A shell hits your apartment - and along with your belongings, the folder with birth certificates, your diploma, and your employment record book are gone. Or you fled an occupied territory with nothing but a backpack, leaving your documents in a flat you can no longer access. This is the reality millions of Ukrainians have faced since 2022.
The good news: Ukraine has built a fairly effective system for restoring documents, even for those living abroad. Through the Diia portal, foreign branches of DP Document, CNAP offices, and DMS, you can obtain duplicates of most civil documents. But the procedures differ for each document type, and not everything can be done online. Here’s what you need to know for each one.
Which documents most commonly need restoration¶
According to the State Migration Service (DMS), the most frequent requests from war-affected individuals are:
- Internal passport (ID card)
- International passport
- Birth certificate
- Marriage/divorce certificate
- University diploma
- Employment record book (trudova knyzhka)
- Driver’s license
- Tax identification number (IPN)
Each type has its own issuing authority, procedure, and timeline. Detailed instructions below.
Passport and ID card: DMS or DP Document¶
If you’re in Ukraine¶
Go to the nearest territorial branch of DMS or CNAP at your actual location. Since 2022, a simplified procedure applies for internally displaced persons (IDPs) - you don’t need to be registered at the location where you apply.
What you need: - Application (filled out on site) - Any identity document (old passport, international passport, driver’s license, even a birth certificate) - If you have no documents at all - identity verification through DMS (takes up to 1 month)
Cost: ID card - 279 UAH (since January 1, 2026, per updated tariffs). Free for IDPs and individuals whose documents were destroyed due to hostilities, with supporting documentation.
Timeline: 10-20 business days.
If you’re abroad¶
Two options:
1. DP Document branches abroad. As of 2026, they operate in 16 countries:
| Country | Cities |
|---|---|
| Poland | Warsaw, Krakow, Wroclaw, Gdansk, Lublin |
| Germany | Berlin, Cologne, Munich |
| Czech Republic | Prague |
| Spain | Madrid, Barcelona |
| Italy | Rome, Milan |
| United Kingdom | London |
| Canada | Ottawa, Toronto |
| Turkey | Ankara, Istanbul |
| Slovakia | Bratislava |
| Bulgaria | Sofia |
| Moldova | Chisinau |
Services: ID card issuance, international passport issuance, simultaneous issuance of both. Online booking through pasport.org.ua.
2. Consular offices. Ukrainian embassies and general consulates also accept applications for passport documents. Full list of consular offices on the MFA website.
“Currently over 4 million IDPs are registered with DMS. A simplified document processing procedure applies for them - they can apply at any DMS branch regardless of their place of registration.” - State Migration Service
Birth certificate: through Diia or civil registry (DRATS)¶
One of the most commonly requested documents for immigration. And one of the easiest to restore.
Online through the Diia portal¶
Since 2023, a replacement birth certificate can be ordered through the Diia portal:
- Log in via BankID, electronic signature, or Diia.Signature
- Find the service: Services - Certificates and Extracts - Reissue of Birth Certificate
- Fill out the form (data is pulled automatically)
- Indicate the reason: loss, theft, or damage
- Choose a delivery method: DRATS office, Ukrposhta, or courier
Cost: 0.51 UAH (state duty) when submitted through the Diia portal.
Timeline: 3 business days.
As explained on the Diia portal:
“Reissue of a certificate or extract is performed by the DRATS office based on the civil status record. If the record is preserved in the registry, the procedure takes 3 business days.”
If the record is preserved in the registry (the usual situation)¶
Most civil status records (birth, marriage, death certificates) exist in the electronic registry of the Ministry of Justice. Even if the physical registry office in your city was destroyed - the record is most likely preserved. You just need to apply at any DRATS or CNAP office.
If the record is NOT preserved (occupied territories, destroyed archives)¶
More complicated. Possible paths:
- Court application to establish the fact of birth. Any indirect evidence works: copy of a medical birth certificate, witness testimony, photos of the original, entries in other documents.
- Restoration through archives - if the civil status record hasn’t been digitized, you can apply to the regional archive.
- DP Document abroad doesn’t issue birth certificates but can help with an ID card, which you need to submit applications.
As explained by an LDN project lawyer:
“If you cannot obtain a copy of a birth certificate from a DRATS office located in occupied territory, or there is no birth registration record - you must apply to the court. Evidence can include a copy of a medical birth certificate, witness testimony, or photos of the document.”
Marriage and divorce certificates¶
The procedure mirrors birth certificates:
- Online through Diia - if the civil status record exists in the electronic registry
- Through any DRATS or CNAP office - with your passport, application filled on site
- Through court - if the record was destroyed or is inaccessible (occupied territories)
Cost for reissue: 0.51 UAH (through Diia), 23 UAH (through DRATS directly).
Timeline: 3-10 business days.
For translating a marriage certificate for foreign authorities, you need a duplicate on a paper form - the digital version in Diia doesn’t replace an original for translation and apostille.
Education diploma: through the Ministry of Education or university¶
Restoring a diploma is a more complex and lengthy process than civil registry certificates.
Standard path¶
- Submit an application to the university that issued the diploma (or its legal successor)
- The university verifies data in its own archives
- Issues a duplicate diploma
As LDN explains:
“To restore a higher education document, you must apply to the educational institution that issued the diploma, requesting a duplicate. If the university has been liquidated or is located on temporarily occupied territory - apply to the Ministry of Education and Science.”
If the university is in occupied territory or was destroyed¶
Apply to the Ministry of Education and Science:
- Letter to the Ministry describing the situation, with copies of any supporting documents (student ID, grade book, photo of diploma, EDEBO extract)
- EDEBO (Unified State Electronic Database on Education) - if you studied after 2012, your diploma information is in the database. This simplifies the procedure.
Timeline: 1 to 6 months depending on complexity.
Cost: free for individuals whose documents were destroyed due to hostilities.
For translation and use abroad¶
A duplicate diploma has the same legal force as the original. It can be apostilled and translated for submission to foreign institutions - for diploma recognition in Germany, Canada, the USA, or other countries.
Employment record book: digital format and restoration¶
The employment record book (trudova knyzhka) is a special case. Ukraine is gradually transitioning to a digital format, but paper books are still needed for confirming work experience abroad.
Digital employment record in Diia¶
Since 2021, Diia offers a digital employment record book - a digital copy of work history entries. For the Pension Fund of Ukraine, this is a full-fledged document. But for foreign institutions (e.g., Rentenversicherung in Germany), a paper original or duplicate is required.
As Engage notes:
“The law provides for a transition to electronic format by June 2026. But due to the war, a bill has been introduced to postpone this for the duration of martial law plus three years after.”
Restoring the paper employment book¶
Options:
- Through your last employer - submit an application, the employer creates a duplicate based on archive data
- Through the Pension Fund - a personalized accounting extract confirms employment from 2000 onward
- Through archives - for records before 2000, you need to contact successor enterprises or archives
For translating an employment record book abroad, the best approach is to have both a paper duplicate and a Pension Fund extract.
Driver’s license: free restoration¶
For individuals whose licenses were destroyed due to hostilities, a free restoration procedure applies:
- Visit the nearest MIA service center
- Present your passport (ID card)
- Photo is taken on site
Timeline: 2-5 business days. Cost: free (for those affected by hostilities).
For exchanging your driver’s license abroad, you need the restored physical license - the digital version in Diia is not accepted by foreign authorities.
Tax identification number (IPN)¶
One of the simplest documents to restore:
- Through Diia - electronic extract from the State Register is available immediately
- Through any tax office or CNAP - IPN card issued upon application
The IPN number never changes. You only need your passport. As advokatmarket.com explains:
“The identification number (IPN) is assigned once and never changes. Even if the card is lost - the number itself remains. You can find it in Diia or get a new card at any tax office.”
Documents from occupied territories: special rules¶
If your documents are in temporarily occupied territory and physically inaccessible - it’s not a dead end, but requires more effort.
What you can do¶
-
Check electronic registries - most records (birth, marriage, education) have been digitized. If the record exists, a duplicate will be issued without problems.
-
Submit an application through Diia or CNAP - no need to travel to occupied territory. Applications are submitted at your actual location.
-
Apply to court - if the record wasn’t preserved, a court can establish a legal fact based on indirect evidence.
-
Use a power of attorney - if someone is on the ground (relative, friend, lawyer), you can issue a notarized power of attorney for them to obtain documents on your behalf.
As the Nashe Misto resource notes:
“Even if documents were issued on temporarily occupied territory - they can be restored through state institutions or through court. For IDPs, most document restoration services are provided free of charge.”
Documents issued by occupation administrations¶
The situation here is clear-cut: Ukraine does not recognize any documents issued by occupation administrations on temporarily occupied territories. No “DNR/LNR passports”, no certificates, no diplomas - nothing. You need to obtain Ukrainian documents from scratch.
How Diia helps abroad¶
The Diia mobile app is a powerful tool, but has limitations for use abroad.
What works¶
- Electronic passport in Diia is accepted as a document in several EU countries for a limited range of operations
- Electronic extracts (IPN, employment book, e-certificates) have legal force within Ukraine
- Ordering duplicate documents through the Diia portal (civil registry certificates)
What does NOT work abroad¶
- E-documents from Diia do not replace paper documents for immigration. Neither Auslanderbehorde, nor USCIS, nor IRCC accept screenshots from the Diia app.
- You cannot translate an e-document from Diia - a translator certifies a translation of a physical document, not a phone screenshot.
- Apostille is placed on a paper document - you need to obtain a physical duplicate before apostilling.
In other words, Diia helps you order a duplicate online, but for foreign authorities you need the actual paper document with an apostille and certified translation.
Comparison of restoration methods¶
| Document | Where to restore | Online via Diia | Timeline | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Passport / ID card | DMS, CNAP, DP Document | Application only | 10-20 days | 279 UAH (free for IDPs) |
| International passport | DMS, DP Document (abroad) | Application only | 10-30 days | 810-1050 UAH |
| Birth certificate | DRATS, CNAP | Fully | 3 days | 0.51 UAH |
| Marriage certificate | DRATS, CNAP | Fully | 3-10 days | 0.51-23 UAH |
| Diploma | University, Ministry of Education | Partially (EDEBO) | 1-6 months | Free |
| Employment record | Employer, Pension Fund | Extract only | 2-30 days | Free |
| Driver’s license | MIA service center | No | 2-5 days | Free |
| Tax ID (card) | Tax office, CNAP | Extract immediately | 1-5 days | Free |
After restoration: translation and legalization¶
Got your duplicate - what’s next? If the document needs to be submitted to a foreign authority, here’s the standard chain:
- Get the paper duplicate - even if you ordered through Diia, pick up the physical document
- Apostille it - most documents require an apostille before translation. E-apostille is available through Diia online
- Translate it - certified translation into the language of the destination country
- Submit to the authority - with the original and translation
The order of “apostille first, then translate” or “translate first, then apostille” depends on the country. Full details in our guide Apostille or translation first: the correct order.
Common mistakes when restoring documents¶
| Mistake | Consequence | How to avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Applying outside your registration address | Rejection or delay | IDPs can apply at their actual location |
| Trying to translate an e-document from Diia | Translator will refuse | Get a paper duplicate |
| Not apostilling before translation | Document won’t be accepted abroad | Check destination country requirements |
| Waiting to restore all documents at once | Time wasted | Submit applications in parallel |
| Not keeping copies | If lost again, start over | Make digital copies of all documents |
| Trying to use “DNR/LNR” documents | Not recognized anywhere | Get Ukrainian documents |
Free legal assistance¶
If the process seems overwhelming, free help is available:
- Free Legal Aid - legalaid.gov.ua (hotline 0 800 213 103)
- Community Justice Centers - operating in most regional centers, help with preparing applications
- UNHCR and partner organizations - for refugees abroad, including document assistance (UNHCR Ukraine Response)
- LDN (Legal Development Network) - ldn.org.ua - free legal consultations for war-affected individuals
FAQ¶
Can I restore documents if I’m abroad and cannot come to Ukraine?¶
Yes. Passport documents are processed through DP Document abroad (16 countries) or through consulates. Civil registry certificates can be ordered through the Diia portal with delivery via Ukrposhta to a trusted person’s address in Ukraine, who can then send the document by courier.
How much does document restoration cost for war-affected individuals?¶
Most services for IDPs and individuals whose documents were destroyed due to hostilities are free or cost a symbolic amount. ID card, driver’s license - free. Certificates - 0.51 UAH through Diia. Diplomas - free. International passport - 810-1050 UAH (discounts exist but not for all categories).
Do duplicate documents have the same legal force as originals?¶
Yes. A duplicate is a full-fledged document with the same details. It can be apostilled, translated, and submitted to any institution. No organization has the right to refuse a duplicate in place of an original.
What if my documents were issued in occupied territory and the records were destroyed?¶
Apply to court to establish a legal fact (birth, marriage, etc.). Any indirect evidence works: photos of documents, witness testimony, records from other registries. After the court ruling, the civil registry will issue a new certificate. Free legal assistance is available from legalaid.gov.ua.
How long does it take to fully restore all documents?¶
If you submit applications in parallel: passport - 10-20 days, certificates - 3 days, driver’s license - 2-5 days. The longest process is the diploma (1-6 months). Overall, restoring the basic document package takes 2-4 weeks, assuming records exist in electronic registries.
Will a duplicate document be accepted for translation and apostille?¶
Yes. A duplicate is fully equivalent to the original - it can be apostilled and translated for submission abroad. A translator will certify the translation just as they would for an original document.
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