Birth certificate from the USSR era: does it have legal force in Ukraine
A birth certificate issued by the civil registration authorities during the USSR era remains valid and has the same legal force as a modern Ukrainian document.
As explained by the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine, it is not necessary to replace such a certificate if it has been preserved, is undamaged, and contains all the necessary information.
A new birth certificate can be obtained in cases where the previous document:
- is lost;
- is damaged and the information in it has become unreadable;
- a duplicate certificate is needed;
- there are other legal grounds for replacing the document.
To obtain a duplicate birth certificate, it is necessary to contact the Civil Registry Office or use the available online service.
To process the document, you usually need to:
- present an identity document;
- provide the old certificate if it exists but is damaged;
- submit additional documents if necessary;
- fill out the appropriate application;
- pay the established state fee.
As previously written by the "Judicial and Legal Newspaper", losing a birth certificate does not mean losing the right to the document. If the certificate was lost, stolen, damaged, or destroyed, it can be reissued. A new document is also issued in case of changes to the civil record or its restoration. During martial law, the procedure has become more flexible: Ukrainians can apply to any Civil Registry Office in the controlled territory, submit documents through the Administrative Service Centers (CNAP), or use online services.
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