How to file for divorce in 2026: registry office, Diia or court — deadlines, costs, documents

The short answer. There are three routes out of a marriage. If both agree and there are no children of the marriage under 18 — through the civil registry office (state duty 8.50 UAH) or online in the Diia app (2,871.50 UAH in a single payment, including delivery of the certificates); it takes a month at the registry office and a month and two calendar days in Diia. If there are children or one spouse objects — only through the courts (court fee 1,331.20 UAH for a claim, 665.60 UAH on a joint application by spouses with children, from two months). One spouse’s refusal does not prevent the divorce: the court will dissolve the marriage anyway if the family has in fact ceased to exist.

On 3 September 2026 online divorce in the Diia app came out of beta and is now open to every couple who meet the statutory conditions: mutual agreement and no children of the marriage under 18. Together with the classic application to the registry office and the court route, that makes three distinct procedures with different timeframes and costs.

Getting the start wrong costs time: an application to the registry office where there is a child of the marriage will not be accepted, and a claim that fails the requirements of the Civil Procedure Code will be stayed. Below are all three routes with the exact deadlines, amounts and documents.

When a divorce can go through the registry office

The civil status registration office handles these cases under a simplified procedure, with no hearings. Article 106 of the Family Code allows it where three conditions are met at once: both want the marriage dissolved, there are no children of the marriage under 18, and a joint application has been filed. A one-month period then runs, so that the parties can confirm the decision finally. The law does not allow that month to be shortened. The state duty is 8.50 UAH (0.5 of the tax-free minimum income under the Decree “On State Duty”).

Article 107 covers a separate case: where the other spouse has been declared missing or lacking legal capacity by a court, the divorce is registered on the application of one spouse, even where there are children.

Divorce online through Diia

The service launched in beta in the summer of 2026, and since 3 September 2026 it has been open to every couple who qualify. Previously Diia took only the application and the final step happened at the registry office; now the procedure is completed online, by video call.

The conditions are the same as for the registry office (both agree, no children of the marriage under 18), plus technical requirements: each must have an ID card or biometric passport, a tax number and an activated Diia.Signature. The mechanics: one spouse creates the application in the app, the other confirms it with their signature, the state duty is paid, the one-month period runs — during which either spouse can withdraw the application — and then the video call takes place. The register entry appears in the profile within a day, and the paper certificate comes by post. The service does not accept a one-sided application. More in the separate article on divorce through Diia.

Diia will not help where there are children of the marriage under 18, where one spouse objects, or where there are property disputes — those cases need a court.

When only a court can grant the divorce

The grounds for the court route: children of the marriage under 18 (Art. 109 — the court is needed even where both fully agree), one spouse’s refusal (Art. 110), or additional family disputes. The court does not decide who is at fault: it establishes only whether the family still exists.

Spouses who have children and have agreed to divorce file a joint application together with a written agreement on where the children will live and how the other parent will contribute to their maintenance (Art. 109). Such a case is heard in special proceedings, and the court fee is lower — 0.2 of the subsistence minimum, that is 665.60 UAH. The maintenance agreement is notarised if the parties wish; maintenance amounts are covered on the page of our maintenance lawyer.

One change worth remembering: until the end of 2024 Article 110 barred a divorce claim during a wife’s pregnancy and for a year after the birth. Law No. 4073-IX of 20 November 2024 (in force from 19 December 2024) deleted parts 2–4 of Article 110 — a claim can now be filed at any time. The same law added to Article 111: the court does not give spouses a reconciliation period in cases involving domestic violence.

Where to file the claim

The claim goes to the local court, as a rule where the respondent lives. But where young or minor children live with the claimant, or there are other well-founded reasons, the law allows filing where the claimant lives. The court fee on a claim to dissolve a marriage in 2026 is 1,331.20 UAH (0.4 of the subsistence minimum for working-age people — 3,328 UAH). Filing through the Electronic Court applies a factor of 0.8, that is 1,064.96 UAH.

What the statement of claim must contain

It states the parties’ details, information about the registration of the marriage, the circumstances in which the relationship ended and the request to dissolve the marriage; it must comply with Articles 175 and 177 of the Civil Procedure Code. A defective claim is stayed and the court allows time to put it right.

Step by step: divorce through the courts

1. Gather the documents (3–7 days): the marriage certificate, passports, tax numbers, the children’s birth certificates, a household composition certificate or a declaration of residence.
2. Choose the procedure: where both agree and there are children, a joint application with the agreement on the children (665.60 UAH); without agreement, a claim (1,331.20 UAH).
3. Pay the court fee and keep the receipt: without it the application will be stayed.
4. File the papers in person, by post, or through the Electronic Court at a 20 % discount. The court opens proceedings within five days of receiving the application.
5. Attend the hearing. On a party’s application the court may allow a reconciliation period of up to six months (part 7 of Art. 240 CPC), except in domestic violence cases.
6. Wait for the judgment to take effect (30 days if there is no appeal) and register the dissolution at the registry office to obtain the certificate.

What documents you need for a divorce

The file depends on how the marriage is being ended.

Without children (registry office or Diia): both passports and tax numbers, the marriage certificate, the joint application in the prescribed form, and the receipt for the state duty. Errors in personal data have to be corrected by a separate procedure.

With children under 18 (court): additionally the children’s birth certificates, details of where the child lives, and the agreement or documents on their maintenance.

How long a divorce takes

Through the registry office — a month from filing (Article 106 of the Family Code); through Diia — no sooner than a month and two calendar days; the procedure cannot be completed sooner. Through the courts the length depends on the number of hearings and any additional claims: with nothing in dispute the judgment comes in roughly two months, and with a reconciliation period the case stretches to eight. The marriage is treated as ended on the day the judgment takes effect (Art. 114), and the registry office issues the certificate after that.

What to do if the other spouse objects

One spouse’s refusal does not mean the marriage survives. Where the family has in fact ceased to exist, the court grants the claim even without the other side’s agreement. The court may give the parties a reconciliation period of up to six months (Art. 111; part 7 of Art. 240 CPC), but it cannot refuse a divorce permanently. The respondent’s non-attendance does not block the process either: once properly notified, the case is heard without them.

If one spouse is abroad

Such cases are heard by a Ukrainian court. The statutory mechanisms for notifying the party and for representation by a lawyer are used, which allows the case to run without anyone attending in person. The papers are filed through the Electronic Court, so a divorce is realistic even when the spouses are in different countries.

Typical mistakes when filing for divorce

• Going to the registry office when there is a child. The application will be refused and a month lost: under Art. 109 only a court hears such cases.
• A claim without the receipt or with incomplete details. The court stays the application, and the fee is paid again on re-filing.
• Expecting the marriage to end on the date of the judgment. Another 30 days pass before it takes effect, and every property consequence is counted from that date.
• Combining claims without doing the maths. If one claim covers the divorce, maintenance and the division of property, the court fee is calculated separately for each head.
• Ignoring court notices. A respondent who does not collect their post loses the chance to ask for a reconciliation period or to put their case about the children.

When you do not need a lawyer

Where the spouses agree, there are no children of the marriage under 18 and no property claims between them, the procedure comes down to an application and a month’s wait — no representative is needed either at the registry office or in Diia. Spouses with children likewise file the joint application themselves where they have already agreed who the children will live with and drawn up the agreement. Help is needed where the other side objects or is in hiding, where the divorce is combined with the division of property or a dispute about the children, where one spouse is abroad, or where domestic violence is involved. The cost of individual steps is in the service prices section: preparing procedural documents costs from 5,000 UAH, appearing at one hearing from 3,000 UAH.

Questions and answers

How do I file for divorce in Ukraine in 2026?

Through the registry office or Diia where there are no children of the marriage under 18 and both agree, or through the courts where there are children or the other spouse does not agree.

What does filing for divorce cost?

The state duty for registering a divorce at the registry office is 8.50 UAH. Online in Diia the service costs 2,871.50 UAH in a single payment, which covers the duty and delivery of the certificates. The court fee on a claim is 1,331.20 UAH, or 1,064.96 UAH through the Electronic Court, and 665.60 UAH on a joint application by spouses with children.

Can a divorce be done entirely online through Diia?

Yes, since 3 September 2026. You need both spouses’ agreement, no children of the marriage under 18, and an ID card or biometric passport plus Diia.Signature for each.

Can an application for divorce be withdrawn?

Yes. During the one-month waiting period either spouse can withdraw the application filed at the registry office or through Diia, and the procedure ends.

Can I divorce without my husband’s or wife’s consent?

Yes. The court will dissolve the marriage without the other side’s agreement if it finds that the family has in fact broken down. The respondent’s non-attendance does not prevent the hearing.

How long does a divorce take in Ukraine?

Through the registry office — one month; through Diia — a month and two calendar days. Through the courts — from two months, and up to eight where a reconciliation period is allowed.

Can a court refuse a divorce?

It cannot refuse permanently. It only adjourns and allows a reconciliation period of up to six months (part 7 of Art. 240 CPC), except in cases involving domestic violence.

Can we divorce while the wife is pregnant?

Yes. Law No. 4073-IX deleted parts 2–4 of Article 110, so since 19 December 2024 there is no bar on filing during pregnancy or in the year after the birth.

From what moment is the marriage treated as ended?

By judgment — from the day it takes effect, that is after 30 days if no appeal is filed. At the registry office and in Diia — from the day the dissolution is registered.

What if one spouse is abroad?

A Ukrainian court hears the case through representation by a lawyer and the Electronic Court system, without the party attending in person.

Sources

• Family Code of Ukraine, Arts. 106, 107, 109, 110, 111, 114, 115 — zakon.rada.gov.ua
• Law of Ukraine “On Court Fees” No. 3674-VI, Art. 4 — zakon.rada.gov.ua
• Law of Ukraine No. 4073-IX of 20.11.2024 — deletion of parts 2–4 of Art. 110 of the Family Code — zakon.rada.gov.ua
• Civil Procedure Code of Ukraine, Arts. 175, 177, 240 — zakon.rada.gov.ua
• Decree of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine “On State Duty” No. 7-93 — zakon.rada.gov.ua
• The Diia portal — online divorce service — diia.gov.ua

Divorce with Svarog

If your situation is more than a simple agreement between the two of you — there are children, a property dispute, a partner abroad or one who is avoiding the process — Svarog’s lawyers prepare the documents, file through the Electronic Court and run the case without you attending the hearings. At the consultation you will get a clear answer: which procedure applies in your case, how long it will take and what it will cost. More on the page of our divorce lawyer.

+38 095 554-54-24 · Kyiv, 7 Khoriva Street (Podil) · Mon–Fri 9.00–18.00