How to get a Ukrainian police certificate through Diia while living in the UK

What an apostille is

An apostille is a stamped official certificate attached to UK public documents by the Legalisation Office of the FCDO, which checks the signature or seal against its records. A document can be legalised when a UK public official issued it, or when one has certified it, such as a notary or solicitor. Typical examples are a contract, a power of attorney, or a qualification certificate copy.

The two application routes

Applications for both types are made online. The paper-based apostille covers documents sent by post or, for registered businesses, brought in person. An e-Apostille is a PDF that a notary or solicitor in the UK has signed electronically.

What an e-Apostille cannot cover

An e-Apostille is not available for documents issued by the General Register Office, including birth certificates, death certificates, marriage and civil partnership certificates, and adoption certificates. The same applies to ACRO police certificates (England and Wales), DBS certificates (England and Wales), fingerprint certificates, and disclosure certificates (Scotland and Northern Ireland). For these documents, the paper-based apostille is the remaining option.

Fees per document

How long each route takes

Checking the receiving authority

Check whether the receiving authority wants paper: some receiving authorities want paper-based documents even if an e-Apostille is available.