Preparing for Fatherhood: Essential Documents for New Parents

Preparing for fatherhood involves not just choosing clothing and a crib, but also addressing bureaucratic matters: registering at the maternity hospital, selecting a pediatrician, gathering documents for childbirth, and enrolling the child in kindergarten.

For a brief list of necessary documents for various stages, refer to the article on RBK-Ukraine.

Sources used in preparing the material: the "Diia" portal, the website of the Cabinet of Ministers.

To register for childbirth

Doctors recommend that expectant parents register at the maternity hospital around the 12th week of pregnancy. This is when the baby's major organs begin to develop.

You will need to bring:

• the pregnant woman's passport;
• a declaration with the family doctor (having the information in the helsi.me app is sufficient);
• at the gynecologist's office - together with the doctor, fill out the "Individual Card for Pregnant Women and Mothers," which will be kept at the medical institution.

During the visit, the doctor should provide you with an exchange card, which will record all medical details of the pregnancy. This document is usually issued in paper format. It’s important to remember to take the exchange card with you each time you visit the doctor, so they can update it with the latest information: results of examinations and tests.

You can register at either a public or private gynecological clinic or any other medical institution specializing in pregnancy monitoring.

Documents for childbirth

It is advisable to prepare the documents for childbirth by around the 36th week of pregnancy.

At the maternity ward, it is recommended to bring:

• the exchange card;
• the registration number of the taxpayer's account (RNOCPP) – previously known as the individual taxpayer number;
• the mother's passport;
• a declaration with the family doctor (having it in the helsi.me app is sufficient).

If a woman wishes for a man or another close person to be present during childbirth, it is necessary to bring their passport and the results of a fluorography.

To register the child's first documents

Parents can register the child's first documents online on the "Diia" portal. This requires submitting an electronic application, providing the parents' and child's details, and selecting the services they wish to receive. The electronic application must also include the number of the medical birth certificate.

The medical certificate is a replacement for the paper birth certificate and is issued by the doctor at the maternity hospital. The number consists of 16 Latin letters and digits.

You can obtain the number in three ways:

• through an SMS sent to the child's mother;
• the doctor can issue a printed information certificate;
• register an electronic medical certificate in the eHealth system - then it will automatically be pulled into the Malysh app.

The "Malyatko" service can also be registered offline before discharge at the maternity hospital, in the CNAP, or at the DRACTS department.

The following documents are required:

• original passports of the parents or digital passports in the Diia app;
• the medical certificate number or the original medical birth certificate (issued at the maternity hospital);
• the tax numbers of both parents (it is enough to verbally state the number or have scanned copies or high-quality photos);
• information about the date, city, and authority that registered the marriage (if the parents are married). Scanned copies or photos of the certificate are sufficient;
• the unique registration number in the registry (UNZR) of the parent for assigning the UNZR to the child (if one parent has biometric documents).
• the bank account number in IBAN format (an international account number consisting of the country code (UA) and 27 digits) applicable to all bank accounts.

To receive financial support from the government

In Ukraine, social assistance for the birth of a child can be obtained online. To do this, an electronic application must be submitted on the Diia Portal. The application should include the data of the mother, father, and child, along with checking the services they wish to receive.

The electronic application must also indicate the medical birth certificate number. The amount of the assistance is 41,280 UAH: 10,320 UAH is paid as a one-time payment, and the remaining amount is 860 UAH monthly for three years.

To register for kindergarten

If parents wish to register for an electronic queue in kindergarten, they need to register on the website of the local education authority. Then select a kindergarten and fill out the application for the queue. The application must provide the following information: the child's first and last name, date of birth, series and number of the birth certificate, parent's contact phone number, and the desired kindergarten.

If there are available spots in the kindergarten, the status of the application will change to "There is a possibility of enrollment." After that, the following documents need to be brought to the kindergarten:

• a statement from the parents or their substitutes;
• a medical certificate regarding the child's health status confirming that the child can attend preschool;
• the child's birth certificate.

To obtain a certificate for parents of a large family or a child from a large family

To receive social support for a large family, you need to obtain the corresponding certificate. This can be done by contacting the nearest CNAP or submitting an application.

The application must include the following documents:

• a photo (color or black-and-white) sized 30 × 40;
• documents confirming that one of the parents is raising the child;
• a copy of the certificate from the educational institution or the child's birth certificate (in the case of the birth of a child or the education of a person aged 18 to 23 years in full-time education abroad);
• a certificate of enrollment in an educational institution or of transfer to the next course;
• a copy of the child's birth certificate;
• a copy of the marriage certificate (except for parents who are not married);
• copies of the pages of the parents' Ukrainian citizen passports containing information about their surname, first name, patronymic (if applicable), and the date of passport issuance;
• a copy of the residence permit of the parents, if they are foreigners or stateless persons legally residing in Ukraine.

Previously, we wrote that in Ukraine, maternity leave can be taken by any woman. For this, it is necessary to have a sick leave certificate.