Legislation news

On January 16, 2026, a new version of Article 7 of the Law “On Citizenship of Ukraine” came into effect in Ukraine—and these changes are of fundamental practical importance for confirming the citizenship of children of a significant category of foreign nationals who reside in or plan to reside in Ukraine. The issue is particularly acute for those who are in Ukraine on a temporary residence permit or long-term visa and are expecting or already have a child born on Ukrainian territory.What was previously in place: the jus soli principle in the “soft” versionPrior to the entry into force of ...

Sooner or later, hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians living abroad face the same situation: they need an official document from Ukraine, but are unable to travel there. Applying for a residence permit, registering a marriage abroad, opening a bank account, or confirming a child’s citizenship—in all these situations, you may need birth, marriage, or divorce certificates, and often with an apostille.The good news: you don’t have to travel to Ukraine to get them. The bad news: without understanding the procedure, it’s easy to waste months and end up with a document that won’t work.Step 1. Before ordering—find out the requirements ...

Client: Marina, residing in Berlin. Task: Obtain a duplicate divorce certificate with an apostille and a notarized translation for submission to the Standesamt. Deadline: 10 days before the deadline for submitting the documents.Initial SituationTo register a marriage at the Standesamt, individuals who were previously married are required to provide a document confirming the termination of their previous marriage—a divorce certificate or a court decision. Ukrainian documents generally require an apostille.Marina had a 1998 divorce certificate—the document was intact, with original signatures and a seal. The problem lay elsewhere: the Ministry of Justice does not issue an apostille for certificates issued ...

Client: Andriy, a journalism graduate from a university in Kyiv. Location: Toronto, Canada. Problem: His documents for diploma evaluation were rejected because they included an apostille—which is required by the U.S. but not by Canada.Point A: The Right Move in the Wrong CountryAndriy moved to Toronto and was preparing to find a job in the Canadian media. The employer required confirmation of his education through WES—World Education Services, an accredited organization for evaluating foreign diplomas.To speed up the process, Andriy asked his relatives in Kyiv in advance to have the Ministry of Education and Science affix an apostille to his ...