Archival references from Ukraine
Searching for information in Ukrainian archives
We provide professional assistance in obtaining archival certificates from Ukraine in cases where independent requests to archives are unsuccessful or impossible. We work with state archives, civil registry offices, and other institutions that store legally significant records of birth, marriage, kinship, change of surname, and other facts. We take care of the entire process — from analysing the situation and determining the necessary archive to obtaining an official archival certificate suitable for further use in Ukraine and abroad.
We can arrange for an archival certificate to be obtained without you having to travel to Ukraine, acting on your behalf and representing your interests before state authorities. We work with cases of any complexity, including archival records from the Soviet period, incomplete or contradictory data, as well as situations where archives have previously issued formal refusals. Our task is not just to find a document, but to ensure that it is obtained legally, in the required form, and accepted at the place of request.
Archival certificates from Ukraine are often key documents in situations where the originals have been lost, are missing, or were never issued. Information about birth, marriage, divorce, change of surname, family ties and other legally significant facts is stored in state archives and registers, and it is the archival reference that allows these data to be officially confirmed for use in Ukraine and abroad.
In practice, the need to obtain an archival certificate arises when preparing documents for consulates, immigration and visa procedures, citizenship registration, repatriation, as well as in cases where documents were issued decades ago, including during the Soviet period. Independent searches for archival data are often complicated by the lack of accurate information about the location of records, formal refusals by archives, and the inability to apply in person if the applicant lives outside Ukraine.
An archival reference is an official document issued by a state archive or civil registry office that confirms a specific fact or event. Such certificates are accepted by foreign government agencies, consulates, and migration services, provided they are correctly executed and comply with the established requirements. Depending on the situation, an archival certificate may replace a lost document or serve as additional confirmation of the data specified in other documents.
We do not send formal requests ‘blindly’, but first analyse the archival situation and possible options for obtaining the necessary information. This approach allows us to avoid unnecessary refusals and obtain archival information in a form that is actually accepted at the place of request.
The most frequently requested archival records are those relating to birth, marriage or divorce, change of surname, and confirmation of family ties. A separate category consists of archival records drawn up during the Soviet era, when documents were issued according to different rules and data could be recorded in paper books and archives. Searching for such information requires precise identification of the region, period, and type of archive in which the necessary information may be stored.
Archival certificates from Ukraine are often required for repatriation, obtaining citizenship of other countries, confirming origin or kinship, as well as when submitting documents to consulates. In such cases, it is important not only to obtain the document itself, but also to ensure that its content and form comply with the requirements of the specific procedure. Formal inaccuracies, incomplete data, or an incorrectly selected authority may result in the certificate being rejected.
The possibility of obtaining archival certificates without travelling to Ukraine deserves special attention. For foreign citizens and persons permanently residing abroad, it is often impossible to personally visit the archives. In such situations, documents are processed by power of attorney, and the entire process — from analysing the situation to obtaining the certificate — can be organised remotely. This is especially relevant for those who are preparing documents for immigration purposes and are unable to interact with Ukrainian government agencies in person.
The results of searching for archival documents depend on many factors, including the year the record was created, the region where the document was issued, the completeness of the source data, and the specifics of the particular archive. In some cases, it is necessary to send requests to several archival institutions, clarify information, and use alternative sources to confirm the information. It is at this stage that difficulties most often arise when making independent requests.
Legal support in obtaining archival references allows you to structure the process more effectively and avoid typical mistakes. A solicitor assesses what specific archival information is needed in a particular situation, identifies the competent authority, drafts a legally correct request, and oversees interactions with archives and government agencies. Depending on the circumstances, it may be recommended to obtain archival information or restore a lost document through the procedure established by law.
Each archival request is unique and requires an individual approach. The right strategy for obtaining archival information can significantly reduce the time required, lower the risk of rejection, and ensure that the document can be used for further legal and immigration procedures without having to collect evidence again.