Russian, Ukrainian & FSU Information & Manosphere Discussion Forums
Information & Chat => Visas, Legal Paperwork and Other Documentation => Topic started by: Chris on January 14, 2008, 03:17:50 PM
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Over the Christmas/New Year period this year I spent a few hours greasing palms to get the information necessary to allow me to get married in Ukraine. I was told by the Chernivsti authority office that I needed certain documentation to allow this, one being a Certificate of No Impediment, although that is not what they called it, but it is what they meant. I was also told that our Government offices could provide this for us.
This is what I was told I need:-
* Passport with Ukrainian stamp to say I am in the country legally.
* Divorce certificate with stamp/apostille
* Letter from employer to say only 7 days holiday or it can be flight tickets – to speed up the waiting period. (normally a 30 day in country wait is necessary)
* Letter/Certificate/Reference from Lawyer/Government Office to say I am not currently married and it must be apostilled.
All must be translated into Ukrainian and signed by a notary
So on returning to the UK I did some research and this is what I have found to be correct:-
The Certificate of no impediment to marriage is obtained from your local registry office. Their phone number will be under whichever town/district/borough council area that you live in.
All the documents can be notorised by the British Embassy in London.
link. http://www.fco.gov.uk/servlet/Front...d=1007029391440
Today I called the above offices and this is what I was told:-
I spoke to my local Registry Office, this is what they told me:-
1. You Need to book an appointment to go in and see them in person.
2. You need to take with you:-
a) Your Name / Address,
b) Your Birth Certificate
c) Your Passport
d) An original copy of your Decree Absolute which must be a stamped copy by the court who issued it
e) A bank/utility bill with your name and address on it
3. They complete a Form 48 or 48a
4. You then have to wait 21 CLEAR days and go back to see them, then they issue a Form 36 which is signed and dated, it is NOT APOSTILLED,
You also need to take with you
a) Full name spelt correctly of your Fiancee
b) Full address where she resides now
c) Her correct age
d) Occupation
e) Current Marital status
and there is a £30 fee to pay.
I asked the lady about Legalisation of the documents, she told me to call the British Embassy in London to confirm if this is needed, I told her in Ukraine they do not accept documents unless they have official stamps, so she told me then the Embassy may have to Legalise and stamp all documents then.
So I called the Legalisation Office at the British Embassy:-
The Legalisation Office - http://www.fco.gov.uk/servlet/Front...d=1007029391440
They say allow up to 4 weeks, and they CAN legalise, Certs of No Impediment, they actually say it takes 15 days but allow 4 weeks to be sure.
You can take your documents in person for same day Legalisation, waits can be up to 2 hours and each document costs £27.00, anyone can take your documents, no ID is required, but all documents must have either a signature, a seal or be notorised by an approved solicitor. No foreign documents can be Legalised.
They Attach to each document a Certificate or Apostille
Looks like a trip down to London for me then.
Thought this may help others.
Chris
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I expect your situtation is similar to what was needed for us as well. I covered this in detail on my topic on RWG under the heading of Another Marriage in Ukraine - or something similar in the Non-USA Section there.
Basically all of your forms and documents after being officially attested to my your country's legel department and/or Embassy will then be required to be translated into Ukranian and Notarized by the translation firms lawyer.
Then the said translated and notarized documents will required legalization by the Ukraine Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Kiev. This takes at least a full day to complete. Line up early in the morning to obtain a number. Wait a few hours until it is time to go inside. Complete the forms and leave your documents. Pay the Cashier and obtain a time and number to return in the evening and pick up the legalized documents.
One other document that helps things along is a letter from a doctor saying your fiance is pregnent and you wish to marry because of this. Helps keep everyone in the marriage office happy when seeking a less than 35 days wait prior to getting married.
Good Luck and do check my and other previous threads on this process. Wes.
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Being a US citizen mine wa a little different, but still very similar.
You are correct that the certification of no impediment must be apostilled. However make more than one copy as RAGS will keep the apostilled copy. They also will keep a copy of your birth certificate.
Yes they must be translated into Ukrainian
You take your no impediment to the Ministry of Foreign affairs in Kiev pay your fee to recieve your stamp. You can pick it up after 4pm the same day. (Ministry of foreign Affairs is the yellow building accross from the Foreign Trade Ministry near St Mikails cathedral. Thats the big blue church with the gold domes)
Now you get to register at RAGS in her home city. Be prepared to grease the palm of the director to get a date sooner than the usual 30days (ask me how I know)
Once you get past that point the rest is easy.
Ah yes Chris I remeber those days so well only seems like yesterday (well it was only September :party0011:)
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I expect your situtation is similar to what was needed for us as well. I covered this in detail on my topic on RWG under the heading of Another Marriage in Ukraine - or something similar in the Non-USA Section there.
Basically all of your forms and documents after being officially attested to my your country's legel department and/or Embassy will then be required to be translated into Ukranian and Notarized by the translation firms lawyer.
Then the said translated and notarized documents will required legalization by the Ukraine Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Kiev. This takes at least a full day to complete. Line up early in the morning to obtain a number. Wait a few hours until it is time to go inside. Complete the forms and leave your documents. Pay the Cashier and obtain a time and number to return in the evening and pick up the legalized documents.
One other document that helps things along is a letter from a doctor saying your fiance is pregnent and you wish to marry because of this. Helps keep everyone in the marriage office happy when seeking a less than 35 days wait prior to getting married.
Good Luck and do check my and other previous threads on this process. Wes.
Thanks Wes,
Yes I know about them being translated into Ukrainian, I will be visiting the British Embassy in London sometime early next month after I get my Form 36 Certificate of No Impediment back to get all documents Apostilled. In fact I am going down with another guy I know who is going through the same process. He is a member on here too.
However, this bit I am unsure about "Then the said translated and notarized documents will required legalization by the Ukraine Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Kiev." I was never told by the authorities in Chernivsti this had to be carried out in Kiev, I was lead to believe this could be done locally??
I will get my lady to check it all out and to make sure.
I don't think I will be needing the doctors letter though ;) thanks anyway :)
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Being a US citizen mine wa a little different, but still very similar.
You are correct that the certification of no impediment must be apostilled. However make more than one copy as RAGS will keep the apostilled copy. They also will keep a copy of your birth certificate.
Yes they must be translated into Ukrainian
You take your no impediment to the Ministry of Foreign affairs in Kiev pay your fee to recieve your stamp. You can pick it up after 4pm the same day. (Ministry of foreign Affairs is the yellow building accross from the Foreign Trade Ministry near St Mikails cathedral. Thats the big blue church with the gold domes)
Now you get to register at RAGS in her home city. Be prepared to grease the palm of the director to get a date sooner than the usual 30days (ask me how I know)
Once you get past that point the rest is easy.
Ah yes Chris I remeber those days so well only seems like yesterday (well it was only September :party0011:)
Thanks BG
Yes I did a little palm greasing over Christmas ;) and to be fair she told me what else I could do to speed matters up. When I go back I will be visiting the same lady, who I am sure will smooth things over with a little incentive or two ;)
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I have just spoken to my lady about having the documents Legalised at the Ministry of Affairs in Kiev, this is what she told me:-
The lady we met, told us that we will have to translate all documents and have them notarized but we can get that done in Chernivtsi, she already has someone lined up to do this for us.
The same lady, who I have just found out was actually the MAIN Director of RAGS told us that after we will get married we will have to go to Kiev and get our married certificate legalized, that is all, we do not need the other documents legalized in Kiev.
This lady, the Director of RAGS is the one who can decide if we are able to get married
so if we needed to legalize some documents in Kiev she would have told us that while we were with her. (Now I know why she looked so official :) )
To be sure my lady is calling the Director this afternoon.
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Chrismc:
Again our reality was different than what has been explained to you. All my documents and letters etc. needed for marriage had to be legalized in Kiev at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. This is the one and only office for the whole country and thus the only place that can do this for you.
Your lady's contact is also right about the after marriage thing too. Make sure you get a second copy of the marriage document as your soon to be wife will need to surrender one copy locally in order to update her Passport as then being married. You will want the second one for your sponsorship of your then wife to your country.
The next day after getting married we had to take the marriage document from the local city office to the main city office to have it registered etc. Later on my return to Canada we did the marriage document legalization process in Kiev at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Then had it translated into English, notarized and dropped off a copy at the Canadian Consulate to show that I was now married to a citizen of Ukraine. Thus the legalization process in reverse if you like.
Our local contact in this regard was the former Director of the Marriage Office in Dnepropetrovsk who had retired to care for her orphaned grandchildren. Needless to say these kinds of contacts are a great help in navigating this international marriage puzzle.
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Wes
I think there is a different system for different countries, for example my lady checked everything out today and was told we have it right, I know another guy from the UK who also checked things out today, who is getting married in Odessa in April and he was told exactly the same as us. eg no need to go to Kiev to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
When we went to the RAGS office to start with, we were asked what country I was from, it seemed that they had different forms for different countries, I cannot be certain about that, but that is what it looked like. Based on what two of us from the UK have been told in the last week or so and confirmed today, it may well be that people from different countries are treated differently?? Could be a number of reasons for that, who really knows, but I was also told that the laws and regulations change frequently in Ukraine, so who knows the way they do things now may well be different from how you had to do it ???
My lady has also got some documentation today, signed by the Director of the RAGS Office, no where in that documentation does it mention a visit to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to get your documents Legalised.
Anyway, to be sure, I will send over copies of all my documentation, ,my lady will get them translated and she will take all these documents to the Director of the RAGS Office and see what she says, when I get to Ukraine I will get my originals stamped/notorised.
I will know for sure what the system is in a few weeks time, so it will be interesting to see if what we are being told now remains correct.
Thanks
Chris
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Hi Chris,
Congratulations on the engagement, i hope you and Irina and the little one will be very happy,
regards the apostate you can do this through a local solicitor here in the UK who has been authorised to do this, they genreally mention this i there adds or look on line for a solicitor they have a list from the relevant govt dept,
they send it away to London and it normally takes a week, i had three to do cost £110 for all of them, might be cheaper than going to London,
certificate of no impediment, takes three weeks it has to be on display at your local registry office, just in case someone decides you may not have a reason to get married again,
if you marry in Ukraine ? it will be in Podilsk (and I'm sure I've spelt that wrong) its about 25 miles north west of Chernivtsy and is the local registry office,
yes they still tell you where you can marry and where you can't !!! you have to return the week after for the certificate, its all long lines of those waiting to get married,
then because Irena is marrying a foreigner the paper work has to be taken to the justice dept in Kiev, (but looking at the posts it may no longer be necessary) you then have to return a week later to pick it up,
although the guards on the door can be bribed, in fact they will come outside whilst you are waiting to go in, (be early very early, as a long line builds up), and they will offer to have the paper work sorted by 4 o'clock the same day, for about 20 euros or thirty us dollars,
take care mate and give my regards to your soon to be bride and the sprog :)
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Thanks John for your good wishes and advice.
I have a feeling some of these rules have changed since you guys got married in Ukraine, there is so much conflicting information here, once I go through this and know how it is done I will put together a final draft of the procedures. I started this thread based on someone from the UK getting married in Ukraine, I am pretty sure based on what I have learnt over the last few days the rules are slightly different if you are from the USA or Canada, but I will be finding out as much as I can soon.
John, this bit about getting married in Podilsk is confusing too, we were told we are OK to get married in Chernivsti. Another guy I know who is going through the same in April, from the UK, is getting married in Odessa, his fiance was told yesterday that she can get all the forms translated and notorised at their local RAGS office and this guy can just turn up and get married, it is that easy, of course a few incentives changed hands to smooth the way, but it seems on the face of it more or less a done deal.
Anyway, thanks everyone for the information, I will keep this thread updated as I learn more.
Chris
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Hi Chris,
Yes the rules may have changed, as after I'd posted last night, the little grey cells started working and i remember after Yushenko became president he mentioned making it easier to get married locally, but i remembered to late,
when i got married the bans were put up in Chern but you could only get married at the oblast registry office which was in podilsk, also i believe at that time the bans had to be up for 12 days minimum even if you had an excuse, rather than 21 as was normal then,
I had to return to the UK for an operation, (rather than the wife being pregnant excuse :laugh:)
it was a bit of a devil getting the timing right as we were applying for the visa whilst i was out there,
and had then to rush of to Kiev to the justice dept, (office of bribes) then a week later to get the paperwork as she refused to let me pay the bribe,
also the British govt have two offices one is the consulate and the other is where they issue the visa's luckily not to far apart as we went to the wrong one,
also if you make an appointment it is quicker when you go for the visa, our names were called within ten miniutes of going in and then told to come back that afternoon at four for the visa's,
the woman who did the apostate liked brandy, :)
john
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OK John
Thanks for that, yes the rules change regularly, it's Ukraine it's normal! :) I could tell you a story about rule changes, it beggars belief ;) anyway we shall know for sure very soon.
We will be applying for a visa later as she is not coming here until June anyway, so not as much as a rush with that.
Chris
PS I will remember the brandy :)
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UPDATE
I had an appointment with the local Registry Office last Wednesday to fill out all the forms etc to help me obtain a Certificate of No Impediment, I now have 21 days to wait to receive it, so on the 7th February I should get that, then it is off to the British Embassy in London to get all my documents Apostilled.
The lady at the registry office told me, that once we are married, if I take our new Ukrainian Marriage Certificate to the British Consul in Kiev they will record it and send an acknowledgement over to the UK Office in Southport of all places?? and if we ever need a copy of our Marriage Certificate in the UK we can get it from Southport rather than have to go back to the Ukraine. Something that makes life easier and I didn't know.
She told me she had been busy that day with people having appointments for the same forms every 20 minutes throughout the day and yet since more countries had joined the EU the requests for CoNE had dropped.
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Chris
How much will it cost you to come down to London?
You probably can send the documents down to me By Guaranteed Next day delivery at the Post office.... and the poor Pensioner can go to London and do it for you and the cost of my ticket will be much cheaper than yours.........and I will get experience, where to go and what to do so when my turn comes.....easy.
I hope you don't have to go personally to Apostille the documents?
That is another little cash job that I can do later together with acquiring Visas.........from the Russian and Ukrainian Consulate. I know that route well by now :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:
Actually I have been thinking long time now what can I do for keeping myself occupied and out of mischief...... and earn pocket money!
Yannis
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Chris
How much will it cost you to come down to London?
You probably can send the documents down to me By Guaranteed Next day delivery at the Post office.... and the poor Pensioner can go to London and do it for you and the cost of my ticket will be much cheaper than yours.........and I will get experience, where to go and what to do so when my turn comes.....easy.
I hope you don't have to go personally to Apostille the documents?
That is another little cash job that I can do later together with acquiring Visas.........from the Russian and Ukrainian Consulate. I know that route well by now :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:
Actually I have been thinking long time now what can I do for keeping myself occupied and out of mischief...... and earn pocket money!
Yannis
That is actually a good idea Yannis, because you don't need to turn up in person, anyone can have documents apostilled. However, John my buddy is also getting his Cert of No Imped the day before me and we planned on going down together, save money and the driving, but I will have a talk with him and see what he wants to do.
The only drawback I can see is if they need more information for whatever reason or want to ask questions.
How far are you from the Embassy in London?
I will get back to you on it.
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Train to Waterloo takes 50 minutes and the underground to whitehall... I guess another say 30 minutes........up and down the underground...my arthritis you see... :chuckle: :chuckle: :chuckle:
Any way any additional information can be requested over the phone... I have a mobile you know.... :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:
Anyway plenty of time..........till the 7-8 Feb................don't panic.... you will get married.....I will make sure you make an "honest woman" your Irena... :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:
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I'm going through the same thing now, getting the paperwork together to get married in April.
I screwed up on the "Divorce Certificate." Forgetting that I was dealing with bureaucracy, I took a look through all the paperwork I had from my divorce and found only a "Divorce Order." Went through the hassle of getting it legalized in Canada, and when I presented it to be legalized in Ukraine, I was told it would not be accepted. Now I have a lawyer working on getting a "Divorce Certificate," and getting it legalized by the Canadian and Ukrainian governments. It was too much of a pain in the a$$ for me to try and do this from Mexico.
Regarding the waiting period, it sounds like there is some flexibility. Arina and I talked to the lady who runs the RAGS in Dneprodzerjinsk and were told that, because I wouldn't be in the country until 10 days before the wedding, she should go in and make the appointment for our marriage date by herself at least 30 days before the marriage, and they would check out all my documents when I arrived. The documents (all translated to Ukrainian) requested were:
1. passport
2. divorce certificate
3. certificate of non-impediment to marriage
BCKev
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BCKev
Yes those are the same documents, I was told needed to be translated, at least they are all singing from the same song sheet ;) unusual for Ukraine :laugh:
Chris
PS I was told if I take my flight tickets in with me and they showed I was leaving the country on a certain date they would rush it through, no waiting 30 days. But we did have to get friendly with the RAGS Office Director and Irena will be going back to see her when I get all my docs over to her just to be sure.
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BCKev:
Interesting seems your fiance is from the area my father-in-law's family has lived for many years, although my in-laws all now live in Dnepropetrovsk and have done so for many years. We have driven through there a few times along the road though. While my wife has fond memories of living and going to school there as a young girl.
Again best of luck to all of you who are planning weddings this year in Ukraine, etc. Wes and Lora.
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UPDATE - for UK GUYS
I called in and picked up my Certificate of No Impediment today and went on to the British Embassy site in London just to check things out prior to going down to London and saw this:
Please note that from 1 February 2008 we will not be legalising photocopies of UK Birth, Marriage, Civil Partnership or Death Certificates, or Certificates of No Impediment, even if they have been signed by a UK solicitor or notary public. This is because we have been advised that the General Register Offices (GRO) are the designated authorities in the UK to issue certified copies of these documents. More information on obtaining a certified copy of these types of certificates from the GRO can be found at the General Register Office.
http://www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content/
General Register Office
+44 (0) 845 603 7788
Certificate Services Section
General Register Office
PO Box 2
SOUTHPORT
PR8 2JD
You can now order Certificates online
I am at present on hold trying to find out what this is all about ???
What a pa lava, I spoke to the General Register Office and they told me to go to London as they are still doing legalisation, I said that is fine but I am 250 miles away I don't want to waste a day doing that if they are no longer carrying out this service, so I called the Foreign & Commonwealth Office (Top Secret direct line 0207 008 1500 :-X) and asked for Legalisation Office and it just put me through to a recorded message, ::) I called back again and told them I didn't want putting through to a recorded message and was told that is the only office that can deal with me and they are closing now for 2 hours :'(
Bureaucracy don;t you love it >:(
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Chris
I am watching with interest......(http://*Unapproved Link*fun/crazy.gif)
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Chris
I am watching with interest......(http://*Unapproved Link*fun/crazy.gif)
Yannis are you still up for a trip into London asap, providing I can find out what we are supposed to do that is :( I need to get mine legalised urgently and I have another guy that wants his doing at the same time, so it may be worth your while ;D
Thanks
Chris
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Chris
I am watching with interest......(http://*Unapproved Link*fun/crazy.gif)
Yannis are you still up for a trip into London asap, providing I can find out what we are supposed to do that is :( I need to get mine legalised urgently and I have another guy that wants his doing at the same time, so it may be worth your while ;D
Thanks
Chris
A lack of planning on your part doesn't constitute an emergency on mine....
(unless there's a financial inducement)......
anyway, how can I soar like an eagle when I work with "bleeding" turkeys!
Of Course I will....my word is my bond!
and No I am not James Bond ;D
I will do everything possible to help a MODERATOR hang himself..... :party0011: :party0011: :party0011:
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Chris
I am watching with interest......(http://*Unapproved Link*fun/crazy.gif)
Yannis are you still up for a trip into London asap, providing I can find out what we are supposed to do that is :( I need to get mine legalised urgently and I have another guy that wants his doing at the same time, so it may be worth your while ;D
Thanks
Chris
A lack of planning on your part doesn't constitute an emergency on mine....
(unless there's a financial inducement)......
anyway, how can I soar like an eale when I work with "bleeding" turkeys!
Of Course I will....my word is my bond!
and No I am not James Bond ;D
I wil do everything possible to help you hang yourself..... :party0011: :party0011: :party0011:
My planning has been meticulous, it is the British Government who keep throwing spanners in the works ::)
Anyway, we are back on I will call you soon Wiz, finally, I have just spoken to the Foreign Office Legalisation Department and they NO longer Apostille photocopies, as long as all the docs are originals they will do them while you wait for a personal visit or by post as per their original time scales.
So to clarify, what the new rules are, from now on guys, it is original documents ONLY, no photocopies even if they have been notarised by a solicitor.
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Well the route and process I took upthread have worked, I received my Certificate of No Impediment last week, I sent the document along with my Divorce Absolute Certificate down to London and had them legalised at the British Embassy in London (thanks to Wiz for doing that for me, a very efficient service :) ) He sent them back to me on Wednesday this week, I scanned the Apostilled documents and then emailed them to Irena, she had them translated within 24 hours and on Friday last week she went to see the Director of the RAGS office in Chernivsty and the Director told her all was in order and we were able to marry and that we could do it immediately, no waiting period.
All I have to do now is take over my original documents, get them notarised (they are already translated remember) and we are authorised to get married as soon as we want after we complete the marriage forms and pay the fees of course.
After all the misleading information given by the British Embassy website and by some of our US and Canadian friends whose system is a lot different, that is how someone from the UK does it.
Chris
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sounds like your immi mob has been taking lessons from our mongrels chris
wish you luck mate
lol tell them you will sic an irate rw on them
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sounds like your immi mob has been taking lessons from our mongrels chris
wish you luck mate
lol tell them you will sic an irate rw on them
LOL yes ours are not the best, but a lot better than most, so I can't complain :)
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Looks like you are on your way with this, Chris! :party0011:
May I suggest that at some point all this "how to get married in X-country if you are from Y-country" be gathered in one place for reference? I would have been thrilled if I could have found specifics for US citizens marrying in Belarus beyond the limited info that's currently available online, and I'll be happy to add what I've learned after DM and I get through it (assuming we survive the bureaucratic process).
At the moment, I know I've got all the necessary documents and I've got a translation service lined up in Minsk. But we literally don't know whether we're registering in Minsk or in DM's hometown and I'm leaving in ten days! :o
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Yes it is a nightmare, especially when you get people from other countries trying to help, but are not aware different countries have different rules and procedures. I started this thread to show how to do it from a UK perspective, but it needs cleaning up now and putting in one place like you say. I will get around to it soon and then lock the thread so it cannot be thrown off course :)
If you would be so kind as to do one for your situation that would be great.
Thanks for your good wishes,
Chris
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Gee, with all this paperwork...has anyone thought of having the marriage ceremony in Ukraine but not filing it there?
Just do their wedding for cultural reasons for your girl? And then get legally married when you get her home to your country?
But of course, you would have to bribe the Priest to do the ceremony that is not "official." :)LOL
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Well, no, you wouldn't have to "bribe" the priest to do a church wedding. It just wouldn't be recognized by the state -- only civil marriage is. People generally have church weddings (when they have them) after they register with the state.
What about people who aren't planning a church wedding? (It's not an option for DM and me.)
What about those of us who aren't bringing our spouses back to our native countries to live?
I'm afraid we're stuck with ZAGS/RAGS.
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Yes we are stuck with the RAGS office, but to be honest, for someone from the UK it is the best and easiest route to take to get your lady back here. Not ideal for everyone and you both need to be 100% sure it is what you want, but it is a lot easier even with all the paperwork, legal documents etc etc.
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UPDATE
I provided this answer to another UK Based member who is thinking of getting married in Ukraine, so thought I would copy it here also, to keep this thread updated.
First off have you or her been married before, because if you have, you need to provide more documents.
But lets assume you are both currently free to marry.
If you want to get married in Ukraine, you have to do so legally at the RAGS Office. To get married there, you need a Certificate of No Impediment, this is a document you get from your local registry office in the UK to say you are not married, it takes 21 days to obtain. Next you need to head off down to London and get it legalised at the British Embassy at a cost of £27.00 per document. If you have been married before you need an Original copy of your Divorce Certificate that was issued by the courts. This also needs to be Legalised.
In Ukraine:
Then you visit the RAGS Office and complete the necessary documentation, it must all be translated into Ukrainian and most documents have to be notarised in the Ukraine. You legally have to wait 30 days in the country to be able to marry, however, if you obtain a letter from your boss or provide copies of plane tickets in some cases they will allow you to marry earlier. If self employed you will have to provide a genuine reason why you cannot stay there for 30 days.
You then book your wedding day, this is NOT the Official Ceremony, but a day you will be legally married, this new system has been in place around 5 months. Lots of fees are paid to various people and banks along the way, a date is agreed and you go to the RAGS on that day and stand in front of a registrar who goes through a simple ceremony and gets you both to swear an oath, takes about 20 minutes. You are then handed a marriage licence. You will need two witnesses or wedding parents as they call them, to attend with you.
The same day or the day after if you wish, you can then have your Official Marriage Ceremony, this is also carried out at the RAGS Office and is more of a proper wedding ceremony when everyone who wants to can attend and all the usual traditions are carried out and you can film and photograph all of it, but be warned this has to be done by an OFFICIALLY registered company, you cannot do it yourself.
ONLY then after all this has been completed can you have a more Western style church wedding in the Ukraine.
Basically the RAGS wedding is the legal and civil part of the wedding procedure and the church wedding is more of the spiritual side of things, but it is NOT absolutely necessary and is not common for second marriages.
Now that is only the briefest information, there is a lot lot more, with regards forms, documents etc etc but that gives you something to start thinking about.
Following your wedding in the Ukraine, you would then apply to bring your new wife to the UK on a 'Settlement Visa' this costs £515.00 per person and has to be completed 'online' and an interview at the British Embassy in Kiev is usually required, certainly a visit is mandatory because you have to submit the application in person. Including of course all the relevant documentation, proof of relationship stuff and translations, notarised documents etc etc. This is whole additional minefield, but is part of what needs to be done.
More things to bear in mind:
If your lady is to take your surname her Ukrainian and International passports will be redundant and she will have to apply for new ones. She has 30 days which to do so.
A Ukrainian passport can be obtained if she knows the right people in 7-10 days, an International passport again if she knows the right people can be obtained in NO LESS than a month, usually 3 months.
If she has kids, there is a lot more to tell you. Please ask.
After carrying out all the above successfully, the British end of things is a walk in the park :)
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UPDATES
Irena's International Passport came through in 10 days, although she did have a little help from someone who knows someone, if you get my drift :-X
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UPDATES
As of today when I have just carried out two Settlement Visa applications, the fees have increased once again to 5410.00 UAH per application (£541.00)
They have added another section with respect to when children are involved in travelling, but otherwise they are pretty much the same as they have been for a while. They just charge you more now :(
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They went for their interviews last Wednesday and just now we have heard they have been granted their settlement Visa's :party0011: :party0011:
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UPDATE
The Legalisation Office Moves to Milton Keynes as of Friday 8th Augsut 2008
Legalisation is the official confirmation that the signature/stamp/seal on a UK document. Some foreign authorities require UK documents to be legalised before they will be accepted. Customers can send their documents by post to be legalised, or take them to the public counter in the Legalisation Office.
The Legalisation Office will move from the Old Admiralty Building (OAB) in London to Norfolk House (West) in central Milton Keynes on Friday 8 August 2008. In the 7 years the LO has been at OAB it has processed over 2 million (2,130,000) applications. When opened in 2001 it dealt with 192,000 applications. This had grown to 376,000 by 2007. We expect the figure for 2008 to be almost 400,000.
The Standard Service Legalisation Fee of £27 will remain the same for all applications processed at Norfolk House (West). Customers will be able to use the postal or public counter service in the same way as they do at present, but with the following improvements:
* secure online payment of the legalisation fee for postal customers. This means they can avoid sending their debit/credit card details in the post
* all postal applications returned by Special Delivery to customers in the UK, or International Recorded Delivery if they are overseas. (An extra £6 will be charged for this.) Important documents are less likely to go missing in the post, but should this happen, they can be tracked and traced
* the extra space at the new office will provide us with the flexibility we need to respond to demand and deal with enquiries more quickly.
The new Premium Service Legalisation Office opened on 1 April 2008 and provides an express service in central London for business customers with time sensitive documents to be legalised (usually with the hour). To use this service, business customers must register and pay online in advance. The Premium Service Legalisation Fee is £67. For more information, or to register, business customers should email Premium.Service@fco.gov.uk This service cannot be used by members of the public.
Details of the new Legalisation Office in central Milton Keynes are as follows:
The Legalisation Office
Norfolk House (West)
437 Silbury Boulevard
Milton Keynes
MK9 2AH
Tel: 01908 295 111
Fax: 01909 295 122
Email: Legalisationoffice@fco.gov.uk
Milton Keynes is 55 miles north of London and has frequent train services to London Euston and the West Coast line to the Midlands and the North. The journey time from London is about 40/50 minutes. Norfolk House is a 15 minute walk or short taxi ride from the station. The M1 also runs past Milton Keynes and Pay and Display parking is available nearby.
http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/newsroom/latest-news/?view=News&id=5086922
The Public Counter for legalisation of Documents
Opening times and rules
* our public counter is normally open from 9.30am to 3.30pm Monday to Friday. No appointment is necessary.
* you do not need to bring ID and anyone can present the documents on your behalf
* the Legalisation Office is not a suitable environment for babies or young children. Please try to avoid bringing babies or young children to the Legalisation Office.
Business Customers
• business customers using the Standard Legalisation Service at Norfolk House (West) will be required to deposit their documents and collect them at the same time the following working day. This will apply regardless of the number of documents being presented for legalisation. It is not necessary to queue using the ticket system: after reporting to the reception desk, business customers will be directed straight to the business counter to deposit or collect documents. The legalisation fee will be taken, and a receipt issued, when the documents are deposited. This receipt MUST be presented to collect the documents.
• business customers may wish to be aware that a Premium Legalisation Service is available exclusively for business customers. This service is only available at our central London office. The fee is £67 per legalisation. Documents are normally processed within 1 hour of receipt. For more information on how to use this service, and for directions to the London office, please email Premium.Service@fco.gov.uk. Please note that members of the public cannot use this service.
Members of the Public
• members of the public will still be able to get their documents legalised whilst they wait when using the Standard Legalisation Service at Norfolk House (West).
How much does it cost?
The fee for legalisation of each document is £27. At the public counter payment is accepted in cash or by credit/debit card.
Customers with disabilities
Anyone can present the documents on your behalf so there is no requirement for you to come to the Legalisation Office. However, if you do choose to come the office can be accessed by wheelchair users.
Documents we can legalise
We can legalise most UK documents as long as they bear an original signature, seal or stamp from a UK public organisation or official.
A UK document means that it originated or has been executed in the UK. If a UK solicitor or notary public is signing a document they should state clearly what exactly it is they are certifying in relation to the document. They must sign in their own name and not use a company signature. They should clearly print their name and their firm's name under the signature.
We can legalise photocopies of certain types of documents (listed below) as long as they have been certified by a UK solicitor or notary as being true photocopies. If you want to legalise a certified photocopy of a particular document, and we are able to do this (see below), you should also confirm with the end users of the document to ensure that a certified photocopy is acceptable to them.
UK Educational Documents
All educational documents must be signed by a UK solicitor or notary before they can be legalised. The solicitor or notary should either confirm that the document is original if that is the case, or a true photocopy. If you are living overseas it may be possible for the British Council in your country to certify the document instead. You should check with the local British Council office to see if they offer this service.
Educational documents which are not degrees, diplomas, certificates, qualifications or other awards may be legalised if they have been issued by an educational establishment in the UK. This includes school reports and letters concerning enrolling, attendance, fees and grades.
Documents which are degrees, diplomas, certificates, qualifications or other awards can be legalised if they were issued by an educational establishment if it is registered at one of the following websites:
* 'Register of Providers' or the 'Recognised Degrees' sections of the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS) website
* the Scottish Qualifications Authority website
* the National Database of Accredited Qualifications website
* the British Accreditation Council Website
* the Open and Distance Learning Quality Council
* the Association of British Language Schools
Additionally, qualifications which are or were issued by OCR, Edexcel, Higher National Diploma, City and Guilds, National Open College Network, GNVQ or the American Study Abroad Programme in the UK can also be legalised.
UK Birth, Death, Marriage and Civil Partnership Certificates
We can legalise original or certified copies of certificates issued by the General Registry Office (GRO) or local Registry Offices in the UK, or British Diplomatic Missions overseas.
We can also legalise original death certificates issued by a UK coroner. Translations of these can also be legalised if they have been signed by a UK solicitor or notary. Please note that we are NOT able to legalise photocopies of these documents, even if they have been signed by a UK solicitor or notary or attached to a notarial cover sheet. This is because we have been advised that the General Register Office (GRO) or local Registry Offices are the only designated authorities in the UK who can issue certified copies of these documents.
Contact the GRO or your local Registry Office for more information on obtaining certified copies of these types of certificates which we will be able to legalise.
UK Certificates of No Impediment (CNIs) or 'No Trace' Letters issued by the GRO
Original CNIs and GRO issued letters confirming that there is no trace of an individual currently being married can be legalised. Please note that we are not able to legalise photocopies of these documents, even if they have been signed by a UK solicitor or notary public or attached to a notarial cover sheet. This is because we have been advised that the General Register Office (GRO) or local Registry Offices are the only designated authorities in the UK who can issue certified copies of these documents. Contact the GRO or your local Registry Office for more information on obtaining certified copies of these types of certificates which we will be able to legalise.
If you are getting married abroad, please also see Marriage Abroad.
British Passports
We cannot legalise original passports of any nationality. Photocopies of the bio data page of British passports may be legalised if they have been certified by a UK solicitor or notary public as being true photocopies of the original documents. We do not legalise certified copies of foreign passports or ID documents.
Change of Name Deed Poll
All change of name deed poll documents (originals as well as copies) must be certified by a UK solicitor or notary public as being original, or true photocopies, before they can be legalised.
Religious Documents
We can legalise the following religious documents as long as they have been certified by a UK solicitor or notary public and originated in the UK. The solicitor or notary public should certify original documents as being genuine, and photocopies as being true copies of the original documents:
* Islamic Marriage and Divorce Certificates issued by UK mosques
* Jewish Divorce Certificates issued by a Jewish Court
* Baptismal Certificates of any denomination.
Documents relating to the Hajj or Umrah which originated in the UK must be certified by an official of the Arab-British Chamber of Commerce, or an Arabic speaking UK solicitor or notary public before they can be legalised.
UK Court documents
Original documents issued by UK courts can be legalised. Photocopies of these documents can also be legalised if they have been certified by a UK solicitor or notary public as being true copies of the original documents.
Powers of Attorney, Wills, Affidavits, Declarations and Notarial Acts
Originals of these documents can be legalised if they have been signed in the UK by the individual(s) concerned and the signature(s) witnessed by a UK solicitor or notary public.
The solicitor or notary public should certify this clearly on the document.
Certificates of Incorporation and Other Documents Issued by Companies House
We can legalise originals of these documents only if they have been signed by an official of Companies House. If the originals do not bear an original signature of a Companies House official then they must be certified by a UK solicitor or notary public as being original documents. Photocopies of Companies House documents can be legalised if they have been certified by a UK solicitor or notary public as being true copies of the original document.
Export Certificates
We can legalise export certificates only if they have been signed by an official of the relevant UK Government Department. Photocopies of export documents may be legalised if a UK solicitor or notary public has certified them to confirm that they are true copies of the original documents.
Documents from HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC)
Original documents from HMRC can be legalised if they are signed by an HMRC official.
National Identification Certificates and Disclosure Documents
Only original documents issued by the National Identification Service (NIS) and signed by an NIS official can be legalised. Original disclosure documents must be signed by a member of the Criminal Records Bureau or a UK solicitor or notary public before they can be legalised. We cannot legalise photocopies of NIS or disclosure documents.
Medical documents
Medical reports and letters issued by UK hospitals and NHS Trusts may be legalised as long as they have been signed by a UK doctor who is registered with the General Medical Council. Letters concerning non-medical issues, eg. job references or letters of employment, can be legalised if they are signed by a UK solicitor or notary public confirming them to be true and genuine. We cannot legalise other medical documents, including Form Med 3 issued by doctors for statutory sick pay and social security purposes.
Pet Travel Scheme
We can legalise documents to export pets overseas. These must be original documents and be signed by a qualified Veterinary Surgeon. Please note that we do not legalise any other documents for pets.
Documents from UK Crown Dependencies
We cannot legalise documents originating or executed in the British Crown Dependencies (Guernsey, Isle of Man, Jersey). Such documents should be legalised in the relevant Dependency and do not require further legalisation by the Legalisation Office in order to be accepted by foreign authorities.
Documents from British Overseas Territories
Documents originating or executed in a British Overseas Territory can only be legalised if they have already been legalised by an official of the Government in the Territory concerned. The British Overseas Territories are:
Anguilla, Bermuda, British Antartic Territory, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Falkland Islands, Gibraltar, Montserrat, St Helena and Dependencies, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, Turks and Caicos Islands.
Foreign Language Translations of UK Documents
We can legalise translations of UK documents issued or executed in the UK. These documents need to be certified by a UK solicitor or notary public confirming that they are true translations. Please note that we are not able to legalise documents on the signatures of the translators unless they are also a practising UK solicitor or notary public, or a consular official. Please note that we will not legalise certified copies of foreign language documents.
Foreign Documents
If you have a foreign document which requires legalisation you should contact the relevant Embassy, Consulate or High Commission in the UK for advice.
If you have been advised that your document needs to be appended to a notarial cover sheet containing a certification from a practising UK solicitor or notary public, the cover sheet must refer specifically to the document, and the document should be properly bound to the cover sheet.
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Thanks Chris for this thread. The information has proved invaluable and is really apprecpiated!!! :BEER:
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.... and appreciated. :)
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.... and appreciated. :)
Thanks Vinny, if you need anything else just ask
Chris
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Bumped for new member CT
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Hi peeps....I think i have just about sussed out what documents and such are required for me as an Englishman to marry in Ukraine , but what is the situation if i want to marry my Russian lady in Kiev...?
Is this possible , does anyone have some facts about an Englishman marrying a Russian in Ukraine...? We have both been married before...
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Hi peeps....I think i have just about sussed out what documents and such are required for me as an Englishman to marry in Ukraine , but what is the situation if i want to marry my Russian lady in Kiev...?
Is this possible , does anyone have some facts about an Englishman marrying a Russian in Ukraine...? We have both been married before...
At one time, marriages pretty much had to be done at a ZAGS office in the home oblast. This did not limit your ability to marry in a church elsewhere, but the official State-sanctioned ceremony was the one at ZAGS. It may have been possible at that time to marry in Kiev instead, but as we weren't interested in doing that I really didn't explore it.
The rub would come in from the fact that you want to marry a non-citizen, and you are also a non-citizen of Ukraine. Unless your Russian lady is legally resident in Kiev, that may present some difficulties.
However, I haven't looked at any of this since early 2002, when we were married in Severodonetsk. Thus, if someone on the list doesn't have more current info, you may have to inquire in Kiev. If your lady is there now, she might pay a little visit to the ZAGS offices and inquire there--they would obviously know the answer and be able to save you time and effort in finding out otherwise.
David
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I really have no idea what you do, I know when I married my wife in Ukraine what I posted above worked, but for two in effect foreignors to marry there I don,t know, but I can see it being a load of hassle to be honest.
Why is it you are not getting maried in your lady's home city? it seems the easiest thing to do to me.
As db says, best to get advice in Kiev itself.
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Hi peeps....I think i have just about sussed out what documents and such are required for me as an Englishman to marry in Ukraine , but what is the situation if i want to marry my Russian lady in Kiev...?
Is this possible , does anyone have some facts about an Englishman marrying a Russian in Ukraine...? We have both been married before...
Why don't you just get married in Poland, cheap to do and she can get a visa very easy too, as you live there that would be the obvious choice.
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My Russian lady has just sent me a text message to tell me that the Ukrainian embassy have told her that it is possible for an Englishman and a Russian lady to marry in Kiev , so for any people having problems to get a visa to Russia this could be a great option...I will keep you all posted on what happens and what we need to do to get through this....
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Hello folks!
This may be a bit off course from this thread, but since you guys are obviously further along the red tape line I figured I'd ask. What is the advantage of getting married in the Ukraine vs. having her come here to get married at home in the US?? She's already been here on a tourist Visa before, and the idea would ultimately moving here anyways.
We are currently deciding which is better, so Id like to know the reasons for you guys getting married over there instead of at home.
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Hello folks!
This may be a bit off course from this thread, but since you guys are obviously further along the red tape line I figured I'd ask. What is the advantage of getting married in the Ukraine vs. having her come here to get married at home in the US?? She's already been here on a tourist Visa before, and the idea would ultimately moving here anyways.
We are currently deciding which is better, so Id like to know the reasons for you guys getting married over there instead of at home.
Are you in the US ? if so you need to ask on another thread this is about the UK.
If in the UK, one benefit is you have one set of fees less, although in the whole scheme of things its only going to save you best part of a grand, so you have to weigh up if that is a major consideration, but remember the wedding is usually for the lady anyway, no doubt she would want her family to be present, could she have that if you got married at home?