Marriage Process In Ukraine

The Ukrainian civil marriage process can take several weeks to several months. If you are marrying another American, or a third-country national, it is the Embassy’s understanding that Ukrainian authorities require that one of the parties be present in Ukraine - for an unspecified period of several months - before they can register their marriage in Ukraine.

To marry a Ukrainian citizen, a U.S. citizen should follow these step-by-step instructions.

• If you have been married before, please make sure that you have the original divorce decree or death certificate properly authenticated in the U.S. Since Ukraine acceded to the 1961 Hague Convention abolishing Requirement of Legalization for Foreign Public Documents, the U.S. documents destined for use in Ukraine should be certified by one of the officials in the jurisdiction in which the document has been executed. Said official must have been designated as competent to issue certifications by apostille (usually in the office of the State Secretary of State of his/her counterpart).

• Fill out a Letter of Non-Impediment to Marriage ("marriage letter") at the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv. This form (in English and Ukrainian) contains basic information and is a sworn statement that you are not currently married. It must be signed only in the presence of a Consular Officer and, as for a notarial service, there is a fee of $30. At the same time you can obtain the forms and instructions necessary for filing an immigration petition with the Embassy or at your local USCIS office in the U.S.

• Authenticate the "Letter" at the Legalization Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine.

• Obtain a certified translation of the data page of your passport, any annulment decrees, divorce decrees or death certificates of your former spouse(s) (if you were previously married), and the letter of non-impediment to marriage.

• To arrange for your marriage, take all the documents, including your original passport (with a translation), the authenticated original death or divorce decree (if any) (with translation), and the authenticated Letter of Non-Impediment to Marriage, with translation to RAGS - loosely translated as the civil registrar’s office in the hometown of your fiance(e).

Pursuant to Article 195 of the Code of Laws on Marriage and Family of Ukraine, a citizen of a foreign state can enter into a marriage with a Ukrainian national on the territory of Ukraine on a general basis.

The local Department of Vital Statistics and Civil Status (known by the acronym "RAGS") can process an application for marriage to a Ukrainian national. Following documents are required:

• Passport (translated into the Ukrainian language);

• an apostilled Certificate of Birth (translated into the Ukrainian language);

• an apostilleâ document on individual current marital status (such documents can be obtained from a district court);

• an apostilled original divorce decree if any (this document must be presented only by individuals who have been previously married. It may be represented by a Divorce Decree, Certificate of Death of one of the spouses, or a copy of the Court Judgment annulling the marriage).

The validity of the documents mentioned (except passport) is six months; effective date is the date of issuance by the appropriate authority.