Getting married in Ukraine: documents and apostille

This page is for Turkish citizens who want to marry before the Ukrainian authorities in Ukraine. It explains who performs the marriage ceremony, which documents Ukraine requires from the foreign spouse, the certificate of capacity to marry that you need to obtain from Turkey, and apostille rules. For registering the marriage in Turkey after the ceremony, see U5.2.

• The marriage ceremony is performed at the civil registry office (відділ державної реєстрації актів цивільного стану, ДРАЦС for short) selected by the couple. The application may also be submitted to an administrative service center (ЦНАП).
• The couple submits the application together and in person, in writing. Passports are presented with the application.
• If one party cannot apply in person for a valid reason, a representative may submit that party’s notarized application under notarized authorization.
• The marriage ceremony is performed one month after the application. If there is a valid reason proven by documents, the head of the office may permit an earlier ceremony upon the couple’s joint petition.
• Both parties must be personally present at the ceremony. A marriage ceremony cannot be performed through a representative.
• After the ceremony, each spouse receives a marriage certificate (свідоцтво про шлюб).
• State fee: 0.85 hryvnia (0.05 of the tax-exempt minimum income).
• During martial law, a marriage to a member of the military, police, or a healthcare institution may be performed without that person being present.
• During martial law, civil registration procedures may be carried out at any civil registry office at the applicant’s request.

• passport
• Document showing that you are legally present in Ukraine. If you are within the visa-free stay period, your passport; if you have a residence permit, your residence card (see U1.1 and U2.1).
• if you were previously married, a document showing that the marriage ended, or the details of the court decision (divorce judgment, spouse’s death certificate)
• document showing payment of the state fee
• foreign civil-status documents that have been legalized in the prescribed manner (between Turkey and Ukraine, this means an apostille)
• certified Ukrainian translation of documents in a foreign language
• for persons aged 16–18, a court decision granting permission to marry

• For Turkish citizens who will marry before foreign authorities, a Turkish diplomatic mission issues a certificate of capacity to marry. This is the civil-status document that foreign authorities will request from you.
• The couple applies together and in person, by appointment. You cannot apply alone.
• The application may only be submitted to the mission responsible for the area where you reside (the Embassy in Kyiv or the Consulate General in Odesa; see U5.2 for the areas of responsibility).
• No fee for this procedure appears on the fee schedule of the Embassy in Kyiv.
• Required documents:
  • marriage application to be signed jointly by the couple at the mission
  • originals and photocopies of the Turkish identity cards; original and photocopy of the foreign spouse’s passport or identity card
  • the foreign spouse’s birth certificate and photocopy
  • two identical color photographs per person, taken from the front within the last 6 months (computer-reproduced photographs are not accepted)
  • if the woman was previously divorced and the 300-day waiting period (iddet period) has not expired, the Turkish court decision removing or shortening this period. Foreign divorce decisions must first be registered in the Turkish civil registry (see U5.4).
  • court decision if the previous marriage was annulled
  • death certificate if the previous marriage ended due to the spouse’s death
  • document obtained by the foreign spouse from the authorities of their own country showing that there is no impediment to their marriage
  • parental consent for persons who have turned 17; judge’s permission for persons who have turned 16

• Turkey has been a party to the Apostille Convention since 29 September 1985, and Ukraine since 22 December 2003.
• In Turkey, apostilles are issued by provincial governorates and district governorates; for judicial documents, justice commissions in heavy penal court centers are authorized. Turkish diplomatic missions abroad are not authorized to issue apostilles.
• An apostille application may also be submitted electronically through the e-Apostille system.
• An apostilled document is used directly before the authorities of countries party to the Convention. An apostilled document is not separately authenticated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
• A multilingual international birth registration extract (Formül A) and civil registry extract may be requested through the consulate’s online system and sent to your address by mail.
• The Ukrainian translation must be duly certified in Ukraine. The Turkish diplomatic mission certifies, for a fee, translations made by sworn translators who have taken an oath before the mission. You can find translators registered with the consulate through the “Find a Translator” service.

1. Make a consular appointment and apply for the certificate of capacity to marry together with your spouse.
2. Have the documents issued in Turkey (birth registration extract, divorce judgment, etc.) apostilled.
3. Have the documents translated into Ukrainian and certified.
4. Apply together to the civil registry office (ДРАЦС) or ЦНАП you selected and pay the fee.
5. The marriage ceremony is performed one month after the application; obtain your marriage certificate.
6. Notify the Turkish diplomatic mission of the marriage within 30 days at the latest (see U5.2).
7. If you married a Ukrainian citizen, see U2.1 for a residence permit for family reunification.

• Civil registry office (ДРАЦС) or administrative service center (ЦНАП) — marriage application
  • You can find the nearest ЦНАП in the list in the Diia directory.
• Embassy of the Republic of Türkiye in Kyiv — certificate of capacity to marry, certification of translations
  • Address: 22 Panasa Myrnoho St., 01011 Kyiv
  • Telephone: +380 44 281 07 50 (consular services on weekdays 14:30–17:30)
  • Emergency: +380 63 211 47 65 · Email: embassy.kiev@mfa.gov.tr
  • Appointments are handled between 09:30–12:30; fees are payable only in euros
• Consulate General of the Republic of Türkiye in Odesa
  • Address: 5 Leontovycha St., 65014 Odesa
  • Telephone: +380 48 722 79 11, +380 48 722 79 39, +380 48 720 72 00
  • Emergency: +380 93 711 00 24, +380 93 711 00 26 · Email: consulate.odessa@mfa.gov.tr
  • Applications are handled between 09:30–12:30 and 13:30–17:00
• Ministry of Foreign Affairs Consular Call Center (24/7): +90 312 292 29 29
• Consular appointment: konsolosluk.gov.tr

• Trying to apply for the certificate of capacity to marry alone. The couple must apply together.
• Taking Turkish documents without apostilles or failing to have the translation certified.
• Going to the civil registry office after exceeding the visa-free stay period. Ukraine requires proof of legal stay.
• Planning the trip without allowing for the one-month waiting period for the ceremony.
• Overlooking the divorced woman’s 300-day iddet period and the fact that the foreign divorce decision has not been registered in Turkey.
• Missing the 30-day registration period after the ceremony.

• Can I have the marriage ceremony at the Turkish Embassy? At Turkish missions, only couples whose both parties are Turkish citizens may marry, and the law of the country of residence must permit it. If one spouse is a foreigner or has multiple citizenships, the ceremony is performed before the Ukrainian authorities.
• Can I marry at an honorary consulate? No. Honorary consul generals and honorary consuls are not authorized to perform marriage ceremonies.
• How long does marriage in Ukraine take? The ceremony is performed one month after the application. It may take place earlier if there is a valid and documented reason.
• Is a marriage performed in Ukraine valid in Turkey? It is valid if it complies with the Turkish Civil Code and there is no ground for invalidity. For registration, see U5.2.
• Is there a fee for the certificate of capacity to marry? No fee for this procedure appears on the fee schedule of the Embassy in Kyiv.

• Diia – Marriage registration service card (No. 00031)
• Diia – ЦНАП list
• Certificate of capacity to marry application form (Word)
• Embassy of the Republic of Türkiye in Kyiv – Consular services
• Consular appointment system
• Consular online document system (Formül A, civil registry extract)
• Consulate – Find a Translator
• e-Apostille
• HCCH – Apostille Convention status table