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Marriage in Ukraine

Getting married in Ukraine as a foreigner: documents and process

If you are a foreign national marrying in Ukraine, your documents have to be in Ukrainian and notarized before the Vital Records Department (RATsS) will look at them.

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What documents do I need to get married in Ukraine?

Passport

Translated into Ukrainian and notarized, together with a copy of the page or document confirming that your stay in Ukraine is lawful — visa, residence permit or entry stamp.

Proof that a previous marriage ended

If you were married before: most often a court decision on the divorce, sometimes a certificate, or a death certificate. Court decisions usually run to several pages — send photos of all of them so the quote is accurate.

A certificate of no impediment is not required. Many countries issue one, and applicants often assume Ukraine wants it too. It is not part of the Ukrainian procedure — do not spend time or money obtaining it unless someone specifically asks.
Vital Records Departments can differ in detail. Confirm the list with the office where you are marrying, then send it to us — we will quote the whole set at once.

Apostille before you travel

The apostille is placed on the original document in the country that issued it. It cannot be obtained in Ukraine, and we cannot get it for you from abroad. Sort this out before you fly. Where to get the apostille in the US, UK, Canada and Germany.

Countries with a legal assistance treaty with Ukraine — Czechia, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Poland, Moldova, the Baltic states, Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan and several others — are exempt. Their documents are accepted with a notarized translation alone. Full list

One spelling of your name, across the whole file

Your name has to cross from the Latin alphabet into Cyrillic, and there is rarely only one way to write it. Oliver can become Олівер or Оливер; Schmidt can become Шмідт or Шмидт. If two documents in the same file spell it differently, the office in front of you sees two different people.
That is our job, not yours. We use one transliteration across everything we translate for you. If a Ukrainian document already renders your name a particular way — a residence permit, a previous translation, your spouse’s paperwork — send it to us and we will follow that spelling rather than invent a new one.

Marriage in Ukraine: the process, step by step

  1. At home, before you travel. Get an apostille on any foreign certificate that needs one — for example a divorce or death certificate. Your passport itself does not need one. Citizens of countries with a legal assistance treaty with Ukraine skip this step.
  2. Send us scans. Passport and certificates — we quote the whole set at once and prepare the translations into Ukrainian in advance.
  3. Notarization in Ukraine. The notary works with the originals, so they have to reach us in Ukraine before the translations are notarized.
  4. Apply together, in person. Both partners submit the application at a Vital Records Department (RATsS) of your choice. The foreign partner brings the passport, the notarized translation and proof of lawful stay — visa, residence permit or entry stamp.
  5. Register the marriage. While martial law is in force, the marriage can be registered on the day you apply or on any day you choose within a month.
  6. After the wedding. If your home country needs the Ukrainian marriage certificate, it gets an apostille and a translation — we handle both.

How we work with you

1Send photos of the documents — we quote the whole set at once, free of charge
2We translate into Ukrainian, including all stamps and endorsements
3A Ukrainian notary notarizes each translation
4Collect in Zhytomyr or receive by Nova Poshta anywhere in Ukraine — delivery is on us
You can start before you arrive. Send scans, agree the price and pay by card or PayPal. Bear in mind that the notary works with original documents — the originals have to reach us in Ukraine before the translations can be notarized, so bring them with you or send them ahead.

After the wedding

You will be issued a Ukrainian marriage certificate. What happens next depends on where you need it.

To use it abroad. If the country you are taking it to is in the Hague Convention and has no legal assistance treaty with Ukraine, the certificate needs an apostille first, then a translation. If your country has a treaty with Ukraine — Czechia, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Poland, Moldova, the Baltic states, Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan and others — a notarized translation on its own is normally accepted. Check your country →
For a residence permit in Ukraine. Marriage to a Ukrainian citizen is a ground for a residence permit, but the certificate alone is not enough — a long-stay D visa is also required. A Ukrainian certificate goes in as a notarized copy. What the residence permit file needs →
Keep the certificate intact. An apostille is placed only on an original — never on a copy — and the document must not be laminated or written on. Whatever the lamination stand at the office suggests, do not laminate it.

Marriage certificate for another country? We obtain the apostille and translate it — marriage certificate translation.

Marriage law in Ukraine: the basics

Before the paperwork, the rules that decide whether you can marry here at all.

  • Age. Both partners must be 18. From 16, marriage is possible only with a court’s permission.
  • Civil registration only. A marriage exists in Ukrainian law when it is registered at a Vital Records Department (RATsS). A church or other religious ceremony on its own has no legal effect — hold it before or after, but the civil registration is the marriage.
  • One marriage at a time. Both partners must be unmarried on the day of registration, which is why the document ending a previous marriage is on the list. Marriage between close relatives is not allowed.
  • Opposite-sex couples. Ukrainian family law defines marriage as a union between a man and a woman; same-sex marriages are not registered in Ukraine.
  • No residency requirement, no witnesses. The foreign partner does not need to live in Ukraine — a visa-free stay or a visa is enough, as long as it is still lawful on the day of registration. Witnesses are not required by law.
  • Any registry office in Ukraine. You can register in any city, not only where one of you is registered as resident. The ceremony is conducted in Ukrainian; if the foreign partner does not understand it, the office may ask for an interpreter at the ceremony — arrange one locally in advance. We translate and notarize your documents; we do not interpret at the registration itself.
  • Surname. Each of you can keep your surname, take your spouse’s, or join the two.
  • Citizenship. Marriage to a Ukrainian citizen does not give citizenship. It is a ground for a residence permit, which is a separate procedure.

How long it takes

While martial law is in force, the marriage can be registered on the day you apply or on any day you choose within one month. In normal times the law sets a one-month waiting period between application and registration, which the office can shorten for a valid reason.
“Marriage in 24 hours”. Many larger cities — Kyiv, Lviv, Odesa, Dnipro, Kharkiv and others — run a paid express service that registers a marriage within a day at a chosen venue. Foreign nationals can use it; the document requirements are the same, so the translations and notarization still have to be ready first.

A realistic timeline: arrive with any apostilles already on your foreign certificates, hand us the originals, and the notarized translations are ready from the next working day. You can then apply and, under martial law, register the same day or on the date you choose.

Questions people ask

Do I need a certificate of no impediment?

No. Many countries issue one and applicants assume Ukraine wants it too. It is not part of the Ukrainian procedure. Guides that say otherwise are describing the rules as they were before 2014.

Which documents have to be translated?

Your passport, and — if you were married before — the document that ended that marriage: a court decision, a certificate, or a death certificate. Each translation is notarized by a Ukrainian notary.

Does my passport need an apostille?

No. For a marriage in Ukraine your passport is submitted with a notarized translation, without an apostille. An apostille may be needed on a divorce or death certificate issued abroad, and it has to be obtained in the country that issued the document — before you travel.

Can I start before I arrive in Ukraine?

Yes. Send scans, agree the price and pay by card or PayPal, and we prepare the translations in advance. The notary works with original documents, so the originals have to reach us in Ukraine before the translations can be notarized.

How long does it take?

From one working day for a standard set. Court decisions run to several pages and take longer — send photos of every page so both the price and the deadline are accurate.

How soon after applying can we get married?

While martial law is in force in Ukraine, the marriage can be registered on the day you apply or on any other day you choose within one month. Both partners apply in person at a Vital Records Department of your choice.

Will my name be spelled the same way in every document?

Yes, if we handle the whole file. We use one transliteration throughout, and we follow the spelling in any Ukrainian document you already have rather than inventing a new one.

Where do we actually register the marriage?

At a Vital Records Department (RATsS). Offices differ in the detail of what they ask for, so confirm the list with the one where you are marrying — then send it to us and we will quote the whole set at once.

Can someone else file the application for us?

Normally both of you file the application in person. A representative or postal filing is possible only when there is a valid reason why one of you cannot come; the signature on the application then has to be notarised, and notarised copies of the passport and residence documents with Ukrainian translations are attached.

Does the foreign partner need to be in Ukraine legally?

Yes. The foreign partner shows a document confirming lawful stay — a visa, a residence permit or an entry stamp — and the stay must still be lawful on the day of registration. The registry office checks it with the State Migration Service.

Will a Ukrainian marriage certificate be accepted in my country?

Usually yes, with an apostille and a translation. If your country has a legal assistance treaty with Ukraine, a notarised translation is often enough. We can arrange both the apostille and the translation after the wedding.

Can two foreign nationals marry in Ukraine?

Yes. Neither partner has to be Ukrainian. Both need a lawful stay in Ukraine on the day of registration, passports with notarized Ukrainian translations and, if either was married before, the document that ended that marriage. The Ukrainian certificate can then be apostilled and translated for use in your home countries.

What is the minimum age to marry in Ukraine?

18 for both partners. From the age of 16, marriage is possible only with a court’s permission.

Is a religious wedding legally recognised in Ukraine?

No. Only a marriage registered at a Vital Records Department has legal effect. A religious ceremony can be held before or after, but it does not replace civil registration.

Do we need witnesses?

No. Ukrainian law does not require witnesses at the registration.

Do I get Ukrainian citizenship by marrying a Ukrainian?

No. Marriage is a ground for a temporary residence permit, which is applied for separately and also requires a long-stay D visa. Citizenship has its own rules and waiting periods.

Can we get married in Ukraine during the war?

Yes. Vital Records Departments work in all government-controlled areas, and martial law has made the timing easier: the marriage can be registered on the day you apply. The foreign partner’s stay in Ukraine must be lawful — check entry rules for your citizenship before travelling.

Is the “marriage in 24 hours” service available to foreigners?

Yes, in the cities that offer it. The documents are the same as for a standard registration — passport with a notarized translation, proof of lawful stay and proof that any previous marriage ended — so have the translations notarized before you book.

Do I need a visa to get married in Ukraine?

It depends on your citizenship, not on the marriage itself. Citizens of the EU, the UK, the US, Canada and many other countries enter Ukraine visa-free for up to 90 days in any 180; others apply for a visa in advance. The registry office checks one thing — that your stay is lawful on the day of registration — so plan the trip so that the wedding falls within your permitted stay.

Can we get married in Ukraine online or without the foreign partner being present?

No. Both partners sign the record in person at the registry office on the day of registration — there is no online or proxy marriage in Ukraine. Only the application can be filed by one partner alone, with a notarized statement from the other and a valid reason for the absence. Everything before that — translations, notarization, checking the documents — we can do while you are still abroad.

Do we need a medical examination or a blood test?

No test is required. Ukrainian family law asks the partners to inform each other about their state of health, and offers a free, voluntary pre-marital medical examination — but the registry office does not ask for any medical certificate, and the results, if you take the examination, are confidential.

Does the foreign partner need to speak Ukrainian?

No, but the ceremony is held in Ukrainian and the partner has to understand what they are signing. If you do not speak the language, the office will ask for an interpreter to be present at the registration — arrange one locally in advance. Our part is the documents: notarized translations into Ukrainian of your passport and certificates.

Office: Olzhycha St 9, office 14, Zhytomyr, Ukraine

Hours: Mon–Fri 09:00–16:00 (EET)

Phone: +380 98 748 2944 (office) · +380 96 221 3310

Telegram: @global_lingo_ukraine

WhatsApp: +380 96 221 3310

Email: igodovskyi@global-lingo-group.com

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