Ukrainian Parliament supports law on multiple citizenship

During the voting, 243 MPs supported the draft law on the introduction of multiple citizenship in Ukraine, while 19 voted against it. In particular, nine MPs abstained from voting.

Photo: The Rada supported the law on multiple citizenship (t.me/yzheleznyak)

Why Ukraine needs multiple citizenship

Multiple citizenship will allow Ukrainians who were forced to go abroad during the Russian full-scale invasion to maintain ties with Ukraine. This step will also help attract investments and specialists from abroad and recognize the contribution of the diaspora to the development and defense of the state.

The Law on Multiple Citizenship provides for Ukrainians to have:

• the possibility to have foreign citizenship without the threat of losing Ukrainian citizenship, if this citizenship is obtained from a state included in a special list approved by the government;
• the right to officially acquire the citizenship of another state without the obligation to renounce Ukrainian citizenship, provided that this state is included in the government's list.

For citizens of other countries:

• the right to acquire Ukrainian citizenship under a simplified procedure for persons of Ukrainian origin;
• introduction of a new procedure for acquiring citizenship for foreigners without Ukrainian ethnic roots;
• the possibility to retain the existing citizenship while obtaining Ukrainian citizenship (except in cases of citizenship of the aggressor state);
• simplified acquisition of citizenship for foreigners serving in the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU);
• the right to Ukrainian citizenship for persons subject to political persecution

How initiative was adopted

Back in October 2023, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine announced its support for the idea of introducing multiple citizenship.

In January 2024, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy submitted a draft law to the Rada. In November, when presenting the Internal Resilience Plan to the Verkhovna Rada, he emphasized the importance of the institution in Ukraine.

In December, during the first reading, the parliament supported the draft law on the introduction of multiple citizenship in Ukraine as a basis.

In early May 2025, the Minister of National Unity of Ukraine, Oleksii Chernyshov, said that the government was working on the law and that it could be ready by the end of 2025.

Read more about why some people criticize the law on multiple citizenship and what concerns it raises in the RBC-Ukraine article.