Apostille

Azbuka Translation Agency provides consultations and practical assistance in consular legalization of personal documents and its simplified procedure – affixing Apostille stamp in Kyiv, Kharkiv and other cities of Ukraine.

What is an apostille?

In cases when official documents, issued by state institutions, are to be used abroad and be legally valid in another state, they must be translated into the language of the target state and notarize them. However, it’s not always enough, in some cases you need to provide an evidence of the fact that official authorities have issued this document, and both signature and seal affixed to the document are authentic. Depending on the target country, documents undergo consular legalization or its simplified procedure – apostilling, in order to obtain such evidence. Documents may be apostilled only if both countries – the country that issued such document, and the target country, where the documents will be used, – are signatories of the Hague agreement on mutual recognition of documents.

Apostille certifies signatures and capacity of the person who has signed the document, and in some cases authenticity of a stamp or seal affixed to the document. Documents, certified in this way, don’t need any further legalization, and they must be recognized at any state level of member countries of the Hague Convention that cancels requirements as to the legalization of foreign official documents. At present this convention has been signed by more than 80 states, among which there are the USA, almost all EU countries, Japan, Australia, RSA, Russia, Ukraine (joined the Hague Convention on December 23, 2003).

If a country, for which you’re preparing a document, isn’t a signatory of the convention, you’ll need a consular legalization.

Stamp “Apostille” may be affixed to:

  • notarized documents (Apostille on a notarized copy, power of attorney, statement of consent, regulation and other);
  • documents of legal entities (Apostille on a notarized copy of charter, registration certificate and other);
  • originals of educational documents (Apostille on diploma, high school diploma, certificates and other);
  • originals of documents from civil registry office (Apostille on birth certificate, marriage certificate and other).

In general, documents are apostilled promptly – in average it takes 5-10 days depending on the work schedule and promptness of the Ministry of Justice and Ministry of Education. If you can’t wait for so long, in some cases it’s possible to order urgent apostilling.

State bodies of most countries accept for consideration only documents issued in official language of its country. At that absence of document translation into a foreign language isn’t an obstacle for apostilling, the document can be translated and notarized before or after its apostilling.

Apostilling of Documents in Kharkiv

You can order “Apostilling” in Kyiv by yourself, contacting appropriate state bodies, or via Azbuka Translation Agency in any of our offices: Kyiv, Kharkiv, Dnipro, Odessa, Lviv and other.

The Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine is responsible for affixing stamp “Apostille” to official documents issued by educational establishments of Ukraine, state bodies, enterprises and organizations relating to the field of education and science. Such documents include educational diploma, certificates of awarding an academic degree, secondary school diplomas, curricula, certificates from educational institutions and other.

The Ministry of Justice of Ukraine affixes stamp “Apostille” to documents that are issued by judicial bodies and courts, as well as to the documents issued by notaries of Ukraine, namely: certificates issued by registry offices, documents issued or certified by notaries of Ukraine, court judgments and certificates.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs affixes stamp “Apostille” to other types of documents.

Procedure for apostilling documents by mentioned above bodies is conducted in accordance with the rules of affixing stamp “Apostille” to official documents intended to be used within the territory of other countries, approved by joint order of the Ministry of the Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine, Ministry of Justice of Ukraine No 237.803. 151.5 dated 05.12.2003 registered in the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine 3 1151 8472 dated 12.12.2003.

Stamp “Apostille” Can’t be Affixed to:

  • originals, copies and photocopies of passports,
  • military registration cards,
  • work record cards,
  • possession licenses,
  • vehicle ownership certificates (registration certificates),
  • identification documents,
  • statutes and regulations, explanations and legal grounds for their application,
  • documents of correspondence nature,
  • documents issued by foreign diplomatic organizations,
  • administrative documents directly relating to commercial and custom operations,
  • original official documents issued by organizations of former republics of the USSR.

Apostille can be affixed to copies of such documents, certified according to the established procedure within the territory of Ukraine (notarized).

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