In 2024, the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine adopted a resolution on the procedure for maintaining the Electronic Register of Apostilles. It should be applied in practice from June 1, 2025. This was reported by the "Judicial and Legal Newspaper in Ukraine".
What does the new regulation say?
The Government Resolution defines the procedure for the operation and filling of the Electronic Register of Apostilles in Ukraine. It applies to all central executive authorities defined by paragraph 1 of the Resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers of January 18, 2003 No. 61 "On the Granting of Authority to Affix an Apostille Provided for by the Convention Abolishing the Requirement for Legalization of Foreign Official Documents". These include the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Justice, the State Migration Service, the State Tax Service and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The electronic register of apostilles, according to the document, is a “state information and communication system that ensures the collection, accumulation, protection, accounting, display, and processing of information on affixed apostilles, samples of signatures of officials and seal prints of competent authorities, samples of signatures of officials or other persons authorized by law from whom official documents are received or may be issued, as well as samples of seal prints and/or stamps that are or may be affixed to the relevant documents, as well as information on qualified public key certificates and the provision of information on affixed apostilles.”
The owner of the apostille registry is the state, represented by the Ministry of Justice.
The registry administrator is a special state enterprise that falls under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Justice.
The register is maintained in Ukrainian.
Maintaining the register involves the formation and registration of applications for apostille, supplementing applications with scanned documents, submitting documents for apostille, searching for the necessary information, affixing an apostille, forming refusal messages, providing information on apostille, collecting samples of signatures and seals, and electronic interaction with other registers.
The register includes the competent authority, applicant data, details for affixing an apostille, and the applicant's phone number. Scanned documents are stored in pdf format.
The search in the system is carried out by the application registration number, the apostille registration number, the official’s data, and the organization’s data.
When apostilling, information about the document details, personal data of the official who signed it, data of the organization that issued it, data of the organization that apostilled it, and data of the official who apostilled it is entered into the register.
What will the creation of a full-fledged registry change?
Ukraine already has a registry of apostilles, but for now it operates with limited functionality.
"Earlier, the Judicial and Legal Newspaper wrote about the problems faced by Ukrainian citizens, in particular, women with children who have gone abroad and are employed there, due to the lack of digitalization of the apostille. Thus, a certificate of no criminal record can be obtained electronically, but to affix the apostille, you need to wait almost a month," writes the Judicial and Legal Newspaper.
Now experts expect that the work on apostilling documents will be systematized on a national scale, and the speed of document certification will increase.
What is an apostille?
What is an apostille? Why do I need an apostille? How do I get an apostille? - Our video will explain everything you need to know about the apostille. If you have a document that needs to be certified with an apostille for use abroad, Schmidt and Schmidt will assist you! We provide apostille services in more than 100 countries worldwide.
