Ukraine Sets Age Requirements for Foreigners Applying for Citizenship
- Ukraine's State Migration Service confirmed that minors between 14 and 18 must give consent before they can acquire Ukrainian citizenship
- Adults aged 18 and above must apply for naturalisation independently, while parents or legal guardians file on behalf of younger children
- Foreigners who pledge to drop their previous nationality receive a temporary Ukrainian ID card valid for two years before a full passport is issued
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Ukraine has set clear age-based rules for foreigners and stateless persons seeking to acquire Ukrainian citizenship, with the requirements varying depending on whether the applicant is a minor or an adult.
The State Migration Service of Ukraine published guidance outlining how citizenship applications are processed under two key legal instruments: the Law of Ukraine on Ukrainian Citizenship and Presidential Decree No. 215, signed on March 27, 2001, which governs how applications are handled and decisions are made.
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Ukraine: Age rules for citizenship applications
Under the rules, adults aged 18 and above must file their own naturalisation applications. Children below that age have their applications submitted on their behalf by a parent or legal representative.
However, minors between the ages of 14 and 18 occupy a distinct category: they cannot acquire Ukrainian citizenship without first giving their own consent, regardless of what their parents or guardians request.
This three-tier structure means that a child under 14 is fully dependent on a parent or guardian to initiate the process, a teenager between 14 and 17 must actively agree to the acquisition, and anyone from 18 upwards must handle the application themselves.
Ukrainian citizenship: What happens after approval?
The citizenship process also includes specific rules for foreigners who already hold nationality in another country. Such applicants are permitted to begin the process, but they must pledge to end their existing citizenship within two years of being registered as a Ukrainian citizen.
During that two-year window, newly registered citizens who made such a pledge are issued a temporary Ukrainian identity card rather than a full passport.
A Ukrainian passport is only released once the person has either formally terminated their foreign citizenship or submitted a written declaration renouncing it.
Stateless persons are not subject to this pledge requirement and may proceed through the process without the same two-year transitional arrangement.
The full guidance on acquiring Ukrainian citizenship is available on the official State Migration Service website.
In a related story, Legit.ng reported three types of visas Nigerians can travel to Ukraine with.
Residency requirement for Ukrainian citizenship
Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that Ukraine published details of how long foreigners must reside in the country to be eligible for citizenship.
The requirement is anchored in Article 9 of the Law on Ukrainian Citizenship, which sets out several conditions that must all be met at the same time.
The requirement is anchored in Article 9 of the Law on Ukrainian Citizenship, which sets out several conditions that must all be met at the same time.
Source: Legit.ng
