You’re in Berlin, Warsaw, or Toronto - and your birth certificate is sitting at your mom’s place in Kyiv. For your Einburgerung application, Niederlassungserlaubnis, or diploma recognition, you need an apostille on that document. Flying to Ukraine for a single stamp is expensive, time-consuming, and not always possible. How do you handle this remotely without leaving the country where you currently live?
There are four working options, and each has its own pros and cons. Let’s break them all down - with prices, timelines, and pitfalls.
Option 1: a representative with power of attorney in Ukraine¶
The most common approach - ask someone in Ukraine to submit documents on your behalf. This could be a relative, friend, or lawyer. Technically, anyone can submit documents for an apostille - the Ministry of Justice confirms that a power of attorney isn’t required to submit documents for an apostille. Any person can bring the document and application to the Ministry.
But there’s a catch: if your representative will also pick up the completed document, sign applications, or perform additional actions (like ordering a duplicate certificate or criminal record check) - then a power of attorney is required.
How to create a power of attorney from abroad¶
Two options:
Through a Ukrainian consulate or embassy. The consul certifies your signature on the power of attorney. Cost - 20 to 50 euros depending on the country. Upside: the document is immediately in Ukrainian, no additional translation or apostille needed. Downside: consulate queues sometimes stretch for weeks.
Through a local notary. You create the power of attorney with a notary in your country of residence. After that: 1. Get an apostille on the power of attorney from the competent authority in that country 2. Translate the power of attorney into Ukrainian 3. Have the translation notarially certified
As the Ministry of Justice explains:
If a document is certified by a foreign notary, it must be legalized or apostilled, and then translated into Ukrainian with notarial certification of the translation.
Exception - Poland and Czech Republic: bilateral treaties with Ukraine allow notarial documents to be used without an apostille. A certified translation is sufficient.
What to include in the power of attorney¶
The power of attorney should include authorization to: - submit documents to the Ministry of Justice / Ministry of Education / Ministry of Foreign Affairs for apostille - receive documents with the apostille - sign applications on your behalf - (optionally) order duplicate documents from the civil registry or other agencies
A typical wording template:
I, _, authorize _ to represent my interests at the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, and other institutions on all matters related to submitting documents for apostille certification and receiving them.
Step-by-step process¶
- Create the power of attorney (consulate or local notary + apostille + translation)
- Send the original power of attorney to Ukraine (DHL, FedEx, Nova Poshta Global - 3-7 days, 30-80 euros)
- Your representative takes the power of attorney + original document + application + payment receipt
- Submits to the Ministry of Justice (or Ministry of Education for educational documents)
- Picks up the apostilled document after 3 business days
- Sends it to you via international courier
Total timeline: 2-4 weeks from creating the power of attorney to receiving the apostilled document.
Total cost: power of attorney (20-80 euros) + apostille (670 UAH / ~15 euros) + shipping both ways (60-160 euros) = roughly 120-300 euros.
Option 2: mail the documents to the Ministry of Justice¶
The Ministry of Justice officially confirms: if you’re abroad, you can send your request by mail to the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine or its regional office. No power of attorney needed.
How it works¶
- Prepare the package: original document + application + passport copy + payment receipt (670 UAH for individuals)
- Send by registered mail with contents description to the Ministry of Justice address
- The Ministry processes your application within 3 business days
- The completed document with apostille is sent back to your specified address
Pros and cons¶
Pro - no power of attorney or representative needed. Con - you’re sending an original document via international mail. There’s a risk of loss. Also, the Ministry may reject the request if the document has defects, and it’ll travel back without an apostille.
A common problem: the document arrives at the Ministry missing one of the required attachments, or the application has an error. Fixing things remotely is difficult - you’d have to start over.
Total timeline: 3-6 weeks (shipping + processing + return shipping).
Total cost: apostille (670 UAH / ~15 euros) + international mail both ways (60-120 euros).
Option 3: online submission for educational documents¶
For diplomas, school certificates, and their supplements, there’s a dedicated online service from the State Enterprise “Information and Image Center” of the Ministry of Education and Science. This is an official government service, not a middleman.
How it works¶
- Register at apostille.in.ua and create a personal account
- Create one application for all your documents (e.g., diploma + supplement = one application)
- Upload scans for preliminary review
- An operator reviews the documents and issues an invoice
- Pay online
- Send the originals via international express service (DHL, FedEx) to the specified address
- After the apostille is placed, documents are returned to you by international mail
Scan copies submitted remotely are used only for preliminary document analysis. In rare cases, after receiving the originals, some order conditions may change.
Which documents qualify¶
- Bachelor’s, master’s, and specialist diplomas
- Diploma supplements (with grades)
- High school graduation certificates
- Vocational education certificates
- Academic degree documents
For other documents (birth certificates, marriage certificates, criminal record checks) this option doesn’t work - those go through the Ministry of Justice, not the Ministry of Education.
Total timeline: 2-4 weeks (preliminary review + shipping + processing + return).
Total cost: apostille (670 UAH) + center’s fees + international shipping (80-150 euros total).
Option 4: an intermediary company¶
If you don’t have someone you trust in Ukraine, or you have multiple documents and the process is complex - you can use legalization companies. They handle the entire process: receiving documents, submitting to the Ministry of Justice or Education, and shipping back.
Companies specializing in legalization independently receive documents, submit them to ministries, and return completed materials abroad.
What’s included¶
- Document consultation
- Checking whether the document can be apostilled
- Submission to the correct ministry
- Status tracking
- Shipping finished documents abroad
Prices¶
Intermediary services cost 1,500 to 5,000 UAH per document (excluding the state fee). Plus the 670 UAH government fee and shipping. In total, one document through an intermediary runs 100-250 euros.
Expensive? Yes. But if you need to apostille 5 documents simultaneously (diploma + supplement + birth certificate + marriage certificate + criminal record check) - an intermediary will save you weeks of time and a lot of stress.
Total timeline: 1-3 weeks.
Total cost: 100-250 euros per document (all-inclusive).
Comparing all options¶
| Method | Cost | Timeline | Power of attorney | Document types |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Representative with power of attorney | 120-300 euros | 2-4 weeks | Yes (if picking up) | Any |
| Mail to Ministry of Justice | 80-150 euros | 3-6 weeks | No | Ministry of Justice: civil, notarial, court documents |
| Online (apostille.in.ua) | 80-150 euros | 2-4 weeks | No | Educational only (diplomas, certificates) |
| Intermediary company | 100-250 euros/document | 1-3 weeks | No (they work under contract) | Any |
What you can already do through Diia¶
Since 2026, you can order a criminal record check with an apostille through the Diia app - completely online. This is currently the only document with a full “order + apostille” cycle that doesn’t require visiting any office.
How to do it: 1. Open Diia 2. Go to “Services” - “Certificates and extracts” - “Criminal record check” 3. Check the “with apostille” box 4. Pay (670 UAH for the apostille, the certificate itself is free) 5. Wait 10-15 business days
The completed document with apostille is available digitally in Diia, and you can get a paper copy from any CNAP office or order delivery.
For all other documents (diplomas, birth and marriage certificates), the full online procedure hasn’t launched yet, though the Ministry of Justice announced it as a priority for 2026-2027.
Who issues the apostille: which authority to contact¶
Not all documents go to the same place. Who exactly places the apostille depends on the document type:
| Document type | Where to submit |
|---|---|
| Birth, marriage, death, divorce certificates | Ministry of Justice or its regional offices |
| Notarial documents (powers of attorney, contracts) | Ministry of Justice |
| Court decisions | Ministry of Justice |
| Diplomas, school certificates, supplements | Ministry of Education (via apostille.in.ua) |
| Documents issued by MFA or other central agencies | Ministry of Foreign Affairs |
| Archival certificates | State Archival Service |
If you submit a document to the wrong authority - it’ll be returned without an apostille. Your representative or intermediary should know this in advance.
Pitfalls: what can go wrong¶
The document can’t be apostilled¶
Not all documents are eligible for apostille. The Ministry of Justice clarifies: passports, ID cards, military IDs, employment record books (trudova knyzhka) - these can’t receive an apostille. If you mail such a document - it’ll travel back without one, and you’ll lose time and money on shipping.
Old Soviet-era documents¶
Documents issued before 2003 may require additional verification. The Ministry needs more time to verify signatures and stamps - instead of 3 business days, processing can take up to 20 business days.
The original got lost in the mail¶
If you’re sending an original birth certificate via international mail - there’s a loss risk. Tip: always use a courier service with tracking (DHL, FedEx, UPS), not regular mail. And make a notarially certified copy before sending - just in case the original gets lost.
An apostille without translation isn’t a finished document¶
The apostille itself is only the first step. To use the document abroad, you’ll still need a translation of the document together with the apostille into the language of your country of residence, certified by a sworn or notarial translator.
The correct sequence: apostille first in Ukraine, then translation in the destination country (or online). If you do it the other way around - the apostille won’t cover the translation.
Translating an apostilled document¶
After getting the apostille, you need a translation. If you’re in Germany - you need a sworn translator (beeidigter Ubersetzer). In other EU countries requirements vary, but the general principle is the same: the document + apostille are translated together.
Options: - Local translation bureau: 30-60 euros per page in Germany, 2-5 business days - Freelance translator: cheaper (20-40 euros), but you need to find and verify them yourself - Online service: you upload a scan of the document with apostille and receive a certified sworn translation by email. For example, through ChatsControl AI creates a draft, then a sworn translator reviews it and adds their stamp - ready in 2-4 hours. Price is comparable to a bureau (~30-50 euros per page). Works great if you don’t want to search for a translator in an unfamiliar city. Downside - not for all document types (handwritten or very old scans are better handled by a bureau where they can compare with the original in person)
More about the “apostille first, then translation” sequence - in our article Apostille or translation first: the correct order.
FAQ¶
Do I need a power of attorney to get an apostille in Ukraine?¶
For submitting the document itself - no. Any person can bring a document to the Ministry of Justice and file an application. But if your representative will also pick up the finished document, sign additional applications, or perform other actions on your behalf - a power of attorney is mandatory.
How much does an apostille cost in Ukraine in 2026?¶
The state fee for an apostille is 670 UAH (~15 euros) for individuals and 1,160 UAH (~26 euros) for legal entities. The price is tied to the subsistence minimum (0.2 for individuals, 0.35 for legal entities). Preferential categories (persons with Group I-II disabilities, Chornobyl disaster liquidators, orphans) are exempt from payment.
How long does it take to get an apostille?¶
The standard processing time is 3 business days from submission. But if additional signature or stamp verification is needed (common for older documents) - the timeline can extend to 20 business days.
Can I apostille a copy of a document instead of the original?¶
No. An apostille is placed only on the original document or on a notarially certified copy. A regular photocopy or scan won’t work.
Will my apostille be accepted abroad?¶
Yes, if the country is a party to the 1961 Hague Convention. This includes most European countries, the USA, Canada, Australia, Japan, and over 100 other nations. For countries that aren’t parties (some Middle Eastern and African countries), you’ll need full consular legalization instead of an apostille.
What if the original document was destroyed or lost?¶
You need to restore the document first. Birth, marriage, and death certificates can be restored through the civil registry (remotely via a consulate or representative). Diplomas - through the university that issued them. After receiving the duplicate - you get the apostille in the standard way. More details - in our article What to do if documents were destroyed by war.
How do I verify an apostille’s authenticity?¶
Since February 2026, all new apostilles have a QR code linking to the Electronic Apostille Registry. Scan the QR code with your phone - and you immediately see whether the document is genuine. More about this system - in the article E-apostille in Ukraine: how it works through Diia.
Can I get an apostille through a Ukrainian consulate abroad?¶
No. Consulates and embassies don’t issue apostilles. An apostille can only be placed in Ukraine - at the Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Education, or Ministry of Foreign Affairs, depending on the document type. Through a consulate, you can only create a power of attorney for a representative or forward documents for further transfer to Ukraine.
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