Ukrainian police certificates when travelling abroad with children

Apostilla UK is a private company, not a government body. We do not issue Ukrainian police certificates and we are not affiliated with the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine or any embassy. This page covers only what official UK government guidance confirms about apostilles and legalisation of UK documents; anything about Ukrainian procedures must be confirmed with the Ukrainian authorities directly.

What an apostille is

An apostille is a stamped official certificate attached by the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) Legalisation Office to a UK public document. Before attaching it, the FCDO checks the signature or seal on the document against their records. Apostilles for UK public documents are issued exclusively by the FCDO Legalisation Office.

Which documents can be legalised

A document can be legalised if it was issued by a UK public official or certified by one, such as a UK notary or solicitor. The gov.uk page gives examples such as a power of attorney, a contract, or a copy of a qualification certificate.

Types of apostille and how to apply

There are two types of apostille, and both are applied for online:

• Paper-based — applied for online, then handled by post, or in person for registered businesses.
• e-Apostille — a PDF signed electronically by a UK notary or solicitor.

Documents that cannot get an e-Apostille

You cannot get an e-Apostille for:

• birth, death, marriage, civil partnership and adoption certificates or other General Register Office documents;
• ACRO police certificates (England and Wales);
• DBS certificates (England and Wales);
• disclosure certificates (Scotland and Northern Ireland);
• fingerprint certificates.

For these documents, the paper-based route is the option available. This is directly relevant to police certificates: if a requesting authority wants an apostilled police certificate, an electronic apostille is not available for ACRO certificates.

Check whether the receiving authority wants a paper document even when an e-Apostille exists — the gov.uk guidance notes that some authorities want paper-based apostilles.

Fees and processing times

The confirmed fees per document are:

Courier costs apply to paper-based apostilles. There is no refund if the document cannot be legalised.

The confirmed processing times are:

What this means for a Ukrainian police certificate

This page’s confirmed facts cover the apostille and legalisation of UK-issued documents by the FCDO. Official UK guidance confirms that a UK public document can be legalised once issued or certified by a UK public official, and that police certificates such as ACRO certificates are limited to the paper-based apostille route.

For questions about a Ukrainian police clearance certificate itself — who issues it, how to apply, whether it is needed for child travel, and how it is apostilled or translated — the facts on this page are not enough, and those details need to be confirmed with the Ukrainian Ministry of Internal Affairs, the relevant Ukrainian consulate, or the requesting authority before you order anything.

Apostilles on a Ukrainian document are outside the scope of the FCDO Legalisation Office service described here; the FCDO legalises UK public documents only. For any destination country’s requirements on police certificates for visas, schools or work involving children, check directly with the embassy, visa centre, school or employer.

This page is for general information only and is not legal advice. Please consult a qualified professional before making decisions.