This primarily concerns ethnic Ukrainians who hold passports from other countries. They will now be able to obtain Ukrainian citizenship without having to renounce their existing one.
This primarily concerns ethnic Ukrainians who hold passports from other countries. They will now be able to obtain Ukrainian citizenship without having to renounce their existing one.
On October 8, the Cabinet of Ministers adopted a resolution prepared by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which establishes a list of criteria for selecting countries whose citizens will benefit from a simplified procedure for acquiring Ukrainian citizenship.
According to Deputy Head of the Ukrainian People's Party Andriy Sybiga, this will potentially allow hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians and their descendants to restore legal ties with their homeland.
"We are potentially talking about an increase in the number of Ukrainian citizens - after all, hundreds of thousands of ethnic Ukrainians and their descendants will be able to restore legal ties with their homeland," said Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga.
Priority will be given to countries that are among Ukraine's closest allies. Key criteria include: membership in the G7 and the EU, support for sanctions against Russia, voting in favor of Ukraine in international organizations, strategic partnership, financial assistance, and other factors that affect national interests.
The specific list of states will be determined separately and approved by the Cabinet of Ministers.
"We have clearly regulated a unified approach and a list of criteria. This is a statesman's decision that combines the unity of global Ukrainians with the strategic priorities of national security," Sybiga emphasized.
Criteria that will be taken into account:
Let us recall that the law on the introduction of the institution of multiple citizenship in Ukraine was adopted by the Verkhovna Rada on June 18, 2025. It will come into force on January 16, 2026.
According to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, the first countries to apply the norms of multiple citizenship will be Germany, Poland, the Czech Republic, the USA, and Canada.
