Exams for the acquisition of Ukrainian citizenship are examination procedures that include three subjects: the basics of the Constitution of Ukraine, the history of Ukraine, and proficiency in the Ukrainian language. The exams on the basics of the Constitution of Ukraine and the history of Ukraine are new, and we have all been waiting for the official start of their implementation. The authorized institution for conducting exams is the Scientific and Methodological Center for Higher and Vocational Pre-Higher Education, which began accepting the first foreigners applying for Ukrainian citizenship in February 2025.
Which categories of foreigners must take exams to acquire Ukrainian citizenship
Exams are required for foreigners who wish to acquire Ukrainian citizenship through the naturalization process, as defined in Article 9 of the Law of Ukraine “On Citizenship of Ukraine.”
Typically, these are foreigners in the following categories:
- Those who have a permanent residence permit in Ukraine and have lived here for more than 5 years
- Those who have a permanent residence permit in Ukraine based on marriage to a Ukrainian citizen or having a child who is a Ukrainian citizen
- Those who have served for 3 years under contract in the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the National Guard of Ukraine, the State Special Transport Service, or those who have distinguished themselves with significant contributions to Ukraine — these categories have the right to take the exams within two years of acquiring Ukrainian citizenship. They are also exempt from the exam fee.
The following categories of foreigners are not required to take exams to acquire Ukrainian citizenship:
- Those who acquire citizenship by birth
- By territorial origin (by root)
- As a result of restoration of citizenship
- As a result of adoption
- As a result of establishing guardianship or care over a child
- As a result of establishing guardianship over a person who is legally declared incompetent
- In connection with one or both parents of the child being Ukrainian citizens
- As a result of the recognition of paternity or maternity or the establishment of paternity or maternity
How the exams for the acquisition of Ukrainian citizenship are conducted
The process of taking exams for the acquisition of Ukrainian citizenship is divided into two parts:
- Language exam – conducted by the National Commission on State Language Standards. The exam can be taken in Kyiv, Lviv, or Kharkiv. As of 2025, its cost is 9084 UAH.
… - Exams on the basics of the Constitution of Ukraine and the history of Ukraine are conducted by the aforementioned Scientific and Methodological Center for Higher and Vocational Pre-Higher Education in Kyiv. The cost for both exams as of 2025 is 9084 UAH.
If the exams are passed successfully, foreigners receive certificates that are valid indefinitely.
How to prepare for the exams for the acquisition of Ukrainian citizenship
On the websites of both institutions, you can find preparation guides. For the Ukrainian language exam, it is important to have skills in four categories: “Listening,” “Reading,” “Writing,” and “Speaking.” To achieve this, you need to practice actively: consume Ukrainian-language content daily, such as news or films, correspond in Ukrainian, and communicate in Ukrainian in public places, such as with staff at cafes or banks. Each of the four categories has equal weight on the exam – 25%. To pass successfully, you need to score 70-100%.
The exam on the basics of the Constitution of Ukraine and the history of Ukraine is in the form of tests. The Scientific and Methodological Center for Higher and Vocational Pre-Higher Education has published guides explaining all the topics, as well as the test tasks themselves.
Here are examples of test tasks:
1. How is the head of the city council appointed?
a) Elected by the territorial community of the city.
b) Appointed by the President of Ukraine.
c) Elected by the executive committee of the city council.
d) Appointed by the head of the local state administration.
2. Read the excerpt from the memoirs of Ukrainian MP Volodymyr Filenko and determine the date of the event mentioned: “That day we entered the Council, and we had such a blue-red badge of a people’s deputy of the Ukrainian SSR on our lapels. But when we left the Verkhovna Rada, we had a blue-yellow badge on our lapels.”
a) January 21, 1990
b) July 16, 1990
c) August 24, 1991
d) December 1, 1991
In the exam, the foreigner will receive 45 automatically selected test tasks: 20 on the Constitution and 25 on history. To pass successfully, they need to answer 15 questions correctly from the Constitution section and 20 from the history section.
If the foreigner does not score enough points for a successful result, they can retake the exams every 4 months. The cost of a retake is 50% of the full exam fee (in 2025 – 4542 UAH).
Conclusions
Exams for the acquisition of Ukrainian citizenship are an important stage in acquiring citizenship, as they confirm knowledge of the Ukrainian language, history, and Constitution, which are necessary for integration into Ukrainian society. The process of acquiring citizenship can be complex, and mistakes in documentation can lead to wasted time, so it is worth seeking professional assistance. Residence Law Firm provides full support in the process of acquiring Ukrainian citizenship, assisting at all stages – from document collection to submission.
Contact us to make your path to Ukrainian citizenship simple and effective!
