Can you register a marriage to a foreigner online through Diia

Ukraine became one of the first countries where a couple can get married remotely — via a video link in the Diia app. However, for couples in which one of the parties is a foreign national, there is a significant restriction.

The fully remote “Marriage online” service is available to adult citizens of Ukraine. To use it, a person must meet the established requirements, in particular hold the necessary digital documents in Diia and not be in another registered marriage. The ceremony itself takes place over a video link, so the couple may even be in different cities or countries.

Citizenship, though, is decisive here. Foreign nationals currently cannot use the “Marriage online” service for a fully remote registration of a marriage to a Ukrainian citizen. This also applies to foreign nationals holding a temporary or permanent residence permit in Ukraine. Such a couple has to register the marriage under the general procedure, through a civil registry office.

One of the reasons lies in the way a foreign national’s documents and the lawfulness of their stay in Ukraine are verified. The applicable Rules for the State Registration of Civil Status Acts in Ukraine provide for the relevant document checks, and in the prescribed cases the civil registry office interacts with the State Migration Service.

Consequently, simply holding a Ukrainian residence permit does not put a foreign national on the same footing as a Ukrainian citizen for the purposes of the electronic “Marriage online” service.

If one of the future spouses is abroad, or you are not sure which registration procedure is available in your particular situation, contact the lawyers of the “Strategic Advocacy” law association for a consultation.