Certificate confirming personal data: the law on transliteration discrepancies explained

Transliteration (rendering Ukrainian letters in the Latin alphabet) is governed by Resolution No. 55 of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine of 27 January 2010 (as amended). You can check whether a name has been transliterated correctly with the “Transliteration check” service on the website of the State Migration Service of Ukraine.

The spelling of first names and surnames in documents issued by the competent Ukrainian authorities before the Resolution “On the Regulation of the Transliteration of the Ukrainian Alphabet into the Latin Alphabet” came into force may differ from the spelling in documents issued after it was introduced. To avoid problems, you are advised to check that the transliteration is correct and, if necessary, to contact the competent authority to have your details updated in line with the transliteration table.

Citizens of Ukraine living in the area served by the Consulate General of Ukraine in Italy may apply for an explanatory certificate on discrepancies in the transliteration of their first name or surname in documents issued by Ukrainian state authorities.

To submit the application, you must provide:

• A valid international passport of a citizen of Ukraine and two copies of the first page of the passport.
• A copy of the document in which the transliteration does not comply with the current rules (for example, a previously issued international passport or a driving licence).

The certificate is issued in Ukrainian, but at the applicant’s request it can be provided in Italian. It can be issued urgently (within 5 days) or under the standard procedure (10 working days). The date on which the certificate will be ready is set by the consular officer who accepts the documents, who gives you a receipt stating the time and date of issue.

The consular fee is paid by bank card at the POS terminal in the public reception hall. To collect the certificate, you need to bring your original passport and the receipt you were given when you submitted the documents.

Conclusion

For citizens of Ukraine who find discrepancies in the transliteration of their first name and surname in official documents, the Resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine sets out clear rules for correcting these details. The process is transparent and makes it possible to obtain the relevant certificates through consular offices. Following the established procedures and using the correct transliteration will help you avoid misunderstandings, particularly when submitting documents to the authorities of other countries, such as Italy.