Ukrians abroad can certify a range of notarial documents directly at diplomatic and consular institutions of Ukraine without resorting to notary services. This is reported by RBC-Ukraine with reference to the clarification of the Ministry of Justice. As a general rule, Ukrainian diplomatic missions and consular institutions are empowered to perform certain notarial actions provided by law, which allows citizens to execute key papers even during long-term stays abroad.
What Documents Can Be Certified at the Consulate
The list of actions that consuls are entitled to perform includes certifying powers of attorney for representing a citizen's interests, as well as certifying consent to dispose of joint marital property. In addition, consular institutions issue other notarial documents within their competence. This makes it possible, in particular, to legalize a power of attorney for a representative, coordinate property transactions regarding children, or confirm a spouse's consent to dispose of common property.
Changes in the Procedure for Performing Notarial Actions
The procedure for performing such actions is determined by general provisions agreed upon by the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In August 2026, the agencies approved amendments to these provisions, updating the procedure for issuing documents through diplomatic missions. It is these norms that currently regulate how exactly a consul certifies powers of attorney and consents abroad.
Consent of the Second Parent and Children's Property Transactions
If one of the parents or adoptive parents concludes a transaction for the management of a child's property, as a general rule, they are obliged to provide a notarized consent of the other parent. At the same time, the law provides for exceptions: such consent is not required if the second parent is in captivity or taken hostage, or interned in a neutral state; if they are missing under special circumstances or declared missing; and also if for at least six consecutive months they have lived separately from the child and do not participate in their upbringing and maintenance. For minors, property transactions generally require the notarized consent of parents, adoptive parents, or a guardian, but a child has the right to acquire property into ownership free of charge without the permission of the guardianship authority, including real estate they use.
Spousal Property and Mandatory Content of Consent
If the document on the right of ownership to joint property is issued to one of the spouses, then to certify transactions for its disposal — with the exception of alienation and mortgage — it is necessary to provide the consul with the notarized consent of the other spouse. Such consent must indicate the specific actions for which permission is granted, the date and place of execution, full personal data of both persons, passport data, and registration numbers of taxpayer accounts cards; the unique record number in the Unified State Demographic Register is indicated if available. At the request of the parties, additional conditions and the validity period can be determined in the document.
Issuing Documents Through a Representative
When a notarial action is performed through a representative, the consul is obliged to establish their identity, check civil capacity, and verify powers. State registers are used for this: the consul checks whether the individual who issued the power of attorney has died, whether the legal entity has ceased operations, and whether the power of attorney itself remains valid. These checks are necessary to confirm the legality of representation when issuing documents.
Separately, the Ministry of Justice reminds that Ukrainians abroad can make contributions to the Pension Fund of Ukraine to accumulate insurance length of service (in 2026, the minimum contribution is 1,902.34 hryvnias), as well as submit an application for acceptance of inheritance through a consulate or a foreign notary with the subsequent transfer of documents to a Ukrainian notary. The material is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice; if legal assistance is needed, it is recommended to contact a qualified lawyer.
