★★★★★ 5.0 ON GOOGLE · CLIENT REVIEWS | AVAILABLE 24/7
Author: Ilona Melnychuk, attorneyKey points
When the emotionally hardest part is already behind you, the bureaucracy remains: what to confirm your new marital status with, which paper to show a bank or a notary, what to bring to the registry office before a remarriage. One of the key documents here is the extract on divorce from the registry office (DRATSS). In this article we explain in plain language what this document is, what it is needed for, how and where to obtain it in 2026, how much it costs and how to order the extract again. Separately we will look at how an extract differs from a certificate and when the court judgment alone is enough.
An extract on divorce is an official document generated from the State Register of Civil Status Acts that confirms that the ending of the marriage between specific people has been entered into the register. In essence it is a reference from the electronic database of the registry office (DRATSS) that reflects the data of the record entry on the divorce: who divorced whom, when the divorce was registered, the number of the record entry, and also the surnames the spouses have after the divorce.
The Register of Civil Status Acts is the single state database in which records of birth, marriage, divorce, name change and death are kept. An extract is a kind of snapshot of such a record as of the date of the request. Since the document is generated directly from the register, it reflects the current state of the record with all changes, if any were made. That is precisely why institutions often require an extract when they want to make sure the data is not outdated. The extract also states the authority that carried out the registration and the date the document itself was issued. Depending on the purpose, it can be drawn up as a full extract or an extract for special purposes, for example for a subsequent apostille, but the information about the fact of the divorce itself remains unchanged.
The main difference is in the form and the source: a certificate is a strict-accountability paper form that the registry office (DRATSS) issues once at the moment of registering the divorce, while an extract is a reference from the electronic register that can be ordered again and at any time. Both documents confirm one and the same fact of divorce, so for most institutions they are equivalent. In simple words, a certificate is a one-off historical form, and an extract is an up-to-date reference from the database that the state can generate again at any time.
There are also a few practical differences. A certificate usually stays in your hands in a single copy and, if lost, requires a separate procedure of repeat issuance. An extract, on the other hand, is not tied to a form: each time it is in fact a new document from the register. A divorce certificate is issued only in a so-called out-of-court divorce through the registry office (DRATSS). Read more about when it is issued and how to get a duplicate in a separate material on the divorce certificate.
An extract is needed everywhere it is necessary to officially confirm that you are no longer married. The most common situations are: registering a new marriage, arranging or returning a pre-marriage surname, resolving property matters, inheritance cases, arranging social payments, credit and notarial actions, and also confirming marital status for institutions abroad.
For example, before a remarriage the registry office (DRATSS) must make sure the previous marriage has ended, and an extract confirms this. If you changed your surname during the marriage and want to return to the pre-marriage one, a divorce document will also be needed; we describe the procedure itself in the article on choosing a surname after a divorce. An extract may also be needed when dividing property, recovering alimony or arranging an inheritance, when it is important to document the marital status as of a certain date. Sometimes the document is requested by social protection authorities to award benefits, by courts and the enforcement service in cases concerning alimony and division of property, and also by banks when arranging loans or payments to heirs.
If the marriage was dissolved by a court, the main and sufficient document is precisely the court judgment that has taken legal effect, not an extract or a certificate. Under article 114 of the Family Code of Ukraine, a marriage dissolved by a court ends on the day the court judgment takes legal effect, and under article 115 the document attesting to this is precisely the court judgment. Therefore it is not obligatory to separately register such a divorce at the registry office (DRATSS) and obtain a certificate.
This means that an extract on divorce from the registry office (DRATSS) is primarily relevant for those who divorced through the registry office, since it is there that the record entry on the divorce is created. After a court divorce, the document confirming the status remains a copy of the court judgment with a mark that it has taken legal effect. If the judgment itself is lost, its copy is reissued by the court that made the decision, not by the registry office (DRATSS). Read more about this in the materials on the court judgment on divorce and on divorce through the civil registry office (DRATSS) without a court.
The administrative fee for issuing an extract from the State Register of Civil Status Acts is UAH 73. This amount is the same regardless of whether you order the document online or in person; for an online order the cost of delivery by Ukrposhta or courier may be charged additionally.
At the same time, the law provides for benefits. During martial law an extract is issued free of charge to internally displaced persons, as well as to residents of certain administrative-territorial units from an approved list. The document is also provided free of charge in response to official requests from courts and authorities. For comparison: the state duty for the registration of the divorce itself at the registry office (DRATSS) is much smaller and is about UAH 8.50, but that is already a payment for a different action, not for the extract. The amount of the fee is set by regulation, so it is the same at all registry office (DRATSS) branches and on the Diia portal. It can be paid by card online or through a bank using the payment details, and the receipt should be kept until the document is received.
The fastest way to order an extract is the Diia portal and app, where the service works in normal mode. Here you do not need to go anywhere: you submit the application from a phone or computer, sign it with an electronic signature and receive the finished document by post or courier.
The general procedure is as follows:
Please note that obtaining an extract online should not be confused with a full divorce in the app. The divorce through Diia itself, as of 2026, is at the pilot stage and is not available to everyone, whereas ordering documents from the register works for a wide range of users. If you do not have an electronic signature, it can be arranged through a bank or a mobile app, after which access to the online services of the registry office (DRATSS) opens fully.
Offline, an extract is issued at a registry office (DRATSS) branch regardless of where the divorce was registered, as well as through administrative services centers. You come with an application and a passport, pay the fee and receive the document; with an in-person visit it is often prepared on the same or the next working day. In many cities registry office (DRATSS) branches and administrative services centers accept visitors by prior electronic appointment, so it is worth checking in advance the working hours of the particular branch and the way to book.
If you are abroad, applying in person in Ukraine is not obligatory. An extract can be ordered through a diplomatic mission or consulate of Ukraine, and you can also draw up a notarized application and act through a representative under a power of attorney in Ukraine. We have collected practical options for those who are outside the country in the article on how to divorce and obtain documents from abroad. Through a consulate, processing usually takes longer than in Ukraine, since the request is forwarded to the relevant authority, so it is better to order the document in advance. It should be taken into account that most registry office (DRATSS) branches work from Tuesday to Saturday, and in occupied territories and combat zones the service is unavailable.
An extract on divorce can be ordered by the person themselves from the age of 16, as well as by their representative or relatives where there are grounds. In practice the document is obtained by: the former spouses in respect of themselves, a representative under a power of attorney, a lawyer under a lawyer’s request, and in cases defined by law also guardians, custodians and heirs. A lawyer’s request is convenient when the document is needed for a court case and the party is unable to apply in person.
The standard set of documents is small:
An extract can be ordered again as many times as you like, and no special restoration procedure is needed for this. Unlike a paper certificate, an extract is generated anew from the register each time, so the concept of loss or a duplicate practically does not apply to it: you simply place a new order and again pay the administrative fee of UAH 73. Each such order is a standalone service, so both the processing time and the fee are counted anew for each copy of the document.
This is convenient when the document is needed for several institutions at once or when an institution requires a fresh extract. Please note: the law does not set a validity period for an extract, but individual organizations may, at their discretion, ask for a recently issued document, for example not older than one or three months. If, however, you have lost specifically the paper divorce certificate, a separate procedure of repeat issuance applies to it with a state duty of about UAH 0.51, and we tell you about it in the article on the certificate.
Yes, for an extract from the registry office (DRATSS) to have legal force outside Ukraine, in most cases an apostille must be affixed to it. An apostille is a special stamp that attests to the authenticity of a document for countries party to the Hague Convention; on civil status documents it is affixed by the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine.
For some countries, consular legalization is required instead of an apostille, and with certain states treaties on legal assistance are in force under which additional certification is not required at all. Therefore, before preparing the documents, it is worth clarifying the requirements of the particular institution or country. Often, together with the apostille, an institution abroad requires a notarized translation of the extract into the language of the relevant country, so it is also better to find this out in advance. We have described this procedure step by step in the material on apostille of divorce documents.
No, these are different documents that confirm one fact. A certificate is a paper form that the registry office (DRATSS) issues once upon a divorce through the registry office. An extract is a reference from the register that can be ordered again at any time. For most institutions they are equivalent, and both can be used both in Ukraine and abroad after the appropriate certification.
The administrative fee is UAH 73 regardless of the method of filing the application. For internally displaced persons and in certain territories during martial law an extract is issued free of charge. For an online order, delivery is paid for separately.
Yes. An extract can be ordered through the Diia portal and app: you submit the application, sign it with an electronic signature and receive the document by post or courier. This service works in the usual mode, unlike the pilot divorce through Diia.
With an in-person visit to the registry office (DRATSS), an extract is often issued on the same or the next working day. For an online order through Diia, processing usually takes up to a few working days, plus time for delivery. During air raid alerts the time frames may be extended. In occupied territories and zones of active combat the service is currently unavailable.
Yes, but where there are grounds. An extract about another person can be obtained by a representative under a power of attorney, a lawyer under a lawyer’s request, and in defined cases relatives, guardians, custodians and heirs under documents confirming their rights. Without supporting documents or a power of attorney, information about another person will not be provided from the register, since it is protected by law.
As a rule, no. After a court divorce the document confirming the ending of the marriage is the court judgment that has taken legal effect. It is not obligatory to register such a divorce at the registry office (DRATSS) and obtain an extract or a certificate.
In most cases yes: an extract from the register confirms the same fact as a certificate. If, however, a particular institution requires specifically the certificate, you can separately arrange its repeat issuance at the registry office (DRATSS).
The law does not set a validity period for an extract, so formally it is indefinite. However, individual institutions may ask for a fresh document issued recently. In that case it is easier to order a new extract, since it is generated anew from the register each time. Therefore there is no point in keeping an old copy for years: if needed, it is faster and more reliable to obtain a fresh document.
Ilona MelnychukAttorney, Lexon law firmSpecializes in family, civil and commercial cases. Over 15 years of practice: representing clients’ interests in courts and negotiations.Author: Ilona Melnychuk, attorney In Brief You can dissolve a marriage through the registry office (DRATS, the body for the state registration of civil status
The “Lexon” attorney secured the complete cancellation of a resolution imposing a fine under part 2 of Article 122 of the Code of Ukraine on
It happens more often than it seems: one day you suddenly find out about the existence of a court decision issued in a case you
Grand changes await the Ukrainian business environment. As of August 28, 2025, the Commercial Code of Ukraine loses its force. This is not just a
Buying real estate is always a serious step that requires not only significant financial investment, but also thorough legal verification. To avoid unpleasant surprises, it
Buying real estate has always been a responsible step, and in the conditions of 2025, when economic instability and wartime risks intensify fraudulent schemes, it
