There are two ways to legalise foreign documents in Ukraine: through consular legalisation and apostille. Find out more about which documents are subject to mandatory legalisation and what is required

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Documents that were drawn up and issued on the territory of one state can be used in another country only after their legalization. That is, foreigners who come to Ukraine for permanent residence, for the purpose of work or study, must have their documents certified by the relevant authorities before using them.

How is the procedure for legalization of foreign documents in Ukraine? Let's talk further.

What is legalization of documents?

Legalization of a document is the implementation of a series of defined formal procedures to give a document legal force on the territory of another state. The ultimate goal of the legalization procedure of a document issued on the territory of one state is the possibility of submitting it to the official bodies of another state.

Methods of legalization of documents in Ukraine

Two methods of legalization of documents are available on the territory of Ukraine: consular legalization and apostille.

Apostille is a special stamp affixed to official documents from member states of the Hague Convention on the Abolition of Requirements for Consular Legalization of Foreign Official Documents. Ukraine signed this document in 2003. The list of countries that recognize "Apostille" is at the link.

Consular legalization is a procedure for confirming the validity of original official documents that were issued in countries that have not signed the Hague Convention on the Abolition of Consular Legalization. This procedure is more complicated and involves visiting many institutions.

When do not legalize documents?

There are a number of countries with which Ukraine has relevant bilateral or multilateral agreements on mutual recognition of documents. It is not necessary to legalize documents issued in these countries. A notarial certification of the translation of the document into Ukrainian is sufficient, unless otherwise stipulated in the agreement. These include Moldova, Uzbekistan, Georgia, China, Hungary, etc.

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What documents need to be legalized in Ukraine?

Legalization in Ukraine requires many documents issued abroad:

● Personal – birth certificate, marriage certificate, divorce certificate, death certificate, diplomas, attestations, certificates of professional development.

It is not possible to legalize identity cards with a photo (passport, driver's license, pension card), as well as a work book, vehicle registration certificate, in these cases only a notarized copy can be legalized.

● Business documents – statutes, licenses, certificates, certificates, various contracts, etc.

● Other types of documents – certificates of no criminal record, medical certificates, court decisions, prosecutor's offices, certificates of family composition, income, debts, etc.

How to legalize a birth certificate in Ukraine?

For consular legalization of a birth certificate, a foreigner must apply to the consulate of Ukraine in the country of birth, where the Ukrainian consul will put an appropriate certification inscription on the document. In the absence of documents from the consular office of Ukraine in the country of origin, foreign documents can be legalized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine.

In the countries that signed the Hague Convention, which abolished the requirement of legalization of foreign official documents, from October 5, 1961, there is no need to go through consular legalization, but it is enough to put an apostille in the Ministry of Justice of the corresponding country.

How to legalize a foreign diploma in Ukraine?

In Ukraine, a special procedure has been developed that allows recognition of a foreign document on education - this is nostrification. With the help of nostrification, foreign documents find compliance with academic, professional rights and educational level in relation to the state education standards of Ukraine. Such a procedure enables a person with a foreign diploma to freely continue his studies or get an official job in Ukraine.

A foreign diploma can be legalized at the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine.

Stages of nostrification of a foreign diploma in Ukraine

1. Collection and preparation of necessary documents for their legalization.

2. Submission of documents to the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine.

3. Expert analysis.

4. Preparation of an expert opinion on the recognition of documents.

5. Issuance of a certificate with a decision on equivalence.

Legalization of foreign documents in Ukraine is an important but rather complicated process. To choose the right method of legalization and quickly go through all the stages of the procedure, we advise you to seek help from highly qualified lawyers.

An identification code is an important document because without it, it is impossible to buy real estate, open a bank account and register a business. To learn how to obtain an identification code for a foreigner and what you need to do so, follow this link. 

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