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Author: Ilona Melnychuk, attorneyKey points in brief
When the emotionally hardest part is already behind you, the bureaucracy remains: how to confirm your new marital status, 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 the dissolution of a marriage from the registry office (DRATS). In this article we explain in plain language what this document is, why it is needed, how and where to obtain it in 2026, how much it costs, and how to order an extract again. Separately, we will look at how an extract differs from a certificate and when the court decision alone is enough.
An extract on the dissolution of a marriage is an official document that is generated from the State Register of Civil Status Acts and that confirms that the termination 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 (DRATS) that reflects the data of the act record on the dissolution of the marriage: who divorced whom, when the dissolution was registered, the act record number, and also which surnames the spouses have after the divorce.
The register of civil status acts is a single state database in which records of birth, marriage, dissolution of marriage, change of name, 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 That is precisely why institutions often require an extract when they want to make sure the data is not outdated.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 may be prepared as a full extract or an extract for special purposes, for example for a subsequent apostille, but the information about the very fact of the dissolution of the marriage remains unchanged.
The main difference is in form and source: a certificate is a strict-accountability paper form that the registry office issues once at the moment of registering the divorce, while an extract is a reference from the electronic register that can be ordered repeatedly and at any time. Both documents confirm one and the same fact of the dissolution of the marriage, so for most institutions they are equivalent. In plain words, a certificate is a one-time historical form, while an extract is a current reference from the database that the state can generate again at any time.
There are also several practical differences. A certificate usually remains on hand in a single copy and, if lost, requires a separate procedure for reissuance. An extract, on the other hand, is not tied to a form: each time it is effectively a new document from the register. A marriage dissolution certificate is issued only in the case of a so-called out-of-court divorce through the registry office. For more on when it is issued and how to get a duplicate, read the separate material on the marriage dissolution certificate.
An extract is needed everywhere you have to officially confirm that you are no longer married. The most common situations are: registering a new marriage, formalizing 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 must make sure that the previous marriage has been terminated, and an extract confirms this. If you changed your surname in the marriage and want to return your pre-marriage one, a divorce document will also be needed; we tell about the procedure itself in the article on choosing a surname after a divorce. An extract may also be needed in a division of property, the recovery of child support, or arranging an inheritance, when it is important to document marital status as of a certain date. Sometimes the document is requested by social protection authorities to grant assistance, by courts and the enforcement service in cases concerning child support and division of property, and also by banks when arranging loans or payments to heirs.
If a marriage was dissolved by a court, the main and sufficient document is precisely the court decision that has entered into legal force, and not an extract or a certificate. Under Article 114 of the Family Code of Ukraine, a marriage dissolved by a court is terminated on the day the court decision enters into legal force, and under Article 115 the document attesting this is precisely the court decision. Therefore it is not obligatory to separately register such a divorce at the registry office and obtain a certificate.
This means that an extract on the dissolution of a marriage from the registry office is primarily relevant for those who divorced through the registry office, since it is there that the act record on the dissolution of the marriage is formed. After a court divorce, the document that confirms the status remains a copy of the court decision with a note that it has entered into legal force. And if the decision itself is lost, its copy is reissued by the court that made the decision, not by the registry office. For more on this, read the materials on the court decision on the dissolution of a marriage and on divorce through the registry office 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; when ordering online, the cost of delivery by Ukrposhta or courier may be charged additionally.
At the same time, the law provides for exemptions. 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 on official requests from courts and government authorities. For comparison: the state duty for the registration of the divorce at the registry office itself is much smaller and is about UAH 8.50, but that is already a charge 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 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 your phone or computer, sign it with an electronic signature, and receive the finished document by mail or courier.
The general procedure is as follows:
Note that obtaining an extract online should not be confused with a full-fledged divorce in the app. The divorce through Diia itself, as of 2026, is at the pilot stage and is not available to everyone, while ordering documents from the register works for a wide range of users. If you do not have an electronic signature, you can arrange it through a bank or a mobile app, after which access to the online services of the registry office opens fully.
Offline, an extract is issued at a registry office branch regardless of where the divorce was registered, and also through administrative services centers. You come with an application and a passport, pay the fee, and receive the document; on a personal visit it is often prepared the same or the next working day. In many cities, registry office branches and administrative services centers work by prior electronic appointment, so it is worth checking in advance the schedule of the specific 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 gathered practical options for those who are outside the country in the article on how to get divorced 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. Note that most registry office branches work from Tuesday to Saturday, and in occupied territories and combat zones the service is unavailable.
An extract on the dissolution of a marriage can be ordered by the person themselves from the age of 16, and also by their representative or relatives if there are grounds. In practice, the document is obtained by: the former spouses regarding themselves, a representative under a power of attorney, an attorney on an attorney’s request, and, in cases defined by law, also guardians, custodians, and heirs. An attorney’s request is convenient when the document is needed for a court case and the party is unable to apply in person.
The standard package 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 pay the administrative fee of UAH 73 again. Each such order is an independent 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 in several institutions at once or when an institution requires a fresh extract. Note: the law does not set a validity period for the extract, but individual organizations at their own discretion may ask for a document issued recently, for example no older than one or three months. And if you have lost specifically the paper divorce certificate, a separate reissuance procedure applies to it with a state duty of about UAH 0.51, and we tell about it in the article on the certificate.
Yes, for an extract from the registry office to have legal force outside Ukraine, in most cases an apostille needs to be affixed to it. An apostille is a special stamp that attests the authenticity of a document for countries that are parties to the Hague Convention; on civil status documents it is affixed by the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine.
For some countries, consular legalization is needed instead of an apostille, and with certain states there are legal assistance treaties under which additional certification is not required at all. Therefore, before preparing documents, it is worth clarifying the requirements of the specific 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 this is also better clarified in advance. We described this procedure step by step in the material on apostilling divorce documents.
No, these are different documents that confirm one fact. A certificate is a paper form that the registry office issues once at 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, the extract is issued free of charge. When ordering online, delivery is paid separately.
Yes. You can order an extract through the Diia portal and app: you submit an application, sign it with an electronic signature, and receive the document by mail or courier. This service works in the usual mode, unlike the pilot divorce through Diia.
On a personal visit to the registry office, an extract is often issued the same or the next working day. When ordering online through Diia, processing usually takes up to a few working days, plus time for delivery. During air-raid alerts the periods may be extended. In occupied territories and zones of active hostilities the service is currently unavailable.
Yes, but if there are grounds. An extract about another person can be obtained by a representative under a power of attorney, an attorney on an attorney’s request, and, in defined cases, by relatives, guardians, custodians, and heirs on 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 termination of the marriage is the court decision that has entered into legal force. Registering such a divorce at the registry office and obtaining an extract or a certificate is not obligatory.
In most cases, yes: an extract from the register confirms the same fact as the certificate. But if a specific institution requires precisely the certificate, you can separately arrange its reissuance at the registry office.
The law does not set a validity period for an extract, so formally it is unlimited. 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. So 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
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