Ukraine has outlined age-based requirements for foreigners and stateless persons seeking citizenship, specifying who must submit applications personally and when minors are required to give their consent.

The country’s State Migration Service published the guidelines in line with the Law of Ukraine on Ukrainian Citizenship and Presidential Decree No. 215 of March 27, 2001.

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Under the rules, foreigners and stateless persons aged 18 and above must personally submit their applications for Ukrainian citizenship.

Applications for children below 18 must generally be submitted by their parents or legal representatives.

However, teenagers aged between 14 and 17 must personally consent to acquiring Ukrainian citizenship, meaning their parents or guardians cannot complete the process without their approval.

The requirements establish three age categories for applicants. Children below 14 must have applications submitted on their behalf by a parent or legal representative, while those aged 14 to 17 must provide personal consent even though an adult handles the application.

Applicants aged 18 and above are required to submit their naturalisation applications independently.

The migration authority also outlined a separate procedure for foreign nationals who already hold citizenship of another country.

Foreign applicants seeking Ukrainian citizenship under the specified procedure must pledge to terminate their existing citizenship within two years of being registered as Ukrainian citizens.

Those who make the pledge receive temporary Ukrainian identity cards valid for two years instead of full passports during the transition period.

A Ukrainian passport is issued after the applicant has formally terminated their previous citizenship or submitted a written declaration renouncing it, in accordance with the applicable procedure.

However, stateless persons are exempt from the requirement to pledge to terminate another country’s citizenship and are not subject to the same two-year transitional arrangement.

The State Migration Service advised prospective applicants to familiarise themselves with the relevant legal provisions and documentation requirements before beginning the citizenship application process.

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Further information on the application procedure and required documents is available through the official website of Ukraine’s State Migration Service.