Documents from Ukraine for residence and marriage in Germany

German authorities generally accept Ukrainian documents with an apostille and a translation made in Germany. We obtain the Ukrainian part of the file: duplicate certificates, register extracts, the criminal record certificate, have them apostilled and deliver the originals to you. We have been doing this since 2012, remotely, under a power of attorney.

German procedures that need Ukrainian documents

• Marriage at a Standesamt. The German Embassy in Ukraine notes that the registry office usually asks for current birth register extracts, proof of marital status and, where relevant, documents on the dissolution of a previous marriage or the death of a spouse.

• Family reunification, residence titles, naturalisation. The Ausländerbehörde or Einbürgerungsbehörde issues its own checklist, and the Ukrainian part almost always concerns civil status documents.

• Moving from temporary protection. EU temporary protection for Ukrainians has been extended to 4 March 2028, and the Council of the EU has recommended preparing transitions to other legal statuses.

• Children, inheritance, business. Children's birth certificates, documents for inheritance cases, register extracts for sole proprietors and companies.

What to know about Ukrainian documents in Germany

• Apostille. Ukraine and Germany are parties to the 1961 Hague Convention, and Germany withdrew its objection to Ukraine's accession in 2010. The German authority decides whether a particular document needs an apostille, and according to the German Embassy it is generally required for Ukrainian documents.

• Translation. The German Federal Foreign Office advises using a sworn or certified translator in Germany. Ukraine has no sworn translators, so a translation made in Ukraine should be agreed with your authority in advance.

• Certificate of no impediment to marriage. Ukraine has no equivalent of the German Ehefähigkeitszeugnis. A notarised declaration of marital status can be made before a Ukrainian notary, but not every registry office accepts it.

• Marriage certificate after divorce. Once a marriage is dissolved, a duplicate marriage certificate is no longer issued. We obtain an extract from the State Register of Civil Status Acts instead.

• Soviet-era documents. Originals issued by authorities of the Soviet republics are not accepted for an apostille. An apostille can be placed on a copy certified by a Ukrainian notary, and if the receiving authority wants an original document, we obtain a duplicate in the current Ukrainian format.

Documents we obtain in Ukraine

• Duplicate birth, marriage, divorce, name change and death certificates and civil status register extracts with a Ministry of Justice apostille.

• Criminal record certificate on paper with an apostille, when a German authority or employer asks for it.

• Unified State Register extracts, sole proprietor extracts and the real property rights certificate.

How we work when you are abroad

1. Tell us which procedure and which authority the documents are for. If you already have a checklist from the immigration office, consulate or your lawyer, send it together with a copy of your passport.
2. We match the checklist against what Ukrainian authorities actually issue and confirm which documents we will obtain, in what form and with which apostille.
3. Some documents are released only to the person or their representative. For those we draft a power of attorney, which you sign at a Ukrainian consulate or before a local notary with an apostille. The German Embassy reminds that a power of attorney certified by a German notary needs an apostille and a translation.
4. We obtain the documents, have them apostilled by the competent authority and check that names in Latin script match your international passport.
5. We send you scans for review and deliver the originals to you, your representative or your lawyer abroad.

If your case is handled by a lawyer abroad

If a lawyer or consultant in your country of residence handles your case, we work with them directly. The lawyer sends us the list of documents, we obtain the Ukrainian part of the file and keep the firm informed at every step. See For immigration lawyers: documents from Ukraine.

Other certificates and extracts are listed in the section Obtaining certificates and extracts.

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