Obtaining duplicate certificates and extracts from the DRATsS (State Register of Civil Status Acts), apostille and legalisation of translations

Issuing duplicate certificates and extracts from the DRATsS

In February 2023 a resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine came into force that gave certain Ukrainian diplomatic missions abroad additional powers in the field of civil status registration (RATsS). Under this resolution, the designated embassies and consulates of Ukraine were given direct access to the State Register of Civil Status Acts (DRATsS). As a result, in addition to the services they already provided, these missions are entitled to issue:

• Repeat (duplicate) certificates of civil status acts registered by civil registry (RATsS) offices in Ukraine (birth, death, change of name, marriage, divorce).
• Extracts from the State Register of Civil Status Acts (DRATsS) confirming that an act has been registered (birth, death, change of name, marriage, divorce).

A repeat certificate is a document with the same legal force as the certificate issued the first time. Certificates of state registration of civil status acts whose originals have been stolen, lost, damaged or destroyed are reissued by the DRATsS offices. Duplicates are issued to the persons to whom the civil status record relates, while repeat birth certificates for children may be issued to their parents or adoptive parents. However, parents are not issued repeat birth certificates for their children.

Repeat death certificates are issued only to relatives of the deceased (children, including adopted children, the surviving spouse, the deceased’s brothers and sisters, grandchildren, and grandparents on both sides), provided that the family relationship is proven by documents. Once a marriage has ended, repeat marriage certificates are not issued.

For a repeat certificate of a civil status act, the applicant pays a consular fee of 45 euros. To obtain a repeat certificate, you must submit the following documents to the mission:

• The application form, filled in and signed in advance.
• The applicant’s valid Ukrainian passport for travel abroad (the “international passport”) and a copy of its first page.
• If you have no international passport, a valid Ukrainian citizen’s passport (the “internal passport”) and copies of the pages bearing entries.
• A copy of the applicant’s Ukrainian identification number.
• A copy of the relevant certificate (birth, marriage, death, divorce, change of name).

Conditions and cases in which an extract from the DRATsS is issued

Any individual aged 16 or over is entitled to obtain an extract from the State Register of Civil Status Acts (the “Register”) concerning:

• Information about themselves (birth, marriage, divorce, change of surname, first name and patronymic before and after the change of name).
• Information about their relatives (according to the established list and subject to the applicable conditions).

An extract from the Register on the state registration of a child’s birth may be issued to:

• The child’s parents and adoptive parents (whatever the child’s age).
• Guardians.
• Custodians.
• Representatives of the management of the healthcare, educational or other children’s institution where the child permanently lives, on presentation of a power of attorney and a passport or other passport document.

Parents who have been deprived of parental rights are not issued an extract on the state registration of their child’s birth.

An extract from the Register on the state registration of a death is issued to relatives (on presentation of a passport or other passport document and documents proving the family relationship), as well as to other persons holding the documents listed below:

• The surviving spouse.
• Parents.
• Children.
• Brothers and sisters.
• Grandchildren.
• Grandparents.
• Other relatives of the deceased.
• Heirs, provided that the family relationship and/or the right of inheritance is proven by documents.
• A person who is the beneficiary of a personal life insurance contract concluded with a financial institution under Ukrainian law, on presentation of the contract and a passport or other passport document.
• A person who is the beneficiary of an inheritance contract, on presentation of the contract and a passport or other passport document.
• A person who owns or uses a plot of land adjoining the deceased’s plot, on presentation of the cadastral numbers of the plots concerned and a passport or other passport document.

To obtain an extract from the DRATsS, you need to make two payments:

1. A consular fee of 9 euros for processing the application for an extract from the DRATsS.
2. A fee of 73 hryvnias for issuing the extract from the DRATsS (to be paid in advance into the account of the State Treasury of Ukraine; bring the payment receipt with you).

Apostille and legalisation of translations

An apostille confirms the authenticity of a document for use abroad. The legalisation process involves confirming the signature, the seal and the status of the document. To obtain an apostille or have a translation of documents legalised, you need to contact the competent authorities that provide these services. These may include:

• State bodies that register civil status acts.
• Embassies or consulates of Ukraine abroad.

You need to prepare the original document and its translation (if required), and pay the relevant service fee.