Legalisation

Procedure of documents legalization for usage in foreign states

Legalization of documents is a process of lending them a legal form that conforms to the legislation of a particular state and is validated by its governmental authorities. In Ukraine, documents can be legalized for such countries as Germany, Canada, Denmark, the United Arab Emirates.

Legalization of documents is carried out by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Justice and regional and municipal departments of Justice.

The Ministry of Foreign  Affairs can legalize the following documents:

• statements, issued by the Ministry of Internal Affairs:
• originals of official documents issued by civil registry offices and attested by regional or municipal departments of Justice;
• originals of statements issued  by foreign embassies on the territory of Ukraine to foreign citizens, who entered into marriage on the territory of Ukraine. Such statement is to be submitted at the civil registry office on marriage registration.

 The Ministry of Justice legalizes the following documents:

 documents issued or verified by private sector notaries or state agency notaries (notarial copies, statements, residence certificates), translations;

• notarized copies.

 After legalization in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs documents are sent for verification to diplomatic representation of the country in which they will be used.

Legalization of documents issued abroad:

Documents issued on the territory of other states cannot be legalized in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine. For legalization of these documents one must apply to consular offices of Ukraine.

There exist two ways of legalization of documents:

1. Legalization of documents in regional or municipal departments of Justice and in the Ministry of Internal Affairs, after that the translation into the necessary language is executed and the documents are notarized. This procedure is used for documents issued by civil registry offices.
2. A notarized copy is legalized in the Ministry of Justice or in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Afterwards the document is translated into the necessary language and notarized.

Notably, it is important that documents obtained in foreign states but aimed at usage on the territory of Ukraine must be legalized in Ukrainian consular agency.

According to the instructions of document legalization in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, documents executed outside Ukraine must be mandatorily legalized in the consular office of a particular country. The consular office can accept the document for legalization only after it is certified in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or any other empowered governmental authority that issued the document. The document can be certified in the form of the stamp “Apostille” on a power of attorney, but it has to be additionally legalized in Ukrainian consular agency.

Ministries of Foreign Affairs of foreign states often do not verify notary’s seal and signature who certified the power of attorney. That is why a connecting link appears between the Ministry and the notary – the Ministry of Justice or another authority that is directly involved in the process and under the jurisdiction of which notaries come.

Thus, the Ministry of Justice or other competent authority attests the verity of the notary’s seal, signature and status. After that, one must certify in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of foreign country that the affixed seal is the genuine seal of the Ministry of Justice and the signature is the genuine signature of an official from the Ministry of Justice.

• Documents are legalized with the availability of a power of attorney.
• The stamp “Apostille” can be affixed without presenting a power of attorney.
• For apostilization and legalization availability of originals of documents and their notarized copies is mandatory.
• The stamp “Apostille” can be affixed only in case when the country is a signatory to the Hague Convention.

 CONSULAR LEGALIZATION OF DOCUMENTS

 *** the stamp “Apostille” is affixed WITHOUT a power of attorney.

*** documents of physical entities can be legalized only upon availability of a notarially attested power of attorney.

*** documents of legal entities can be apostilled/legalized only upon availability of a letter of enquiry from a company.

COUNTRIES

 (Prices specified for 1 document)

 Italy (Apostille + accredited translation + consular certification):

 Certificates issued by civil registry offices – UAH 2500.

• Extract – upwards of UAH 3000.
• Statement – upwards of UAH 3000.
• Certificate of criminal record – UAH 2500.
• Certificate of registration – UAH 2500.
• Non-typical documents (large certificates, statements, powers of attorney etc.) – specify value of the accredited translation.

 Portugal (double apostille + certified translation):

 Standard documents (certificates, certificates of registration, of criminal record) – UAH 850.

• Extract, statements – upwards of UAH 900.

 Spain, Germany (double apostille + certified translation):

 Standard documents (certificates, certificates of registration, of criminal record) – UAH 750.

• Extract, statements – upwards of UAH 800.

Value of other documents and languages has to be specified.