Apostille for Ukrainian documents

Many citizens with their Ukrainian documents live in Russia, including those who have long received Russian citizenship and those who have acquired it more recently.

Since May 19, 2025, the procedure for receiving Ukrainian documents in Russia has changed because the Minsk Convention on Legal Assistance ceased to apply to Ukraine following Kiev’s decision in 2022. Prior to this, since 1993, Russian documents were accepted in Ukraine and Ukrainian documents were accepted in Russia without any legalization. A notarized translation was sufficient. Now all the Ukrainian documents for submission in Russia must have an apostille. Conversely, the Russian documents for submission to the competent authorities in Ukraine must also be apostilled. Exceptions may be made for documents that were issued before leaving the convention, that is, before May 19, 2025. However, in practice, not all authorities are ready to accept Ukrainian documents from that period without an apostille.

The most common case is when documents are lost or are in a dilapidated/inappropriate condition (torn, illegible seals, crossed-out or erased words, etc.). In this instance, the document cannot be accepted, and a duplicate is required, which can be obtained only in the issuing country. It is possible to obtain a duplicate of a new Ukrainian document only on the territory of Ukraine. Consequently, an apostille for it can only be obtained in Ukraine.

At present, obtaining an apostille for documents in Kiev independently is quite challenging. Therefore, in this case, it is better to contact an organization that will undertake this work including the delivery of documents to Russia. And in the case of apostilling originals, such as diplomas, or powers of attorney issued by a Ukrainian notary, their shipment from Russia to Ukraine is also necessary.

Our legalization and translation center legalize Ukrainian documents not only for Russia but for any foreign country. If you are preparing your Ukrainian documents for the European countries or, for example, for the USA, they must also be apostilled. That is because Ukraine is a member of The Hague Convention.

We are ready to help you with the apostille and legalization of your Ukrainian documents, organize delivery, and provide notarized translations.

Need more detailed information? Contact our specialists for a free consultation through any feedback form!