Key points:
- The Ministry of Justice of Ukraine has approved an updated procedure for affixing apostilles to documents.
- Document No. 3177/5 will come into force on 1 February 2026 after its official publication.
- The procedure streamlines the processes for using the Electronic Register of Apostilles.
- The new rules clarify the interaction between the Ministry of Justice, notaries, courts and archives.
- The previous procedure from 2015 will cease to be valid after the new one is introduced.
The Ministry of Justice of Ukraine has officially approved a new procedure for affixing apostilles to official documents intended for use abroad. The relevant order No. 3177/5 was adopted on 20 November 2025 and will come into force on 1 February 2026, but not earlier than the day of its official publication.
What does the new procedure entail:
- Apostilles will be affixed through the Electronic Register of Apostilles.
- The document specifies how and by whom samples of signatures, seals and public key certificates are to be submitted.
- This data will be submitted by the Ministry of Justice, its territorial divisions, the State Archival Service and the courts (with regard to judges).
- Decisions on the affixing or refusal of an apostille will be made within three working days;
- The stages of document acceptance, review, issuance of results and access to information from the Register are clearly defined;
From 1 January 2026, a new service fee will be introduced: for individuals, an apostille will cost 670 uah, and for legal entities, 1,160 uah.
According to the order, the previous procedure and related regulations established in 2015 will be discontinued, allowing the updated processes to operate in line with modern requirements and digital services.
