Acquisition of Ukrainian citizenship by birth or registering a child as a citizen of Ukraine is a procedure for confirming the right to Ukrainian citizenship of individuals born after March 1, 2001.
A child has the right to be considered a citizen of Ukraine from birth in the following cases:
- parents or one of the parents were citizens of Ukraine at the time of the child’s birth;
- born on the territory of Ukraine to stateless persons who legally reside on the territory of Ukraine;
- born outside Ukraine to stateless persons who permanently and legally reside on the territory of Ukraine and did not acquire citizenship of another state at birth;
- born on the territory of Ukraine to foreigners who legally reside on the territory of Ukraine, and did not acquire the citizenship of any parent at birth;
- born on the territory of Ukraine, and one of the parents has been granted refugee status or asylum in Ukraine, and the child did not acquire the citizenship of any parent or acquired the citizenship of the parent granted refugee status or asylum in Ukraine;
- born on the territory of Ukraine to a foreigner and a stateless person who legally reside on the territory of Ukraine, and did not acquire the citizenship of the parent who is a foreigner;
- found as a newborn on the territory of Ukraine, both parents of whom are unknown (foundling).
Where should documents be submitted?
If the child is born abroad, parents should contact the consular office of Ukraine.
If the child is born in Ukraine, parents should submit documents to the territorial unit of the migration service at the place of the child’s or one of the parents’ residence.
Note that if the child is between 14-18 years old at the time of document submission, they must also be present and provide written consent for acquiring Ukrainian citizenship.
What is the processing time for the application?
- The consular office will review documents within 1 month.
- The migration service will review documents within 3 months.
As a result, the child will receive a certificate of registration as a citizen of Ukraine, which gives the right to obtain a foreign passport, and upon reaching the age of 14, a passport of a citizen of Ukraine in the form of an ID card.
Acquisition of Ukrainian citizenship by birth or registering a child as a citizen of Ukraine is an important procedure, and it is recommended not to delay the process by submitting documents promptly after the child’s birth. If you need assistance, please contact us. Lawyers from Residence Law Firm will be happy to help. More information about the citizenship of Ukraine is here.
