What documents are required for marriage to a foreigner in Ukraine

A marriage between a Ukrainian citizen and a foreign national is registered under Ukrainian law. This follows directly from Article 56 of the Law of Ukraine “On Private International Law”: the form and procedure for entering into such a marriage in Ukraine are governed by Ukrainian law.

To register the marriage, the foreign national must first present a passport document and a document confirming the lawfulness of their stay in Ukraine. If the person holds the citizenship of several states, the corresponding passport documents must be provided. The civil registry office also sends a request to the territorial body of the State Migration Service in order to verify the lawfulness of the foreign national’s stay in Ukraine as at the date of the marriage registration.

If one of the parties was previously married, details of the document confirming that the marriage has ended are required. This may be a divorce certificate, a court decision, or a death certificate of the former spouse. For a subsequent marriage, what matters is confirmation that the most recent marriage has ended.

Particular attention should be paid to documents issued abroad. They must be duly legalised, unless an international treaty of Ukraine provides otherwise. Documents in a foreign language are submitted together with a translation into Ukrainian, the accuracy of which is certified in the established manner.

In practice, it is precisely the handling of foreign documents that often causes delays. That is why, before filing the application, it is worth checking whether an apostille or consular legalisation is needed and whether the translation has been drawn up correctly.

If you still have questions about the documents for a marriage to a foreign national, or you need help preparing them, contact the lawyers of the “Strategic Advocacy” law association for a consultation.