President Volodymyr Zelensky signed the law on multiple citizenship on Tuesday, ending a decades-long rule that foreigners would need to renounce their native citizenship – or vice versa for Ukrainians – when obtaining a new nationality.
But there are caveats.
Under the new law, Ukrainians can now obtain foreign citizenship without relinquishing their Ukrainian citizenship – but only for a select list of approved nationalities, according to Zelensky’s update on X.
“We can already begin to identify the first partner states with which multiple citizenship will be introduced,” Zelensky wrote.
The same rule applies to foreigners obtaining a Ukrainian passport.
According to the law on the Verkhovna Rada’s website, the list of countries from which foreigners can obtain Ukrainian citizenship is not yet available, but it will be determined later based on their status in the EU and whether they supported Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
“When determining the states whose citizens (subjects) acquire Ukrainian citizenship in a simplified manner, the state’s membership in the European Union and the application of restrictive measures (sanctions) by the state in connection with armed aggression against Ukraine are taken into account,” the article states.
Those from countries considered unfriendly to Ukraine will still be required to renounce their native citizenship within two years when applying for Ukrainian citizenship.
The only exceptions are refugees and asylum seekers, contract soldiers in the Armed Forces of Ukraine (and their family members), those awarded Ukrainian state honors, those with significant services to Ukraine, those persecuted in their home countries for pro-Ukrainian political activity, and family members of those who died defending Ukraine.
Zelensky suggested that the new law will pave the way for foreigners “who have linked their fate with Ukraine” to enjoy more rights in the country.
“Thanks to multiple citizenship, we will be able to create more real legal foundations for the unity of our entire great people – millions of Ukrainians on all continents, as well as those representatives of other peoples who have linked their fate with Ukraine,” he added.
Who can have multiple citizenship?
In short, there are six main categories of situations in which Ukraine legally recognizes multiple citizenship, including cases where the other nationality is from an approved list of countries:
- Children born to a Ukrainian parent and a foreign parent who acquire both citizenships at birth
- Ukrainian children adopted by foreign citizens, thereby acquiring the adopter’s nationality
- Ukrainians who automatically acquire foreign citizenship through marriage
- Ukrainians who receive foreign citizenship automatically by law, without applying for it or accepting documents (e.g., no passport)
- Foreign nationals from friendly states (as approved by the Ukrainian government) who obtain Ukrainian citizenship via a simplified procedure
- Ukrainians who acquire the citizenship of friendly states, whose nationals are eligible for simplified naturalization in Ukraine
Of note is that someone with multiple nationalities – including Ukrainian – will be treated solely as a Ukrainian citizen inside Ukraine by law.
Civil servants and judges are also barred from having multiple citizenships.
Even for those from the selected list of countries, they will still need to pass tests in the Ukrainian language, history, and the Constitution, before obtaining Ukrainian citizenship.
What do people think?
D., who is half Lebanese and half Ukrainian, told Kyiv Post that she welcomes the move as it could “keep people connected to their origins,” despite the war.
“I think dual citizenship is great, especially now with Ukrainians spread all over the world… you want to keep people connected to their origins and home regardless of whether they choose a future elsewhere,” she told Kyiv Post.
According to the UNHCR, approximately 6.9 million Ukrainians have been documented crossing into neighboring countries after Moscow’s 2022 invasion – and many are likely to stay and settle in their new abodes as the war drags on.
Dr. Joseph Place, a UK researcher on Ukrainian politics who lives in western Ukraine with his Ukrainian spouse, believes the law could be aimed at encouraging Ukrainians to return home.
“It’s a way to get people to come back to Ukraine, or to foreigners in Ukraine, to be full citizens and, I think importantly, it sets a message that Ukraine is a multi-cultural, multilingual nation in a way, where being Ukrainian is not about where you were born or any ‘ethnicity,’” Place told Kyiv Post.
Place, who addressed Hungary’s claims to western Ukraine in a Kyiv Post op-ed, also pointed to delays in the process, speculating they may stem from other countries issuing passports to assimilate Ukrainians.
“It’s been a long time coming, I do understand the reasons for the delay, as the anxiety was Russia, or Hungary for that matter, can hand out passports and claim some oppressed minority or that people would flee Ukraine,” Place added.
Ivan, a US citizen born to US and Ukrainian parents, also welcomed the idea but said he would not pursue it during wartime.
He said he would aim for permanent residence as he was born to a Ukrainian parent, which would grant him most of the same rights without requiring him to be drafted.
“I’m happy that it’s being allowed, but I’m not going to pursue it during wartime. Currently I’m close to getting my Ukrainian ‘Jus Sanguinis’ [nationality by descent] and for me it’s better than citizenship,” he told Kyiv Post.
“I get mostly the same rights as a citizen, but I can’t be drafted. OK, I can’t vote – I would love to participate in Ukrainian democracy, but that’s a relatively minor downside considering the times we’re in,” he added.
Matt, a US citizen married to a Ukrainian, says he would apply for Ukrainian citizenship “100%,” even if it means being unable to leave the country during martial law.
However, he expressed concerns about the complexity of the bureaucratic process.
“Permanent residency took over a year after I submitted my documents, so I can’t imagine the nightmare involved in this,” he told Kyiv Post.
“I’m not afraid to wait till the end of the war since I consider Ukraine my home, so even if that means I can’t leave I would still do it.”