Choose civil registration or court
For spouses who both consent and have no shared children under 18, the ordinary route is a joint application to the civil-registration authority, DRATsS. Shared minor children or lack of one spouse’s consent normally require court proceedings. Family Code Article 107 separately permits an application by one spouse where the other has been declared missing or legally incapable. Simply being absent from an address is not equivalent to either finding.
A CNAP accepts documents only where the local service is confirmed. The Rivne CNAP card, for example, expressly describes the relevant application route. It does not establish availability at every Ukrainian centre. An administrator cannot replace the court.
Prepare the application
Prepare the prescribed identity documents, marriage certificate if available, appropriate application and state-duty payment evidence unless an exemption applies. Foreign applicants also need to check lawful stay and the required treatment of foreign documents.
Where one spouse cannot apply personally, the current rules provide prescribed ways to submit a notarised application. A spouse’s statement, a representative’s authority and attendance at registration are separate issues. Agree the correct route with DRATsS before booking; a general power of attorney does not replace the required expression of consent.
Registration on the joint no-children route takes place after one month has elapsed, provided the application has not been withdrawn. A submission acknowledgement does not itself end the marriage.
Under the ordinary joint-application route for spouses without children, registration takes place at the residence of the spouses or either spouse, under Rules III.3, paragraphs 2 and 15. Prepare the prescribed address evidence and check any applicable special intake arrangements before applying.
Diia online divorce: the 2026 launch
The Ministry of Justice reported the launch on 3 September 2026, after beta testing. Conditions include both spouses being Ukrainian citizens aged 18 or over, mutual consent, no shared minor children, verified taxpayer numbers, Diia.Signature and an ID card or biometric travel passport for each spouse, and a marriage record in the civil register.
One spouse creates the application and selects a video appointment no earlier than one month and two days later. The other confirms the details and signs within 12 hours. After register checks, both attend the video conference with the registrar and confirm their intention. The application can be withdrawn before state registration. Check the official app’s current function; this route does not replace proceedings that require a court.
Evidence that the marriage has ended
A divorce registered by DRATsS is certified by a divorce certificate. For a modern court divorce, the final court decision is the confirming document; do not automatically seek a second certificate. Decisions made before 27 July 2010 follow a separate registration procedure.
Identify whether you need an initial divorce, a repeat certificate based on an existing civil record or a proper copy of the court decision. The online-service announcement describes an electronic record display and delivery of the paper certificate by Ukrposhta. Check the supported address and delivery options; international delivery is not automatic.