The consular offices abroad aim to guarantee the rights of Ukrainian citizens and legal entities abroad.

You should contact consular offices of Ukraine:

• If you need advice on legislation of the country of your stay or help in contacting official institutions of the country;
• If you have lost your travel documents:
  
  
  • The consular office will check your identity with the assistance of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine;
  • The consular office will also prepare the documents for returning to Ukraine (Certificate for Returning to Ukraine);
  
  
• If you are arrested or apprehended:
  

  
  

  • You have the right to demand the police to inform the Consul of Ukraine - it is your right;
    
  • The Consular office can inform your relatives about your circumstances;
    
  • The Consul finds out the facts of your case through competent bodies;
    
  • The Consul applies measures for proper observation of the legislation of the country of stay regarding detention and keeping the detainee in conditions that meet hygiene and sanitary standards.
  
  One should remember that if the laws of the country of stay have been violated, the Consul is not able to release you from the consequences;
  
• In case of unexpected situations (such as sickness, injury or accident):

  
  

  • The consular office can give you information regarding addresses and phone numbers of hospitals and medical institutions that can help you.
    
  • The Consular office can inform your relatives in Ukraine about what has happened to you;
  
  
• If you became a victim of exploitation or trafficking, the Consular Office applies measures to confirm your identity and bring you back Ukraine quickly;
• In case of death of a Ukrainian citizen abroad, the Consular Office will inform his relatives and help them process all the necessary transportation documents and fulfill required formalities related to the transportation of the coffin and body or the urn with ashes into Ukraine.
  
• The Consular office is also authorized to perform registration of civil status acts, to issue foreign passports (to citizens who submitted documents to the consular office for permanent residence abroad or stay abroad because of study, treatment or work contract) and certificates on returning to Ukraine, to legalize documents, etc

BUT consular offices and officials cannot act as lawyers, private advisers, travel agents, interpreters, etc. The Consul is not authorized to provide employment, permission to stay or foreign citizenship.

• Call or visit a consular office or an embassy of Ukraine abroad.
• Send your request by post, fax or e-mail. The request should include your last name, first name, patronymic name, address, contact information, citizenship and the core of the issue. The request should have signature and date. 
• Contact the official institution or non-governmental human rights organizations with the request to pass information to the Consular Office of Ukraine.
  

Ukrainian citizens planning to live abroad permanently have to register at the consular office of Ukraine in the country of stay. There is temporary registration for those who plan to stay abroad temporarily but not less than 3 months. If you are registered it will help the consular office in following:

• To contact you on the request of your relatives from Ukraine;
• To help you in case of emergency (disasters etc.);
• To find you and prepare your documents for returning to Ukraine quicker.
  

In order to be registered, you have to contact the consular office of Ukraine. Any mediators (travel agencies, employers, employment firms) cannot do it for you. You can receive a list of the documents necessary for registration at every consular office of Ukraine.

The main purpose of the Center is to guarantee legal protection of Ukrainian citizens working abroad, according to the legislation of the country of stay as well as international acts. This Centre is a part of Consular Services provided by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Ukraine. The approach to the protection of Ukrainian citizens has changed: in particular, now the focus shifted to elimination of legal nihilism regarding work abroad and fostering public awareness of legal issues.

There are regional and foreign offices of the Center in many consular institutions and regional offices of the MFA in Ukraine. The Centers in the regions of Ukraine and abroad provide consultative, legal and, in some case, financial assistance to the citizens of Ukraine. Part of the Centers' work is with consular offices who also cooperate with law firms, NGOs, Diaspora groups, churches and banks for the protection of the rights of Ukrainian migrants. The Centers and its offices function voluntarily.

The Center for assistance to Ukrainian citizens in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine:

• Performs daily admission of citizens and provides advice on consular and legal issues for free;
• Gathers information regarding international law and national laws of different countries, especially those where the rights of Ukrainian migrants are regularly violated;
• Cooperates with Ukrainian law enforcement and the Ministries of Labour and Social Policy, Ministry of Internal Affairs, Ministry of Education and Science, Ministry of Family, Children and Youth, and the Institute on Human Rights, in providing legal advice to the citizens of Ukraine who work abroad; 
• Gathers information regarding the most urgent problems facing Ukrainian labour migrants and protection of their rights; 
• Organizes conferences, round table discussions, and other activities for the protection of the citizens of Ukraine who work abroad.