Marrying an Egyptian as a Ukrainian citizen

What Ukraine requires

Egypt asks the foreign partner for two things: a no-objection certificate from her embassy in Egypt, showing marital status, age, religion, profession and address, and an Egyptian residence card issued for a purpose other than tourism, which we arrange with you. Ukraine has not issued a “marital status certificate” since 2007, so proof that you are not married is now an extract from the State Civil Status Register, ordered through the civil registry (DRACS), an administrative service centre (TsNAP) or Diia for 73 UAH, or a statement that you are not married notarised at a Ukrainian consulate.

Papers a citizen of Ukraine usually brings

• Ukrainian international passport and an Egyptian residence card issued for a purpose other than tourism: a tourist visa or the visa bought at the airport is not enough, and we arrange the residence card with you
• The no-objection certificate from the Ukrainian embassy in Cairo, with the register extract or consular statement showing you are not married
• Birth certificate, legalised for Egypt and translated into Arabic. Egypt does not accept the apostille: Ukrainian civil-status documents go to the regional justice department, then the Ministry of Foreign Affairs consular department, then the Egyptian embassy
• If you were married before: the divorce or death certificate, legalised and translated
• Five recent photos
• Medical examination certificate from an Egyptian health office, for both of you
• Two adult witnesses, and the office translator if you do not speak Arabic

Making the marriage count in Ukraine

Ukraine recognises a marriage concluded abroad under the law of that country, as long as it does not break the Family Code’s grounds for invalidity (Article 58 of the Law on Private International Law, as the Ministry of Justice explained in 2026). To use the Egyptian contract in Ukraine, it needs legalisation and a certified Ukrainian translation. How to enter it in the Ukrainian register or change your surname, we confirm for your case.

Problems we see often

• An orfi (unregistered) contract is not a marriage in law. The Ukrainian embassy has warned that orfi is recognised neither in Egypt nor in Ukraine, and it gives no spouse residency and no inheritance.
• Asking a Ukrainian office for the old “marital status certificate” wastes time: it no longer exists. Order the register extract or the consular statement instead.
• If you are abroad, duplicate civil-status certificates can be ordered through a Ukrainian consulate or by someone in Ukraine with your power of attorney. Documents from occupied territories need checking case by case, and we do that with you.
• Spouse residency lasts only while the marriage does: one year at first, then three, then five.
• If the embassy refuses or stalls the no-objection certificate, you can still marry: we have another route. We have used it for dozens of couples of every nationality, and the marriage ends up officially registered in Egypt, not orfi.

Questions couples ask