Ukrainian citizenship for a child born in the USA: who registers it since 2026 and the apostilled papers
Checked against the official pages on 22 October 2026. How we check.
A person whose parents, or one of them, were Ukrainian citizens at the time of birth is a Ukrainian citizen from birth.
What changed with Law No. 4502-IX is the paperwork: for a child born after 16 January 2026 to two Ukrainian parents, the certificate of registration as a Ukrainian citizen is not issued at all (Embassy page, in Ukrainian).
New York’s page carries the same notice (New York page, in Ukrainian).
Who files
One parent, or another legal representative, files in person by appointment, choosing “Registration of acquisition of Ukrainian citizenship by birth” in e-Consul. The other parent and the child do not have to come, and a foreign parent may file too.
Whoever files needs a valid passport for travel abroad on that day (Embassy page, in Ukrainian).
A child aged 14 to 18 signs a written consent personally. An adult files alone, with a certificate establishing identity that only the State Migration Service in Ukraine issues.
The birth certificate: two apostilles, two days
The U.S. birth certificate is prepared in three steps before the visit (Embassy page, in Ukrainian):
| Step | What | Where |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Apostille on the original birth certificate | The apostille authority of the state of birth (table by state) |
| 2 | Notarized Ukrainian translation of the certificate and of the apostille | A U.S. notary |
| 3 | Apostille on the notarized translation | The state apostille authority, on a later day |
The translation cannot be apostilled before the certificate or on the same day. Proof of your U.S. address (driver’s license, Form 797 or lease) needs a notarized translation with an apostille too. The certificate itself comes from the vital records office of the state of birth; the CDC lists them:
| State | U.S. birth certificates (CDC) | Certified copy |
|---|---|---|
| New York | The state Vital Records Section’s Certification Unit | $30.00 |
| New Jersey | The Office of Vital Statistics & Registry of the NJ Department of Health | $25.00 |
| California | The California Department of Public Health’s Vital Records office | $29.00 |
| Illinois | The Division of Vital Records of the Illinois Department of Public Health | See the CDC page |
| Florida | The Bureau of Vital Statistics of the Department of Health | $9.00 |
Every state is on our state pages. New York advises checking the Latin spelling of the child’s name against the transliteration tool of the State Migration Service before the U.S. certificate is issued (New York page, in Ukrainian).
The packet
- the application and two photos of 35 by 45 mm;
- the valid passport of the parent who files, with a copy, and a copy of the earlier one if the child was born before it was issued;
- for a father aged 18 to 60, the printed Reserv+ document generated no more than three days before, and the app on his phone;
- the birth certificate with its apostille and a copy;
- the translation with its apostille and a copy;
- copies of the other parent’s passport, and of a marriage certificate or court order if a surname changed;
- copies of the filing parent’s U.S. address documents, with apostilled translations;
- the consent to process personal data, and a prepaid envelope with the mail form if you want the certificate mailed.
The list is the Embassy’s (Embassy page, in Ukrainian). A foreign parent’s passport goes with a notarized Ukrainian translation and an apostille on the translation.
How long, and what comes next
New York decides within one month of receiving all the papers, and the procedure is free (New York page, in Ukrainian). You get a certificate of registration as a Ukrainian citizen, in person or by mail. With it you apply for the child’s passport, or a certificate of return if you must travel soon.
- The filing parent’s valid passport
- Birth certificate with apostille
- Translation with its own apostille
- Two photos of 35 × 45 mm
- Address documents with apostilled translations
- Reserv+ printout if the father files