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Children who have gone abroad with one of the parents without the written consent of the other or accompanied by a relative authorized by one of the parents are subject to mandatory consular registration. Read about the procedure for registering a child with a consular officer in our material.
Certain categories of children who left Ukraine because of the war must registered at the consulate.
Is it mandatory?
- Yes. In cases specified by law, an adult accompanying a child citizen of Ukraine abroad is obliged to apply to the embassy / consulate of Ukraine for temporary registration of the child.
Which children are subject to this?
- The following are subject to mandatory registration on a temporary consular basis:
a) children, who before leaving the country, lived around the clock in any institution for children (regardless of whether they have the status of an orphan or a child deprived of parental care);
b) children placed in foster care homes;
c) children placed under custody, guardianship, placed in foster families or family-type orphanages;
d) children who left Ukraine accompanied by one of the parents (without the consent of the other parent), or accompanied by grandparents, brother, sister, brother, stepmother, stepfather or other persons authorized by only one of the child's parents .
Where is it stipulated?
- Rules of crossing the state border by citizens of Ukraine, approved by the resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine as of 27.01.1995 № 57 (as amended by the resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine as of 12.03.2022 № 264).
Why is this necessary?
- Consulates protect the rights and interests of Ukrainian citizens abroad. It is important for the state of Ukraine to know the whereabouts of children who were forced to leave its territory as a result of the armed aggression of the Russian Federation. This is the only way to coordinate assistance to children and adults with whom they are abroad.
How much time do I have to contact the consulate upon arrival?
- The person accompanying the child must apply to the consulate within 1 working day after arrival at the final destination. It is recommended to inform the relevant consulate / embassy immediately upon arrival at the place of residence abroad. As soon as possible, submit to the consulate / embassy the documents required for the temporary consular registration of the child.
What should be done first?
1) Find the embassy / consulate of Ukraine, whose consular district covers your whereabouts;
2) Inform the consulate / embassy by e-mail about the child's data (name, date of birth, institution where he/she was in Ukraine, address of residence abroad, information about the accompanying person and his status, contacts of the accompanying person);
3) Read the official information on the website or Facebook page of the consulate / embassy and find out the time of the consular reception and whether there is a pre-registration;
4) If registration is foreseen, make an appointment;
5) Prepare the necessary documents;
6) Arrive at the consulate on time.
How to find a consulate?
- Consular registration of citizens is conducted by foreign diplomatic missions of Ukraine in accordance with the distribution of consular districts. You can find the relevant consulate / embassy at the link
What to do if the child's foreign address changes?
- The accompanying person is obliged to inform the consulate where the child is registered about the change of the child's address. If the new address belongs to the consular district of another diplomatic mission of Ukraine, the accompanying person must apply to this consulate / embassy to accept the child for temporary consular registration at the new address.
What documents should I have with me?
- a photo of 35x45 mm with the image of the child's face (the image of the face should be 70-80% of the area of the photo, the background - white or light gray);
- passport of a citizen of Ukraine to travel abroad in the name of the child (if any);
- passport of a citizen of Ukraine in the name of the child (if any), birth certificate or extract from the State Register of Civil Status Acts on state registration of the birth of the child;
- a document issued by the competent authorities of a foreign state, confirming the stay and address of the child's place of residence in the territory of this state (if any);
- the original of your passport of a citizen of Ukraine or passport of a citizen of Ukraine for travel abroad;
- documents confirming your authority to accompany and represent the interests of the child abroad.
The presence of the child is not required! The consular registration service for children under 16 is free of charge.
For more detailed information and clarifications, please contact the relevant embassy or consulate of Ukraine.
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