My child has Ukrainian citizenship - can I get it too?

If your child is born on the territory of Ukraine - he or she has the right to obtain Ukrainian citizenship. This becomes the choice of many foreigners who reside in Ukraine temporarily or were simply in Ukraine at the time of birth and at some point decided to continue to reside in Ukraine, linking their lives with this country as closely as possible.

The most interesting thing is that if your child has Ukrainian citizenship, you, as a parent, also have the right to obtain citizenship. Today we will tell you what other requirements you need to meet and how the procedure will take place.

Related article: What documents do I need to apply for Ukrainian citizenship?

What can I do to obtain citizenship in Ukraine through my child's citizenship?

First, obtain a document (certificate, passport) confirming that the child is a citizen of Ukraine. Once you have such a document, you can apply for an immigration permit and a temporary residence permit in Ukraine.

This will enable you to stay in Ukraine on the basis you need.

Unfortunately, you will not be able to obtain citizenship right away. You have to live in Ukraine for 5 years, after which you can apply for citizenship. But all these 5 years you will have a basis for the unimpeded extension of the residence permit in Ukraine. 

In addition to these requirements, you will need to apply for citizenship at the time of application: 

• take a Ukrainian language course and pass the exam and receive a certificate. The examination should be taken in an institution approved by the state;

• obtain a certificate of criminal record from the country in which you resided prior to your arrival in Ukraine. 

You will also need to prepare a certificate of how you have been earning your income for the last 6 months or provide a certificate of having money in your bank account (at least 12 minimum subsistence level).

The procedure for obtaining citizenship in Ukraine if your child has such a citizenship

If you have gone through the preparatory procedure and collected all the necessary certificates, it is time to fill in and send an application to the President of Ukraine.

In addition to the application form you must also submit a written commitment to renounce your foreign citizenship within 2 years after obtaining Ukrainian citizenship.

All documents are submitted to the migration authorities, where you reside in Ukraine. Our company submits them in Kyiv.

At first the documents are examined by the Migration Service - it takes no more than 8 months. Important! At the time of war in Ukraine such terms were not observed due to obvious reasons. 

After review the documents are handed over to the Commission on citizenship issues (in the office of President of Ukraine). There they remain for one year. On average the period of consideration of the citizenship application takes about two years.

Our lawyers accompany clients throughout the procedure, keeping a close eye on deadlines and taking full responsibility for your procedure. 

The cost of obtaining citizenship in Ukraine can be found here.