Obtain an archival birth certificate in Ukraine

Obtain an archival birth certificate in Ukraine

There are cases when documents confirming the fact of a birth that occurred many years ago are required. This may be important for applying for a pension, receiving an inheritance, obtaining citizenship, or for studying your family history. In such cases, you will need a relevant birth certificate (an archived birth certificate from the USSR or earlier). It confirms the fact of your birth (or the birth of your relative) based on records that have been stored in archives for a long time.

Where can I find an archived birth certificate?

It all depends on how long ago the event took place.:
• If less than 75 years have passed since your birthday. Then you need to contact the registry office. Look for the department where you live or where your birth was registered. That's where the necessary record books are stored.
• If more than 75 years have passed since your birthday. All these records have already been transferred to permanent storage in the state archives. You need to contact your region or the City of Kiev, where the birth took place.

Remember! An archival certificate is not a photocopy of a birth certificate. This is a separate document that the archive issues to confirm the fact of birth itself, based on its old records.

Why do I need an archived birth certificate?

Such certificates are ordered for various reasons:
• For citizenship. This can be a key document if you want to obtain Ukrainian citizenship "by roots" or even citizenship of another country (for example, Poland or Romania) if you were born on their historical lands.
• For family relationships. To restore your family tree, issue an inheritance, or resolve some legal issues where it is important to confirm who is related to whom.
• For court and other cases. If you need to officially prove the fact of birth in court or in other state institutions.

The archived birth certificate has the same legal force as the original.

How do I get an archived birth certificate?

We have prepared step-by-step instructions.:
• Find out where to apply. First, identify the registry office or the regional archive. It all depends on the date of birth and the place where it happened.
• Collect all the information. The more details you provide, the faster your archive request will produce results. Specify:
• is the person's full name (for women, it must be their maiden name, if you know).
• — The exact date of birth (or at least the approximate year).
• — Place of birth (city, village).
• — Any other data that might help (for example, parents' names, faiths, if these are old church records).
• — A life hack. If you have several spelling options for your first or last name (because they used to be spelled differently), specify them all - this way you have a better chance of finding them!
• Write a statement: make a written request to the archive. There are usually special forms that need to be filled out.
• Pay the fee: as a rule, you have to pay for the certificate. Specify the amount in advance. By the way, if a certificate is needed for social protection (for example, for a pension), it will be given free of charge.
• Wait for a response. The archive needs time to find the information. This can take up to 30 calendar days, depending on how loaded the archive is and how difficult it is to find the necessary records.

When everything is ready, you will receive the requested archived birth certificate.

What should I pay attention to and what difficulties can there be?

Several points should be understood before contacting us.
• Whose data can be requested. You can only get a certificate about yourself or about your closest relatives: parents, children, brothers, sisters, grandfathers, grandmothers. They will not give information about strangers — this is prohibited by the law on personal data.
• Accuracy is the key to success. If there are errors or inaccuracies in the request, this may delay the process or cause rejection.
• They may ask for additional papers. You may need to attach a copy of your passport or documents confirming that you are a relative of the person you are asking about.
• If there is no entry. Unfortunately, sometimes old recordings are lost (for example, due to wars or fires). In this case, the archive will give you an official certificate stating that the necessary data has not been found.
• Different surnames. If a relative was found in the archive, but his first or last name differs from what you know, you may have to go to court. The court will help to officially confirm the family connection. This decision will then become proof, for example, for the Migration Service.

If you plan to use an archived birth certificate outside of Ukraine, you may need an apostille (special stamp). Be sure to inform the archive about this in advance, because not every form can have such a mark.

When should I contact a lawyer?

Finding and obtaining archival information can be a real quest. A lawyer will make your life much easier if:

• You don't know exactly where to look for the records.
• It's difficult for you to fill out the archive request correctly.
• The issue of complex family ties needs to be resolved through the courts.
• You don't have the time or desire to do paperwork.
• The certificate is needed for use abroad, and there are nuances with the apostille.

Therefore, if you are not ready to spend time searching and preparing documents, contact professionals.

We guarantee that the result of Our services you receive will meet your expectations and legal requirements 100%.

Specialist in obtaining archival birth certificates