Official Clarification: Which Documents Are Not Subject to Apostille in Ukraine

The simplest method of international document authentication is the apostille — a stamp that certifies the authenticity of the signature, the signatory’s position, and the seal on a document for use in countries party to the Hague Convention.

However, an apostille cannot be affixed to the original versions of the following documents:

• Passports and documents confirming Ukrainian citizenship;
• Documents regarding an individual's special status;
• Military IDs;
• Employment record books;
• Gun permits;
• Vehicle registration certificates (technical passports);
• Other certificates and permits issued under Ukrainian law;
• Normative legal acts, official interpretations, and legal opinions;
• Documents that are in the form of correspondence;
• Documents issued by institutions of former Soviet republics (except educational documents issued by the Ukrainian SSR);
• Extracts from the State Register of Property Rights to Immovable Property.

These documents may only be apostilled in the form of notarized copies, and in some cases, only after prior legalization of the original.

Copies of educational documents may only be apostilled after the original has been apostilled. Civil registry documents (e.g. birth or marriage certificates) may only be apostilled after the original has been legalized. Registry-based information, such as property status, may be used abroad only after notarization of an affidavit.

Exceptions to the rules: the apostille does not apply to: