In this article we are going to explain what categories of foreigners are considered to be of Ukrainian origin and what they need to do to get the Ukrainian passport based on the fact they have some Ukrainian ancestors. This information is super fresh and up-to-date as it reflects the dual citizenship law recently passed and having come into force in January of 2026.
One important reservation – in some cases stateless persons, refugees, asylum seekers and foreigners who lived or were born in Ukraine after the 24th of August of 1991 also can obtain Ukrainian citizenship on the basis of Ukrainian origin. This article is NOT about such cases. In this material we are going to explore cases when a person had relatives in Ukraine before its independence in 1991.
The first thing an applicant should do is to understand how the law defines Ukrainian origin. A person has Ukrainian origin or in other words – is of Ukrainian descent if one of the 2 scenarios is met:
The first scenario applies when an applicant OR at least one of their parents OR one of their grandparents OR one of their great grandparents OR one of their full-blood or half-blood siblings, OR one of their children OR one of their grandchildren was born or had permanently lived before the 24th of August of 1991 on the territory that became the modern Ukrainian state. In simple words it is the territory that became Ukrainian after the Soviet Union collapsed and modern Ukraine declared its independence.
The second scenario is very similar but it has some differences like it does NOT include children and grandchildren but it DOES include other territories. So, the second scenario applies when an applicant OR at least one of their parents OR one of their grandparents OR one of their great grandparents OR one of their full blood or half blood siblings, was born or had permanently lived before the 24th of August of 1991 on the territories of the Ukrainian People’s Republic, the Western Ukrainian People’s Republic, the Ukrainian State, the Ukrainian Socialist People’s Republic, Zakarpatska Ukraine, the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic, the Crimean People’s Republic, the Crimean Autonomous People’s Socialist Republic. There are so many geographical names because Ukraine has been fighting for its independence and sovereignty for centuries during which there were multiple attempts to found an independent state. So, those are the names of those historical states that don’t exist anymore.
In both scenarios, if they apply to you, then you, and your children also, can apply for Ukrainian citizenship by your Ukrainian origin.
Quite often we are asked if all those family members have to be Ukrainian citizens. The answer is no, their citizenship doesn’t matter. It also doesn’t matter what nationality they had. There always have been many national groups in Ukraine, for example Polish, Jewish, Greek, Tatars, Germans. For instance, your grandma can be German but you can still obtain Ukrainian citizenship by origin because your grandma lived on the territory of Ukraine.
To summarize – there are only 2 criteria to be met: a defined family relation with your relatives from Ukraine and the fact of their living on Ukrainian territory.
To become a Ukrainian citizen by origin an applicant has to recognize and follow the laws of Ukraine, and to pass tests of the fundamentals of the Ukrainian Constitution, history of Ukraine and the Ukrainian language comprehension test.
In one of our videos we explained bit by bit all the requirements for these tests, how and when they are passed. So, we recommend watching that video on our YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/2nTtA8FGjgo
Now let’s speak about the documents that you need to submit to obtain Ukrainian citizenship by origin.
There are many different combinations depending on the status of your Ukrainian relative, where and when they lived in Ukraine, whether you have certain health impediments, the fact of serving in the Ukrainian Armed Forces etc. If we start explaining each particular case now, this video will take hours and will be overloaded with detailed legal information that may become outdated anytime due to new legislation changes.
Since the goal of all our materials is not to generate useless content but to provide real useful information, just contact us and we will send you the up-to-date list of documents and the requirements to them that apply to your particular case
But the most important thing is that you need to prove your family relation with your Ukrainian relatives and the fact that they lived in Ukraine in the designated period of time. Usually, it is proved by certificates of birth, death, marriage, extracts from different registers (for example a church register). In some cases, even online databases may be used.
