How to Obtain Citizenship of Ukraine for a Citizen of Russia 2021

general information

In accordance with the realities of 2021, it is possible to obtain Ukrainian citizenship using a simplified program. Who is going to Ukraine? First of all, those Russians and CIS residents who have their own business on the territory of this state are interested in the question of how to obtain Ukrainian citizenship. There are not so many people who change their place of residence for ideological reasons.

Today, anyone interested in obtaining Ukrainian citizenship can count on the fact that their question will be considered in a simplified manner. On average, citizenship issues are considered from 30 to 90 days. But sometimes, against the backdrop of various bureaucratic snags, obtaining citizenship of this Slavic state is delayed indefinitely.

Several years ago, the procedure for considering applications from Russians wishing to become citizens of Ukraine was even simpler. This was explained by the close family and business ties of Russians and Ukrainians.

The procedure for obtaining a Ukrainian passport for residents of Kazakhstan, Moldova and other former Soviet republics was somewhat more complicated.

There are still no diplomatic relations between Kazakhstan and Ukraine. You can obtain Ukrainian citizenship only on the basis of direct kinship. In this case, the applicant had to prove that his parent lived on the territory of the Ukrainian state until 1991.

Certificate of obtaining Ukrainian citizenship

Advantages of Ukrainian citizenship for foreigners

Labor migration is widespread throughout the European continent. But statistics show that its main flows are directed, first of all, to the states of Western Europe. It would seem that, given the rather low standard of living in Ukraine, the acquisition of local citizenship is not entirely justified. What are the advantages here?

Indeed, employment in Ukraine makes sense only for highly qualified specialists working in the IT field. As a rule, they are programmers invited to local startups or branches of Western software companies. However, we should not forget that many foreign citizens are forced to move to Ukraine due to political persecution in their homeland or due to a protracted military conflict. This should also include economic migrants from countries with even lower living standards.

According to statistics, in 2021, citizens of Russia, Syria, Armenia, Afghanistan and Moldova most often applied for a Ukrainian passport. But if residents of the Russian Federation, as a rule, have political motives for moving, then refugees from Syria and Afghanistan consider Kyiv and Odessa as quiet cities to live in with a low level of street crime.

The main advantages of obtaining Ukrainian citizenship:

• the possibility of visa-free travel to EU countries, Switzerland and Iceland;
• inexpensive real estate, affordable prices for food and services;
• relatively low crime rate;
• unlike Cyprus and the Baltic countries, whose citizens have the right to visa-free travel to Western Europe, an investment of several hundred thousand dollars is not required to obtain a Ukrainian passport;
• the possibility of legal employment in Hungary, the Czech Republic, Poland, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia.

For Russian citizens, Ukraine is also attractive due to its easy adaptation to a new place. The majority of the population of large cities is Russian-speaking, which eliminates the problem that is typical for many other European countries. In addition, we should not forget that a significant part of Ukrainian words are identical to Russian ones. Therefore, it will be much easier for a Russian to learn the local language than in France, Germany or Sweden.

Grounds for obtaining citizenship

The Law “On Citizenship” contains a complete list of conditions according to which every person can become a subject of the Ukrainian state. The country's authorities recognize the most significant reasons in 2021:

1. The applicant was born on the territory of the Ukrainian state.
2. Origin (the applicant must confirm the fact that he is an ethnic Ukrainian).
3. Naturalization.
4. Guardianship or adoption (the most problematic basis, it is used extremely rarely).
5. Restoration of citizenship.

In 2021, obtaining Ukrainian citizenship is increasingly based on international agreements.

What are the conditions?

According to the realities of 2021, you can become a citizen of the Ukrainian state if the following conditions are met:

1. Recognize the laws of the Ukrainian state.
2. Recognize the Constitution of the Ukrainian state.
3. Renounce previous citizenship.
4. Live in the territory of the Ukrainian state for at least 5 years.
5. Have documents in hand that allow immigration.
6. Have documents on hand confirming your financial solvency.
7. Speak fluently in the state language.

Constitution of Ukraine

The procedure for obtaining Ukrainian citizenship can be general and simplified. In the second case, a person becomes a citizen of this country 30 days after submitting the application. In the first case, the applicant can wait up to 12 months.

Refugees arriving on the territory of Ukraine from other states are obliged to provide a declaration of absence of citizenship.

In some cases, the procedure for obtaining citizenship requires the provision of a special document. He must confirm the fact of legal presence in the country. Refugees must also prove that they have lived continuously on the territory of this power for three years.

Features of the registration procedure

A person interested in obtaining Ukrainian citizenship should know what the registration procedure is. Today, the procedure for obtaining Ukrainian citizenship is approximately as follows:

• obtain documents allowing you to immigrate to Ukraine;
• obtain a residence permit;
• apply to the diplomatic office of your country with a request to renounce your previous citizenship;
• wait for the resolution (sometimes the waiting period extends for 12 months);
• determine the basis for legalization on the territory of the Ukrainian state;
• prepare and present all necessary documents;
• get a response from diplomatic staff.

Diplomatic staff can advise the applicant on the procedure for obtaining a residence permit. institutions. Ukrainian residents can do this at the consular section of the Russian embassy. Russians interested in legalization in Ukraine undertake to clarify the registration procedure with the migration service employees at their place of residence.

It is important to clarify in advance the likelihood of undergoing the simplified legalization procedure. This is relevant not only for residents of the former Soviet republics who once lived on the territory of the Ukrainian state. Former citizens of Ukraine also have the right to become subjects of this country again under a simplified scheme.

If the applicant’s question was resolved positively, then he has the right to receive a Ukrainian passport and TIN.

What documents need to be provided

To obtain citizenship of the Ukrainian state, you must prepare and present the following documents:

• a correctly completed application;
• 3 high-quality photographs for pasting into the application form;
• resolution from the authorized body on renunciation of previous citizenship;
• documents confirming the fact of continuous residence within the country;
• high-quality photocopy of residence permit;
• certificate confirming knowledge of the Ukrainian language;
• a certificate confirming financial solvency.

The person must attach an identification document to the application. It is also necessary to promptly obtain an extract from the tax authority indicating that the applicant has no debts. Young people of military age are obliged to submit a certificate from the military commissariat.

Ukrainian citizenship imposes certain obligations on the applicant. A person who wishes to renounce his native citizenship in favor of Ukrainian undertakes to recognize and comply with all the laws of this country. He must also be ready to bear responsibilities that are relevant to members of Ukrainian society.

So, if a young healthy man is trying to obtain Ukrainian citizenship, he must be ready to be sent to the ATO zone. According to the current situation, the applicant’s willingness to go to the ATO zone is often a decisive factor for the country’s authorities.

Obtaining immigration permit

A Russian can become a subject of Ukraine only on the basis of an immigration permit. If the applicant does not have this document in his hands, and he cannot apply for citizenship under the simplified scheme, the country’s authorities will be forced to refuse him.

Immigration Permits

An applicant can obtain an immigration permit based on a quota. In this case, the category relevant to the candidate is taken into account. This applies to those persons who are of interest to the authorities of the country. These include:

1. Scientists and inventors.
2. Writers, artists, actors and musicians.
3. Coaches and athletes.
4. Large entrepreneurs.
5. Investors.
6. Relatives of a person who once immigrated to Ukraine.

With a slight stretch, refugees should also be included in this list. A person applying for refugee status must prove the fact of persecution in his homeland for political or religious reasons. It is important to consider that obtaining refugee status in Ukraine is a very long and tedious procedure. If the applicant has the opportunity, then he should abandon this method in favor of some other one.

Features of obtaining a residence permit

After receiving a document allowing immigration, the applicant has the opportunity to obtain a Ukrainian residence permit. This document can be unlimited or issued for 5 years. To obtain this document, the applicant must provide:

• application (can be written by hand);
• a high-quality photocopy of a foreign passport;
• a high-quality photocopy of the document allowing the applicant to immigrate to Ukraine;
• bank receipt;
• permission from the father or mother (relevant for a minor).

When applying for a residence permit, some citizens of the former Soviet republics are faced with sharp pitfalls. There was a case when a mother who arrived from Kazakhstan and an adult daughter applied for a residence permit. The basis for the mother’s immigration was a document confirming the fact of her grandfather’s residence in Ukraine.

Application for a residence permit

After the mother received citizenship, the daughter tried to obtain a residence permit based on the fact of her mother’s residence in Ukraine. Considering that the mother received Ukrainian citizenship after 1991, this was impossible. To avoid such difficulties, anyone who considers their issue complex should enlist the support of a qualified lawyer.

List of required documents

To satisfy the submitted application for admission to Ukrainian citizenship, you must provide:

• a completed application in the prescribed form;
• a valid identification document (photocopy of a residence permit or other officially issued document with a photograph);
• birth certificate;
• marriage certificate (if necessary);
• certificate of renunciation of previous citizenship (issued through an apostille);
• documents confirming official employment or financial solvency (employment certificate or bank statement);
• three photos 3.5 by 4.5 cm.

To confirm the grounds for accepting Ukrainian citizenship, the applicant has the right to attach any necessary documents to his application. They may be a diploma of education, a birth certificate of a grandmother (grandfather or other relative), newspaper clippings or links to media publications.

Fixed time

The duration of consideration of the submitted application has no clear limitation. This is due to the fact that some applications for admission to Ukrainian citizenship undergo legal examination by a commission under the president. However, if we are talking about a simplified procedure, the applicant has the right to expect that a decision on his issue will be made within 1-3 months.

Features of the simplified scheme for obtaining citizenship

Not long ago, the authorities of the Ukrainian state developed an improved system for acquiring citizenship for Russians. The deadline for consideration of the application and the package of documents attached to it varies from 21 to 30 days.

This is relevant if the applicant can fulfill one of the conditions:

1. Submit documents indicating permanent residence of close relatives in Ukraine.
2. Provide certificates indicating the presence of Ukrainian citizenship in the past.
3. Provide documents confirming the fact that the applicant has the opportunity to invest a large amount in the state economy.

In addition, cultural and artistic figures can count on Ukrainian citizenship under a simplified procedure. According to unofficial data, persons who do not want to live in Russia for ideological reasons can also obtain citizenship under a simplified scheme.

But the main criterion is good knowledge of the state language.

Citizenship admission scheme

Also, a candidate for obtaining Ukrainian citizenship is required to renounce Russian citizenship. The requirements for such candidates have become more democratic. So, according to the realities of 2021, they do not need to confirm the fact of continuous 5-year residence in this country. There is also no need to obtain an immigration permit.

The decision regarding granting citizenship under a simplified procedure is made by members of a special commission created under the current head of state.

Refusal to obtain citizenship

When applying for Ukrainian citizenship, it is worth considering that there are a number of reasons why the applicant cannot be granted resident status.

Main reasons for refusal:

1. The applicant was convicted in Ukraine of committing a crime under the Criminal Code.
2. The applicant was serving a sentence for a crime committed in Ukraine.
3. The applicant has committed a crime against humanity.