Imagine living without a passport. Not for a month, not for a year, but for 25 years.
That was Natalia’s reality. Because her birth had never been officially registered and there were errors in civil status records, she was unable to obtain a birth certificate and, later, a passport of a citizen of Ukraine.
Without a passport, many things that are routine for other people became constant obstacles. Resolving the problem required much more than a single application or request. It took long-term, consistent legal work.
When Natalia turned to the Carpathian Agency of Human Rights “Vested” for legal assistance, the organisation’s lawyers began working step by step to restore the legal chain of documents required for her identification and documentation.
From Establishing the Fact of Birth to a Birth Certificate
The first major breakthrough came with a decision of the Uzhhorod City District Court.
In March 2025, the court established the fact of Natalia’s birth and confirmed that her mother was a citizen of Ukraine. This made it possible to officially register Natalia’s birth and issue her a birth certificate.
However, her path to obtaining a passport was not yet complete.
When Natalia applied to the State Migration Service, another problem emerged. The information about her mother in the state registers did not match. Errors in the civil status record of her mother’s death made it impossible to properly confirm their family relationship.
Another court application was therefore necessary.
The lawyers of the Carpathian Agency of Human Rights “Vested” prepared the required documents and provided legal support throughout the proceedings. Following the second court decision, the errors in the civil status record were corrected, and Natalia received a reissued death certificate for her mother containing the correct information.
A Passport After 25 Years
After all legal obstacles had been removed, Natalia, accompanied by a lawyer from the Carpathian Agency of Human Rights “Vested”, submitted an application in July 2026 to a local office of the State Migration Service of Ukraine for her first passport.
After 25 years of living without a passport, Natalia finally received her first passport as a citizen of Ukraine.
Behind this result were two court decisions, corrections to civil status records, cooperation with public authorities, and long-term legal support.
For Natalia, however, this passport means much more. It gives her the opportunity to live with proper identity documents, access public and other services, and fully exercise her rights.
The Work Continues
Natalia’s story is not over yet.
The lawyers of the Carpathian Agency of Human Rights “Vested” are currently helping her prepare the documents required for the state registration of the births of her children.
Twenty-five years without a passport. Two court decisions. Errors in official records corrected. And finally, the passport Natalia had been waiting for all her life.
Stories like Natalia’s show that legal assistance is not only about documents and court hearings. It is about real changes in a person’s life and the opportunity to exercise fundamental rights and build a future.
Made Possible Through Cooperation
We sincerely thank attorney Inna Bon and the team of the Carpathian Agency of Human Rights “Vested” for providing legal support to women and girls from the Roma community, particularly those obtaining identity documents for the first time.
We also extend our sincere gratitude to the staff of Uzhhorod Department No. 1 of the Main Directorate of the State Migration Service of Ukraine in Zakarpattia Oblast, in particular its head, Vira Pavlivna Kosakovska, and the department’s employees for their systematic, responsible, and meticulous work in restoring lost documents and issuing first passports to members of the Roma community.
It is through this kind of cooperation that people gain the opportunity to exercise their fundamental rights, become visible to the state, and build their future.
About the Implementing Organisation
The Carpathian Agency of Human Rights “Vested” is a human rights organisation based in Zakarpattia that works at the intersection of human rights, social mobilisation, and access to justice.
The organisation has many years of experience working with vulnerable groups, including Roma communities and internally displaced persons, and actively develops inclusive approaches to legal assistance and education.
About the UN Trust Fund to End Violence against Women
The UN Trust Fund to End Violence against Women is the only global grant-making mechanism exclusively dedicated to addressing all forms of violence against women and girls at the local, national, and regional levels. To date, the Fund has supported 609 organisations in 140 countries and territories.
This publication was produced with the financial support of the UN Trust Fund to End Violence against Women. The views expressed and the content presented do not reflect the official position or endorsement of the United Nations.