International Parental Child Abduction

Ukraine acceded to the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction in 2007. For in-depth information on the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction, visit the Department of State’s International Parental Child Abduction Page.

What to do if your child has been abducted

From the United States to Ukraine: If your child has been abducted from the United States to Ukraine, you should file an application with the U.S. Central Authority at: Application For Assistance Under the Hague Convention on Child Abduction. For guidance and instructions on completing the application form, refer to the U.S. Central Authority’s website.

From Ukraine to the United States: If your child has been abducted from Ukraine to the United States, you should contact the Ukrainian Central Authority by telephone at +38-044-279-5674 or email.

Lawyers

The Embassy maintains a list of lawyers in Kyiv (PDF 453 KB) and a list of lawyers in Ukraine (PDF 172 KB) who have expressed an interest in assisting U.S. citizens with legal issues in Ukraine.

Preventing Child Abduction

If you are a resident of Ukraine and fear that your U.S. citizen child might be taken abroad by another parent without your consent, the child’s name can be entered into the U.S. passport name check system. Then, if an application for a passport for your child is received, you will be informed before issuance of the passport.

When there is an order from a court of competent jurisdiction prohibiting the removal of a child from the jurisdiction of the court and/or the requesting party without prior consent, and the order is provided to the American Citizen Services unit of the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv, an application for a U.S. passport for a child may be denied.

Parents who have concerns about or who feel their child may be at risk of child abduction should register their child’s name in the Children’s Passport Issuance Alert Program (CPIAP).

Other Resources