How do you translate a Ukrainian police certificate for a US immigrant visa?
For a US immigrant or fiancé(e) visa, the State Department asks for the full version of the Ukrainian police certificate, listing every name you have used. Since April 2022, Ukraine’s Interior Ministry issues it online, with a QR code and a digital seal. We translate the vytiah in full, every line and mark. A Ukrainian police certificate is usually one page: $25, ready within 24 hours after payment.
What the State Department says for Ukraine
The Ukrainian police certificate is called a vytiah (extract). It comes from the information and analysis departments of Ukraine’s Ministry of Internal Affairs (MVS) and costs nothing for regular processing (U.S. Department of State (opens in a new tab)):
- Format: since April 23, 2022, every certificate is issued online and printed on plain A4 paper, with a serial number, a QR code and a digital stamp and seal. The State Department says the electronic certificate can be considered an original.
- Version: it must be the full version (povna), not the short one (skorochena).
- Names: for immigrant and K visas, it lists all current and previous names. You have to ask for them in the request, and then check that every name is there.
- Where to request it: online at vytiah.mvs.gov.ua (opens in a new tab) if you have no criminal record, or at a Center for Administrative Services (TSNAP) in Ukraine.
From your country of nationality, the consulate asks for a police certificate if you are 16 or older and have lived there for more than six months. A certificate expires after two years, unless it comes from a country you used to live in and haven’t returned to since (U.S. Department of State (opens in a new tab)).
Requesting it in Diia
Diia, the Ukrainian government app and portal, issues the same extract to anyone aged 14 or older (Diia (opens in a new tab)). You pick the short or the full version and the purpose, note any change of personal data and add your place of birth. The extract is ready within 10 working days, or within 30 calendar days if the data needs an extra check. It arrives by email and can be checked on the MVS website. The short version shows only whether you have a criminal record; the full one also shows any criminal prosecution and restrictions under Ukraine’s criminal procedure law.
What the translation includes
We translate the certificate in full, as USCIS requires (8 CFR 103.2(b)(3) (opens in a new tab)): the MVS heading, the number and date, every name listed, the date and place of birth, the result of the check, the purpose, the official’s name and title if given, the digital seal and the QR code, marked as [QR code]. We spell names as in your passport.
Where the translation goes
- NVC and US consulates: the Department of State doesn’t ask for a translation of a police certificate in Ukrainian if you are applying for your visa in Ukraine. Immigrant and fiancé(e) visa cases for citizens and residents of Ukraine are processed at the US Embassy in Kyiv (U.S. Department of State (opens in a new tab)). What NVC accepts
- USCIS: a full translation and the translator’s signed certification. What USCIS accepts
- Immigration court: a typed certification with the translator’s address and phone. What the court accepts
Our Ukrainian documents are translated and certified by a native Ukrainian speaker. What to file in your case is for you or your attorney to decide.
Sample translations
6 samplesEach sample has the original, the translation and the signed certificate. Personal details are blurred.
Questions
I have the short version. Will you translate it?
Yes, we translate whichever version you send. For an immigrant or fiancé(e) visa, the State Department asks for the full one (povna), with every name you have used, so check which one your case needs before you order.
How much does it cost?
A police certificate is usually one page: $25. Each additional page in the same order is $20, so certificates for you, your spouse and your adult child are $65.
Do I need a notary or an apostille?
The translation doesn’t: USCIS and NVC ask for the translator’s signed certification, and it’s part of every order. If your certificate has an apostille, we translate it with the certificate.
How long does it take?
1–4 documents: within 24 hours after payment; faster, within 12 hours (+$15 a page) or 3 hours (+$30 a page, paid between 8 am and 6 pm Pacific time). For 5 or more, we give you the date with the quote.
How we do it
- Full translation
every stamp, signature and handwritten line
- Signed certificate
with the translator’s name, address and phone
- A PDF, ready to file
original, translation and certificate, translation pages numbered
- Price
$25 for the first page up to 250 words, $20 for each additional page, in the same document or another one.
- Turnaround
1–4 documents: within 24 hours after payment; faster, within 12 hours (+$15 a page) or 3 hours (+$30 a page, paid between 8 am and 6 pm Pacific time). For 5 or more, we give you the date with the quote.
This is a summary of what the agency publishes, not legal advice.