How we received a certificate of issuance of a driver's license and apostilled it in 4 days without the client coming to Ukraine: a real case

Exchanging a Ukrainian driver’s license abroad is one of the most common procedures among our compatriots who have been living in European Union countries for a long time. However, if the license was issued a long time ago (especially before 2013) or information about it is missing from electronic registries for some reason, European government agencies require additional confirmation. Such a document is a certificate of driver’s license issuance.

In this article, using a real-life example from one of our clients, we will explain how the law firm Enwolt solved a complex problem: it remotely obtained the document in Ukraine, affixed the “Apostille” stamp, and delivered the order to the EU in just 4 business days.

Task: Exchanging an old-style driver’s license in the Netherlands

We were approached by a client—a Ukrainian national who currently resides and is officially employed in the Netherlands. He needed to exchange his Ukrainian driver’s license for a local Dutch one. Since his license was issued more than 15 years ago, the local Road Transport Agency (RDW) set a clear requirement: to provide official confirmation from the competent authorities in Ukraine that the document is genuine, and that the driver has indeed passed the certification and is authorized to operate a vehicle.

The main complications of the situation:

• The client is physically located in the Netherlands and cannot travel to Ukraine due to work and logistical difficulties.
• A standard paper certificate without international certification has no legal force for Dutch government agencies—an apostille is required.
• Time was of the essence, as the deadline for exchanging documents was approaching.

Enwolt’s lawyers quickly developed a step-by-step plan that allowed them to resolve the issue on a turnkey basis without the applicant’s personal presence.

The actual process: from your call to the finished document

To obtain a legalized document in such a short time, we have implemented a clear and well-established procedure for interacting with government registries and ministries.

Step 1. Obtaining a power of attorney abroad

In order for our lawyers to officially represent the client’s interests before Ukrainian government agencies, a legal basis is required. The client promptly executed a power of attorney with a local notary in the Netherlands (an option through the Ukrainian consulate would also have been suitable). We immediately began working with a scanned copy of the document to prepare internal applications, while the original was sent via express delivery to our office in central Kyiv.

Step 2. Visit to the Main Service Center of the Ministry of Internal Affairs

Upon receiving the power of attorney, our lawyer immediately contacted the regional service center of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine. This agency maintains a unified information system and issues official certificates confirming the issuance of a driver’s license, which specify:

• The series and number of the license;
• Date of issuance and former place of registration;
• Vehicle categories;
• Document status (whether it is valid or has been revoked by a court).

Thanks to the correctly formulated request, we had the certificate of driver’s license issuance in our hands on the very day of the request.

Step 3. Submission to the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine (Apostille)

The Netherlands is a signatory to the Hague Convention, so for a Ukrainian certificate to be recognized abroad, it must bear an “Apostille” stamp. Many people mistakenly believe that the Ministry of Internal Affairs apostilles documents, but in this case, the official extract is certified through the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine (Minjust).

Our courier submitted the document for expedited apostille processing. The next day, we received the certificate with an embedded electronic Apostille stamp and a QR code, confirming its absolute authenticity.

Step 4. Delivery of the completed package to the Netherlands

The completed document, along with a certified translation into Dutch, was handed over to a reliable international express delivery service. Exactly four days after the start of the process, the client held the package of documents in their hands, which they successfully submitted to the RDW to obtain a new European driver’s license.

Why shouldn’t you handle this on your own?

Attempts to go through this process remotely without professional assistance often result in wasted time and money. The main risks of handling the process on your own:

1. Errors in the registries. If your license was issued a long time ago, the information may simply not be available in the “Dii” database or the Ministry of Internal Affairs’ database. You will need to consult the paper archives of the region where you originally took your exams.
2. Bureaucratic rejections. The Ministry of Justice may reject a document if the signature of an official from the Ministry of Internal Affairs Service Center does not match the samples in their database.
3. Logistical bottleneck. Ukrainian consulates abroad are overwhelmed, with waiting lists booked months in advance, and the validity period of certificates is limited.

A professional solution from Enwolt

This case study is clear proof that distance is no obstacle in modern law. If you find yourself in a similar situation and foreign institutions are requesting documents from Ukraine, Enwolt will handle the task with a guaranteed result.

This successful case is directly based on two of our specialized services, which you can use separately or in combination:

• Official retrieval of documents from government agencies and archives in Ukraine—learn more on the page.
• International legalization, stamping, and preparation for foreign authorities.

Don’t waste time on bureaucracy and complicated flights. Entrust your documents to professionals who know the exact process for quickly resolving any legal issues!