How can Ukrainians obtain a duplicate birth or marriage certificate while abroad?
With the onset of a full-scale war, millions of Ukrainians were forced to leave the country, often under emergency conditions. In many cases, people did not have time to pick up their documents or lost them while moving. The presence of a birth or marriage certificate may be required for obtaining temporary protection status, applying for assistance, legalization of stay, access to children’s education, marriage or divorce at the place of new residence. Because of this, the issue of obtaining duplicates is extremely relevant for refugees living outside the state.
What to do if the document is lost
Ukrainian legislation allows you to obtain duplicate documents of civil status, including a certificate of birth, marriage, death, divorce or name change – even while staying outside the country. Depending on the circumstances, there are several legal ways to recover the document.
- Through the consulate of Ukraine
The most reliable and predictable way is to contact the consular office of Ukraine in the host country. For this you need:
- submit a written application of the prescribed form;
- provide an identity document;
- in the case of applying for a document for another person, a notarized power of attorney.
The application is submitted in person, and the deadline for making a duplicate depends on the requested document and the possibility of communication with the Ukrainian archives. The document can be issued in paper form directly at the consulate or sent by mail, if this is provided by the rules of the institution. It should be borne in mind that the consular fee for such a service usually ranges from 20 to 45 euros, depending on the country.
- Through relatives or a trusted person in Ukraine
If you have relatives or acquaintances who are in Ukraine, you can issue a notarial power of attorney, which allows them to apply to any department of the State Register of Civil Status Acts on your behalf. For this, the person must present:
- the original of the notarial power of attorney (or its official translation, if it was issued abroad);
- your identity document;
- information about the document to be restored (name, date of event, place of registration, etc.).
The document can be received in paper form and sent to you by mail (ordinary or courier), if so agreed with the authorized person.
- Through the “Action” application (only for the birth certificate)
If you need an electronic copy of the birth certificate, it can be downloaded through the “Diya” application or portal, if the relevant data has already been entered in the Register of Civil Status Acts. However, it is worth emphasizing: this is not a paper duplicate and is not always accepted by foreign bodies or courts as a full-fledged document.
This method is convenient only in certain domestic cases — for example, to confirm the identity or age of a child in the systems of Ukrainian banks or state services.
- In person in Ukraine through TsNAP or the Ministry of Justice
If you are temporarily in Ukraine, you can get a duplicate in person by contacting:
- of any department of DRATSS;
- Center for the provision of administrative services (TsNAP);
- through the official website of the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine or the Diya portal to apply online.
In this case, both paper and electronic document formats are possible. The service is usually provided within 5-20 working days, depending on the complexity of the request and the availability of archived data.
Important caveats
If the document is issued through a consulate or on the basis of a power of attorney, make sure that the registration record really exists and indicate the correct place of initial registration.
A notarial power of attorney issued abroad must be apostilled or legalized, depending on the country, and in some cases — translated into Ukrainian.
Applicants are responsible for the costs of processing a power of attorney, sending documents, and notary services.
Therefore, Ukrainians abroad have the full right to re-obtain a birth or marriage certificate. This is not a complicated procedure, but it requires compliance with formal requirements: submitting an application, presenting documents and, if necessary, drawing up a power of attorney. The optimal way depends on where you are, whether you have authorized persons in Ukraine, and what format of document you need – paper or digital. Don’t delay applying if you need the document in the near future — for example, for legal status, benefits, citizenship, or court action.
