record books, gun licenses, motor vehicle registration certificates (log books), ID cards, regulations and explanatory notes & legal opinions in respect of application thereof, or correspondence documents are not apostilled either.

Consular legalization of public documents means the procedure of authenticating original public documents or authenticating signatures of officers authorized to certify signatures on instruments, as well as seals and stamps affixed thereto. The legalization procedure applies to the countries that have not become parties to the Hague Convention.

Any document needs to be legalized to become effective in the territory of other states. Therefore, You are required to cause any document issued in Ukraine to be legalized in order to send it abroad.Public document legalization procedures in Ukraine are as follows:

  • Consular Service Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine and Representative Office of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine accept for legalization official documents drafted and certified in the territory of Ukraine by public authorities and local self-governments, and meant to be used
  • Certain documents that are not required to be legalized may be certified with the Ukrainian Chamber of Trade and Commerce and then with the Consulate of a country of

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