Obtaining Ukrainian citizenship by territorial origin

A number of our clients have turned to us for help in confirming their Ukrainian roots and further obtaining Ukrainian citizenship. We decided to highlight this process in more detail in a short note.

In general, the obtaining Ukrainian citizenship can be realized on such grounds:

• By birth;
• By territorial origin;
• As a consequence of accepting citizenship;
• As a consequence of restoring citizenship;
• As a consequence of adoption;
• Due to the establishment of guardianship over an incapacitated person;
• Due to the stay in Ukraine of one or both parents of the child;
• As a consequence of recognition or establishment of paternity or maternity;
• On other grounds provided for by international treaties.

One of the most common options is citizenship by territorial origin, when one of your ancestors was born in Ukraine or on the territory of state formations that existed in the past on its lands, namely:

• Ukrainian People’s Republic (UPR);
• Western Ukrainian People’s Republic (WUPR);
• Ukrainian State (Second Hetmanate);
• Ukrainian Socialist Soviet Republic (Ukrainian SSR – until 1937);
• Transcarpathian Ukraine;
• Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic (Ukrainian SSR – 1937 to 1991)

If you are planning to apply for Ukrainian citizenship by territorial origin, you should remember that:

• Your ancestors must have been born or permanently resided before August 24, 1991 in the territories that are now part of Ukraine;
• Article 8 of the Law of Ukraine “On Citizenship” provides for a limitation in the generations that can be considered for obtaining Ukrainian citizenship. The following persons must have been born or permanently reside in Ukraine:

1. You
2. Your father or mother
3. Grandfather or grandmother
4. Great-grandfather or great-grandmother
5. Brother or sister
6. Son or daughter
7. Grandson or granddaughter

• The fact that your relatives were born in Ukraine must be confirmed by documents. After collecting the documents, you should contact the Migration Service of Ukraine, which will check your documents and orient you in further actions.