Ukrainian Citizenship for a Child
Expert assistance with determining your child's eligibility for Ukrainian citizenship and handling all the necessary documentation.
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Я была клиентом компании в марте 2021 года, обратилась с вопросом о приобретении гражданства Украины ребенку. Результат работы: сэкономленные деньги, нервы и бесценное время. Настоятельно рекомендую обращаться в компанию Юстикон для профессионального и оперативного решения проблем. Отдельная благодарность Виталию Нестеруку!...
Зверталася за консультацією щодо міграційнихї питань. Дуже чітко і змістовно мені розповіли. Рекомендую! Дякую за консультацію.
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Все було зроблено дуже швидко і професійно! Дякую Лучко Оксані та Венковій Наталі за співпрацю.
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Ukrainian Citizenship for a Child: Overview
1) Ukrainian citizenship can be obtained for children under 18 years of age if:
- at least one parent is a Ukrainian citizen — regardless of the child's country of birth;
- both parents are foreigners with a permanent residence permit in Ukraine;
- the child is a foreign national residing in Ukraine and one of the parents holds a permanent residence permit.
2) The application is submitted by one of the parents to any office of the Migration Service of Ukraine.
3) Children are not required to pass exams — the requirement to know the Ukrainian language, Constitution, and history does not apply to children.
Please note the changes effective January 16, 2026:
- If both parents are Ukrainian citizens and the child was born abroad after January 16, 2026 — registration is no longer required. The child is automatically a citizen.
- If both parents are foreigners, in order to register the child's citizenship, both parents must hold a permanent residence permit (not temporary) at the time of the child's birth. Prior to January 16, 2026, any lawful stay in Ukraine was sufficient.
Cost of Obtaining Citizenship for a Child
- Legal analysis
- Document preparation
- Assistance with document submission to the Migration Service
- Process monitoring
- Obtaining the certificate of registration as a Ukrainian citizen
- By birth — UAH 6,700
- By origin — UAH 15,700
- Through parents' citizenship — UAH 12,700
- By Presidential Decree — UAH 25,700
- Payment of state duty
- UAH 300
- Translation of documents into Ukrainian, notarized (if required)
- from UAH 600
Details on citizenship for a child
On What Grounds Can a Child Obtain Ukrainian Citizenship?
By Birth — If at Least One Parent Is a Ukrainian Citizen
If at least one parent was a Ukrainian citizen at the time of the child's birth — the child is a Ukrainian citizen from birth, regardless of the country of birth.
However, to obtain any Ukrainian identity document (passport, international passport), it is first necessary to receive a certificate of registration as a Ukrainian citizen — official confirmation of citizenship. Without this document, a passport will not be issued.
Exception: if both parents are Ukrainian citizens and the child was born after January 16, 2026 — registration is not required, and the passport can be issued immediately.
The application is submitted by the parent who is a Ukrainian citizen. If the application is submitted by a foreign parent — a temporary or permanent residence permit and registered place of residence in Ukraine are required.
Both Parents Are Foreigners with a Permanent Residence Permit
As of January 16, 2026, the requirements have changed. If both parents are foreign nationals, both parents must hold a permanent residence permit in Ukraine at the time of the child's birth. Temporary residence is no longer a valid basis.
If this requirement is met, two options are available:
- the child did not acquire foreign citizenship at birth — citizenship is registered by birth;
- the child was born in Ukraine after 24.08.1991 but did not register citizenship in time or acquired foreign citizenship — the child may apply on the basis of territorial origin.
For the first option, it is necessary to provide a document issued by the competent authority of the parents' country of citizenship confirming that the child did not acquire their citizenship at birth. Since most countries grant citizenship automatically, in such cases it is advisable to proceed via territorial origin.
One Parent Is a Ukrainian Citizen, but Citizenship Was Not Registered at Birth
If for any reason the child's citizenship was not registered in time — Article 14 of the Law applies. For example, if the father or mother acquired Ukrainian citizenship after the child's birth.
Key difference from registration by birth: the child becomes a citizen not from the date of birth, but from the date of registration with the Migration Service.
The application must be submitted exclusively by the parent who is a Ukrainian citizen.
Foreign Child Residing in Ukraine, One Parent Holds a Permanent Residence Permit
If the child is a foreign national residing in Ukraine and one of the parents or legal guardians holds a permanent residence permit — the child may be admitted to citizenship under Article 9 of the Law. No exams, immigration permit, or proof of long-term residence are required.
The decision is made by the President of Ukraine, so the processing time is significantly longer — formally up to 9 months, but in practice the procedure may take several years.
Where to Apply for the Child's Citizenship?
Documents are submitted to any territorial division of the Migration Service at the place of residence or convenient location.
If the parents permanently reside abroad — documents may be submitted to the Ukrainian embassy or consulate in the country of residence or the country of the child's birth.
Children aged 14 and above must be present when submitting documents and sign a separate consent form for acquiring citizenship. Exception: children with a disability or those residing in an occupied or frontline territory.
Processing Time for Ukrainian Citizenship for a Child
- By birth — up to 20 working days;
- By territorial origin — up to 3 months;
- Through parents' citizenship — up to 3 months;
- Admission to citizenship by Presidential Decree — up to 9 months, but in practice the procedure may take several years.
After a positive decision is made, a separate application must be submitted to receive the certificate of registration as a Ukrainian citizen. It is issued within 1 month.
Procedure for Registering a Child's Citizenship
- Documents preparation from 1 w.d.
- consultations
- translations of necessary documents into Ukrainian, their notarization
- formation of a package of documents
- Submission and review of documents at the Migration Service from 20 days to 9 months
- coordination of the document package with the Migration Service
- one of the parents personally submits the documents to the Migration Service accompanied by a lawyer
- monitoring of the citizenship registration process
- receipt of the Migration Service's decision on citizenship registration
- Obtaining the certificate of registration as a Ukrainian citizen up to 1 month
- submission of the application to the citizenship department for issuance of the registration certificate
- receipt of the certificate of registration of the child as a Ukrainian citizen
Documents required to get Ukrainian citizenship for a child
1. 2 photos of the child
2. Birth certificate of the child
- If the certificate is issued abroad, it must be legalized or apostilled, unless otherwise provided by law or an international treaty of Ukraine
3. Parents' documents
Citizen of Ukraine:
- Passport of a citizen of Ukraine or international passport
- Foreigner:
- Passport document of a foreigner with a notarized translation into Ukrainian
- Foreigner with permanent residence:
- Passport document of a foreigner with a translation
- Permanent residence permit in Ukraine
- Foreigner with temporary residence permit:
- Passport document of a foreigner with a translation
- Temporary residence permit in Ukraine
4. Child’s application, if the child is between 14 and 18 years old, for consent to acquire Ukrainian citizenship
What you get
FAQ
If one of the child's parents is a Ukrainian citizen, is it necessary to confirm the child's citizenship?
Yes. Even if one of the parents is a Ukrainian citizen and the child is a Ukrainian citizen from birth — a certificate of registration as a Ukrainian citizen must be obtained before a passport can be issued. Without this document, no passport will be issued. Exception: if both parents are Ukrainian citizens and the child was born after January 16, 2026 — the certificate is not required and the passport can be issued immediately.
What is the certificate of registration as a Ukrainian citizen?
If a child is born in Ukraine to foreign parents, is it possible to obtain Ukrainian citizenship?
Yes, provided that both parents held a permanent residence permit in Ukraine at the time of the child's birth. Temporary residence is not sufficient — this requirement has been in effect since January 16, 2026. If the parents were in Ukraine on other grounds, citizenship by birth cannot be registered. However, the child may apply on the basis of territorial origin if any of their relatives were born or permanently resided in Ukraine before August 24, 1991.
If both parents are foreigners, what citizenship does the child have?
It depends on the legislation of the parents' country of citizenship. If both parents are foreigners with permanent residence in Ukraine and the child did not acquire their citizenship at birth — the child may register Ukrainian citizenship by birth. If the child automatically received the parents' country's citizenship — registration via territorial origin is possible.
What is the child's citizenship if the father is a foreigner?
If the mother is a Ukrainian citizen — the child is a Ukrainian citizen from birth regardless of the father's citizenship and country of birth. The same applies when the father is a Ukrainian citizen and the mother is a foreigner. As for the father's country citizenship — this depends on that country's legislation. In many countries, citizenship is passed to the child automatically from the father regardless of place of birth. Until the child reaches adulthood, they may simultaneously hold both Ukrainian and foreign citizenship — this is not prohibited.
Questions and comments