Ukrainian citizenship by marriage

If your future or current spouse is a citizen of Ukraine, claiming Ukrainian citizenship is possible.  The only requirement is that you have to be married to the citizen of Ukraine for two years continuously. If you have not found your beloved one yet, Ukraine is a perfect place to start searching. Getting Ukrainian citizenship by marriage is the most frequently used strategy for legalizing stay in Ukraine.

Marrying a Ukrainian is a proven strategy of acquiring Ukrainian citizenship. The practice of ‘citizenship marriages’ is rampant in Ukraine. Our recent research revealed that over two thousand people use this method to get the citizenship of Ukraine in 2015-2016 only.

Although this method of acquiring Ukrainian citizenship is the easiest one, several important considerations should be highlighted:

• despite the fact that it is expressly regulated that citizenship may be granted after two years of marriage, Ukrainian citizenship laws do not say that the applicant has to live in Ukraine during this period. Although some complications may arise when the citizenship commission reviews the Ukrainian citizenship petition, our attorneys have certain effective defenses;
• Ukrainian spouse of the applicant should be obligatorily present when the first batch of documents is submitted to the Immigration Service of Ukraine;
• if marriage with a Ukrainian citizen was concluded abroad, it is valid for filing a Ukrainian citizenship petition in Ukraine. This type of marriage should be legalized and confirmed in Ukraine;
• Ukrainian citizenship law says that the applicants should have a basic understanding of the Ukrainian language. We will help you to pass the exam with almost zero efforts;
• finally, it is important to prove that you have funds to support your stay in Ukraine. In 2017 it was the equivalent of USD 1050. This amount should be on your banking account at the moment of application (certificate from the bank should be attached).

Overall, if you are considering settling in Ukraine, marrying a Ukrainian is the shortest way to get citizenship.  However, you should also remember that the process is not the same for each applicant.

Specifically, not only marital matters are to be taken into account, but also the general procedures and principles of getting Ukrainian citizenship should be considered. You should not forget that renouncing your original citizenship is necessary, and this procedure is unique for each country.