September 2, 2026 Holiday — Notary Day in Ukraine: History, Traditions, and Interesting Facts
On September 2, Ukraine celebrates Notary Day—a professional holiday for those who help citizens formalize important decisions and protect their rights. It is the notary who certifies contracts, wills, powers of attorney, and other documents of legal significance. This professional holiday was officially established in 2010, and September 2 was chosen as its date.
Notary Day in Ukraine is celebrated annually on September 2. In 2026, this date falls on a Wednesday. As a professional holiday, it is dedicated primarily to those working in the notarial field. At the same time, its significance extends to a much wider circle of people, since virtually everyone may need to consult a notary at various points in their lives.
Buying or selling real estate, settling an inheritance, drafting a will, issuing a power of attorney, or certifying the authenticity of a signature—these are just a few of the situations in which notarial services may be needed. September 2 is enshrined in Ukrainian law. The Verkhovna Rada has also included Notary Day in the official calendar of professional holidays.
How Notary Day Came to Be
This professional holiday in Ukraine was established relatively recently. On February 22, 2010, President Viktor Yushchenko signed Decree No. 211/2010 “On Notary Day.” The document established a new professional holiday and specified that it would be celebrated annually on September 2. The decree noted that this decision was based on the importance of notarial activities for building a state governed by the rule of law and protecting the legitimate interests of citizens, businesses, institutions, and organizations.
The initiative to establish the holiday was supported by the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine and the Ukrainian Notarial Chamber. Thus, Notary Day gained official status specifically as a professional holiday. At the same time, the profession of notary in Ukraine has a much longer history. The need for people who could certify legally significant agreements and documents existed long before the emergence of the modern Ukrainian state.
What Does a Notary Do?
Simply put, a notary helps ensure that an important legal transaction is properly executed and legally binding. For example, when a person buys an apartment, it’s not enough to simply reach an agreement with the seller and hand over the money. In many cases, it is necessary to properly prepare the documents, verify information about the property, and certify the relevant contract.
Notaries also handle inheritance matters. After a person’s death, heirs turn to a notary to formalize their inheritance rights, and the notary verifies the documents and carries out the procedures required by law. Another common service is the preparation of powers of attorney. A person may grant another individual the right to represent their interests or perform certain legal actions.
A notary public may also certify wills, authenticate signatures and copies of documents, issue certificates, and perform other notarial acts prescribed by law. The Law of Ukraine “On the Notarial System” defines the notarial system as a system of bodies and officials who certify rights and legally significant facts and perform other notarial acts.
Why a Notary’s Work Is Important
At first glance, a notary’s work may seem purely administrative. In reality, a single document often involves large sums of money, real estate, inheritance, family matters, or important personal decisions. That is precisely why a notary must carefully review documents and comply with legal requirements. An error in a legally significant document can have serious consequences for those involved.
Notarial practice is also tied to the protection of people’s rights. The task is not simply to affix a seal or sign a paper, but to ensure that the legal act complies with the law. The law specifically protects notarial secrecy. This means that information a notary receives while performing a notarial act or when a person seeks their services is subject to special legal protection. Such information may include details about an individual, their property, rights, and obligations.
Public and Private Notaries
In Ukraine, there are public and private notaries. They may perform notarial acts prescribed by law, although they operate under different organizational structures. Public notaries work in public notary offices and public notary archives. Private notaries carry out independent professional notarial activities.
Under the law, a notary is defined as a natural person authorized by the state. A notary may work within the state notarial system or engage in independent professional practice. For the individual, what matters is not the form of employment, but whether a specific notary has the appropriate authority to perform the necessary action.
What documents are most commonly notarized?
There are quite a few documents for which Ukrainians turn to notaries. Among the most common are real estate purchase and sale agreements, wills, and documents related to inheritance. People also have powers of attorney drawn up. These may be necessary if a person cannot be present in person during a specific legal procedure.
People also visit notaries to have copies of documents certified, signatures authenticated, and other legally significant actions carried out. A particularly large number of questions arise regarding inheritance. In such cases, it is important not only to prepare the documents correctly but also to comply with the deadlines established by law. Therefore, a notary is often one of the first professionals a person turns to when facing a complex legal issue.
Interesting Facts About the Notarial Profession
The notarial profession predates modern state systems by a significant margin. For centuries, people in various countries have recorded important agreements, arrangements, and legal facts. The very idea of the notarial profession is based on trust in officially executed documents. People must be able to confirm that a particular agreement or legal act actually took place.
Interestingly, the word “notary” comes from the Latin notarius. In Ancient Rome, this was the term used for scribes who quickly transcribed speeches and documents. Over time, the profession evolved, and its functions became much broader. In Ukraine, the modern legal framework for the notarial profession was established by the Law “On the Notarial Profession,” which the Verkhovna Rada adopted on September 2, 1993. In other words, the date this law was adopted coincides with the date now celebrated as Notary Day.
That is why September 2 holds special significance for the Ukrainian notarial profession—not only as a professional holiday. On this day in 1993, the foundational law was adopted, establishing the legal framework for the notarial profession in independent Ukraine.
How Notary Day Is Celebrated
Notary Day is not a holiday with a clearly defined celebration script. It is a professional observance, so the main focus on this day is usually on the professionals in the field themselves. Within the professional community, conferences, meetings, training sessions, and discussions on legislative changes may be held. Such events help professionals exchange experiences and discuss the challenges they face in their work.
It is also traditional for colleagues to congratulate one another on this professional holiday. For notaries, this is an opportunity to reflect on the responsibility of their work and its significance for people. Special recognition may be given to professionals who have significant professional experience or have contributed to the development of the notarial profession. However, the specific format of the celebration depends on professional organizations and workplaces.
For ordinary Ukrainians, this day can serve as an opportunity to better understand what a notary actually does and why properly executed documents are so important.
Notary Day 2026
In 2026, Notary Day falls on Wednesday, September 2. This will mark the 16th anniversary of the official establishment of this professional holiday by presidential decree. At the same time, the Ukrainian notarial system has existed in its current legislative form for over three decades. The Law “On the Notarial System” was adopted on September 2, 1993, and the professional holiday was officially established in 2010.
This date serves as a reminder that behind signatures, seals, and documents—which may seem ordinary at first glance—often lie matters of great importance: housing, inheritance, money, family decisions, and property rights. Therefore, on September 2, notaries are congratulated on their professional holiday and thanked for their work, which requires attention to detail, knowledge of the law, and a great deal of responsibility.
