Ukrainian Translation

The most common mistake with a Ukrainian document is seeing Cyrillic and assuming Russian. The two languages use different letters, and transliterating a name gives a different result depending on which language it comes from.

5 min readLast updated 1 September 2026

Writing system

Нотаріально засвідчений переклад

Notarialno zasvidchenyi pereklad

A notarised translation

Ukrainian Cyrillic has 33 letters and differs from Russian Cyrillic by four: і, ї, є and ґ exist in Ukrainian. Conversely ы, э and ъ, which Russian has, do not exist in Ukrainian. If you see the letter і, the text is not Russian.

Cyrillic script alone does not mean Russian

Ukrainian and Russian use the same family of scripts but different inventories of letters. That has a practical consequence: a translator working on a Ukrainian document must hold an oath record for Ukrainian; a Russian oath record does not authorise them for this document.

Letter differences between the two alphabets
Letter	Ukrainian	Russian
і	Present (Київ)	Absent
ї	Present (Україна)	Absent
є	Present (Європа)	Absent
ґ	Present (ґанок)	Absent
ы	Absent	Present (сын)
э	Absent	Present (это)
ъ	Absent	Present (объект)

Letter differences between the two alphabets

The 2010 romanisation: Kyiv or Kiev?

Ukraine adopted an official romanisation system in 2010, and passport spellings have followed it since. The system transliterates from Ukrainian pronunciation rather than Russian, which produces two different Latin spellings for the same place and personal names.

Transliteration from Ukrainian and from Russian
Ukrainian	From Ukrainian (official)	From Russian (older)
Київ	Kyiv	Kiev
Харків	Kharkiv	Kharkov
Львів	Lviv	Lvov
Олена	Olena	Yelena
Володимир	Volodymyr	Vladimir
Сергій	Serhii	Sergey

Transliteration from Ukrainian and from Russian

Ukrainian records also carry a patronymic

Ukrainian records give a name in three parts as well: given name, patronymic and surname. The endings differ from Russian: alongside -ович you find -йович, and -івна for women. In the Turkish register the father's name is a separate field rather than part of the name, so the translation marks explicitly which element is the patronymic.

Diia: QR-coded digital documents

Documents obtained through Diia, Ukraine's official e-services application, carry a QR code by which they are verified. That has two consequences for translation.

01
Do not crop the QR code
The verification code carries the document's validity. Cropping or blurring it in a screenshot makes the document unverifiable. Download it as a PDF and send that.
02
The code is covered in the translation
The verification text and number beneath the code are translated; the code itself is not copied, but its presence and position are stated.
03
Apostilles on digital documents
An apostille on a digital printout goes through the issuing authority. If the Turkish institution requires a wet-signed original, a digital printout may not be enough; ask them first.

letters in Ukrainian Cyrillic: 33letters in Ukrainian Cyrillic
absent from Russian: і ї є ґ: 4 lettersabsent from Russian: і ї є ґ
year the official romanisation was adopted: 2010year the official romanisation was adopted

If you cannot obtain the document

For Ukrainian citizens abroad, obtaining a document is sometimes a problem in itself. Without the original, translation cannot begin; the document has to be obtained again first.

Routes for obtaining a document

A digital copy through Diia
An application to the Ukrainian mission in Türkiye
A power of attorney to a relative in Ukraine
A written copy requested from the issuing institution
Reissue on the basis of an older copy you still hold

Recognition of documents issued in areas outside government control is a separate question and varies by institution. If you hold such a document, confirm whether it will be accepted before beginning the translation; a translation does not resolve a recognition problem.

Ukrainian documents and how we render them

Frequently seen documents
Document	What it is	Our approach
Свідоцтво про народження	Birth certificate	Its scope differs from a Turkish civil registry extract
Витяг з реєстру	Extract from a state register	Which register it came from is stated
Довідка про несудимість	Criminal record certificate	Scope and period of validity are noted
Диплом / Додаток до диплома	Diploma and diploma supplement	Two separate documents; without the supplement the diploma may count as incomplete
Трудова книжка	Employment record book	Used to calculate length of service; every page is translated

Frequently seen documents

Frequently asked questions

Can a translator who knows Russian handle my Ukrainian document?

Not for an official procedure. A sworn translation requires an oath record for Ukrainian; a Russian one does not authorise the translator for this document. Beyond the letters, the two languages also differ in vocabulary.

My old document says Sergey and my new passport says Serhii. Which will be used?

For official purposes the spelling in your current passport governs. So that the difference is not read as an inconsistency, the translation shows both spellings and states the relationship between them. That is why sending both documents matters.

Will a digital document from Diia be accepted?

It depends on the institution. A PDF with a legible QR code is accepted for most procedures; some bodies require a wet-signed original. Ask the receiving institution and we will prepare the translation accordingly. Send a PDF rather than a screenshot.

Is an apostille enough for a document going to Ukraine?

Yes. Ukraine is a party to the Hague Apostille Convention, so sworn translation, notarisation and an apostille are valid; consular legalisation is not required.

Can I have my diploma translated without the supplement?

You can, but most institutions do not accept a diploma without it: the courses, credits and grades are in the supplement. Sending both is faster and cheaper, since we work through them in one pass on one term list.