Ukrainian nationality law

Ukrainian nationality law is the law of Ukraine which concerns citizenship. The body of law is primarily regulated by the Law of Ukraine on Citizenship of Ukraine and certain provisions within the Constitution of Ukraine.[1][2] The current law was adopted by the Verkhovna Rada after the election of 26 July 1990 together with the Declaration of State Sovereignty.[3][4]

Ukraine Citizenship Act
Parliament of Ukraine
Enacted byGovernment of Ukraine
Status: Current legislation

Definition of Ukrainian citizenship

Citizens of Ukraine typically fall into at least one of the following categories:

  • Former citizens of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics who were permanently resident on the territory of the former Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic at the moment of the Declaration of Independence of Ukraine on 24 August 1991.
  • Stateless people, residing on the territory of Ukraine on 13 November 1991.
  • People who came to Ukraine with the intent of taking up permanent residence since 13 November 1991 and who had the endorsement "Citizen of Ukraine" inserted into their 1974-type Soviet passport by Ukrainian authorities, as well as the children of such persons who arrived in Ukraine together with their parents, provided that they had not attained their majority before their entry to Ukraine.
  • People who acquired Ukrainian citizenship in accordance with the laws of Ukraine and the international treaties of Ukraine.

Acquisition of citizenship
The front cover of a biometric Ukrainian passport.
International travel biometric passport details page

Citizenship of Ukraine may be acquired in any one of the following ways:[5]

  • By descent:
    • Being born to parents, at least one of whom is a citizen of Ukraine.
    • Being born abroad to stateless parents, but legally residing in Ukraine, and having acquired no other nationality at birth.
    • Being born in Ukraine to non-Ukrainian parents, but legally residing in Ukraine and having not acquired the nationality of either parent.
    • Being born in Ukraine to parents, at least one of whom is a registered refugee under Ukrainian law, and having not acquired the nationality of either parent or only the nationality of the parent holding refugee status.
    • Being born in Ukraine to unknown parents.
  • By registration:
    • Being adopted as a child by citizens of Ukraine.
    • Having no other citizenship and at least one parent or grandparent Ukrainian by birth.
    • Having no other citizenship, under certain conditions listed in the Statute on Citizenship.
  • By naturalization:
    • Having resided in Ukraine for at least five years, being able to function in the Ukrainian language, and being knowledgeable of the Ukrainian Constitution. The individual is required to voluntarily renounce any foreign citizenships they may hold.

Birth within the territory of Ukraine does not automatically confer citizenship.

Loss of citizenship

From 2005 until mid-2017, 87,376 people lost their Ukrainian citizenship.[6] 67,305 of them voluntarily renounced it, 19,738 lost it because of international agreements and 333 were involuntary deprived of their citizenship.[6]

Voluntary loss of citizenship

According to Ukraine's nationality law, Ukrainian citizenship can be voluntarily renounced by Ukrainian citizens who have taken up permanent residence in a foreign country and who have acquired a foreign citizenship or have received confirmation that they will acquire a foreign citizenship upon successful renunciation of their Ukrainian citizenship. Citizenship can only be renounced in the presence of a Ukrainian consular official at a Ukrainian diplomatic mission and proof of the final/impending acquisition of foreign citizenship is required to do so.

Automatic loss of citizenship

Automatic loss of Ukrainian citizenship occurs in the event an adult Ukrainian citizen voluntarily acquires a foreign nationality or enters into the military or governmental service of a foreign power.

Ukrainian citizenship is not automatically lost in the following circumstances:

  • Acquiring a foreign citizenship at birth by descent from a parent when Ukrainian citizenship is also acquired by descent.
  • Being adopted by foreign nationals when Ukrainian citizenship was originally acquired by descent from a biological parent.
  • Automatically acquiring citizenship of one's spouse upon marriage to a foreign national.
  • Automatically acquiring a foreign citizenship upon reaching the age of majority in accordance with the nationality law of a foreign country. In this case Ukrainian citizenship is retained providing that the individual had no formal (documented) knowledge of the automatic acquisition of the foreign citizenship.

The decision on termination of Ukrainian citizenship must be taken by the President of Ukraine.[7]

Dual citizenship

Ukrainian law recognizes a unique citzenship inside the country.[8] That does not explicitly deny the dual (external) citzenship, so there are citizens of Ukraine who hold dual citizenship.[9][10] Ukrainian law states that, for strangers, after gaining Ukrainian citizenship, the new Ukrainian citizen must renounce its non-Ukrainian citizenship(s) within two years.[11] A 2009 estimate put the number of Ukrainians with more than one passport from 300,000 to a few million.[12] Within Ukrainian boundaries, Ukrainian citizens who also hold multiple citizenships are considered to be solely Ukrainian citizens.[13]

If a citizen of Ukraine acquires citizenship (nationality) of another state or states, in legal relations with Ukraine, the person is recognized as a citizen of Ukraine only. If a foreigner acquires the citizenship of Ukraine, then in legal relations with Ukraine, the person is recognized as a citizen of Ukraine only...

— Article 2. Law on citizenship of Ukraine.

On 8 February 2014, the Verkhovna Rada proposed a bill to criminalize the act of holding two citizenships.[14]

Visa requirements
Main article: Visa requirements for Ukrainian citizens
Visa requirements for Ukrainian citizens

In June 2017, Ukrainian citizens had visa-free or visa on arrival access to 132 countries and territories, ranking the Ukrainian passport 42nd in the world according to the Visa Restrictions Index.

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References
  1. "Citizenship". Archived from the original on 12 October 2012. Retrieved 18 April 2008.. Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine.
  2. "Law on Citizenship of Ukraine". Archived from the original on 12 October 2012. Retrieved 18 April 2008.. Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine.
  3. Ukraine proclaims sovereignty, The Ukrainian Weekly (22 July 1990)
  4. How Ukraine Became a Market Economy and Democracy by Anders Åslund, Peterson Institute for International Economics, 2009, ISBN 978-0-88132-427-3 (page 21)
  5. Citizenship Laws of the World (PDF). Washington, D.C.: Office of Personnel Management, Investigations Service. March 2001. Archived from the original (PDF) on 6 April 2003. Retrieved 14 December 2013.
  6. (in Ukrainian) 11 years citizenship was deprived of almost 90 thousand Ukrainians, Ukrayinska Pravda (31 July 2017)
  7. Law on Citizenship. Article 22.
  8. Constitution of Ukraine: Article 4
  9. (in Ukrainian) З життя українських олігархів – вілла Коломойського на Женевському озері, Ukrayinska Pravda (10 March 2009)
  10. Посольство Украины подтвердило гибель трех украинцев в крушении Як-42 (in Russian). Moscow: RIA Novosti. 7 September 2011.
  11. Saakashvili Slams Georgian Decision To Revoke His Citizenship, Radio Free Europe (4 December 2015)
  12. Dual Identities, Kyiv Post (9 July 2009)
  13. The Law of Ukraine On Citizenship of Ukraine: Article 2 Archived 4 December 2008 at the Wayback Machine
  14. "В Раду внесен законопроект, наказывающий за двойное гражданство". liga.net. Retrieved 21 April 2018.
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