Recently, the apostille services have become popular, allowing you to legalize documents and confirm their origin. This is especially important for companies engaged in international activities, as well as individuals traveling abroad or going on business trips.
We recommend contacting our lawyers, who have many years of experience in various areas of law and will help you quickly obtain an apostille on documents and legalize them without any problems. Thanks to cooperation with government agencies and knowledge of the legislation, we will solve any of your tasks, while the price for apostille remains affordable.
Why is an apostille on a document needed?
The placement of an apostille is the process of confirming the origin of documents. Apostilling is a simplified form of document legalization. For documents to be recognized outside Ukraine, it is necessary to place an apostille in Kyiv in the relevant authorized ministry. This decision was made by the participants of the so-called Hague Convention (1961).
Countries with which Ukraine has signed treaties on legal assistance that cancel the requirement for legalization of official documents.
Ukraine has expressed objections to Kosovo’s accession to the Hague Convention of 1961, and therefore, the Convention does not apply to relations between Ukraine and Kosovo, and an apostille on documents for use in Kosovo is not affixed.
An apostille is a small stamp (10×10 cm) containing the following data: the country and place of issue of the document, the place of apostille placement, the number and date of the apostille issuance, the signature of the official who placed the stamp. Both the apostille and consular legalization only confirm the authenticity of the signature of the person who signed the document, as well as the stamp or seal with which it is affixed. At the same time, the apostille does not confirm the content of the document, nor does it imply that the state in any way approves or disapproves of the information contained in the documentation.
The stamp (apostille) is placed upon documents such as certificates, diplomas, marriage certificates, birth certificates, death certificates, statutory documents, court decisions, powers of attorney, and other official and notarial documents.
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Who has the authority to issue an apostille?
The authorities authorized by Ukrainian legislation to place an apostille include:
- Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine
- Ministry of Justice of Ukraine
Officials first check whether the documents are subject to apostillation, then verify the signatures on the documents, stamps, or seals against the samples of stamp or seal impressions, and also verify the signatures they have in their database. Depending on the type of document, the procedure can take from 1 to 40 working days. Documents issued by the Justice authorities (Civil Registry, courts, notaries) are apostilled within 1 to 3 working days. For documents related to education (diplomas and certificates), the apostille stamp is placed within 3 to 40 working days.
On which documents an apostille stamp cannot be placed:
- Passport
- Military ID
- Vehicle registration certificate
- Employment record book
- Various identity cards
- Weapon permits
- Documents reflecting correspondence
- Legal opinions
Documents issued to citizens by diplomatic or consular representations or documents related to trade exchange or customs procedures are also exempt from authentication. In such cases, it is not necessary to place an apostille.
When can you be refused an apostille?
There are situations where the authorized Ministry refuses to place an apostille. This is possible in cases where the provided document:
- Contains completely unreadable text due to severe damage to the document
- Will be used in a country that has no relation to the Convention or, being a participant, has expressed certain discontent against Ukraine’s accession (Article 12 of the Convention)
- Is received via fax or written in pencil
- Contains unconditioned corrections as well as additions
The grounds for refusal can also be the absence of the possibility to obtain samples of stamps/seals or signatures, as well as the authority to place a stamp on this type of document.
Some countries participating in the Hague Agreement require the placement of a double apostille. After apostilling the documents, their translation must be performed. After that, the translation is notarized, and another apostille is placed on the translation. This procedure is called a double apostille. Translation and apostille of documents can be quickly obtained by contacting our lawyers.
You do not need to travel to the ministries yourself, look for where to do the translation, or waste time waiting for the apostille – we will do all the work for you. If you have any additional questions, you can always contact our company’s employees for a consultation.
