MAGISTERS / IMMIGRATION LAW
Confirmation of Ukrainian Citizenship for a Child
Legal assistance with documenting your child’s Ukrainian citizenship
Was your child born abroad, is one parent a foreign national, or has the Migration Service requested additional evidence? We will assess the legal grounds, prepare the documents and guide you through the application to the State Migration Service.
KYIV · KHARKIV · ODESA · ENQUIRIES FROM ABROAD
12+ years of legal practice · Formal legal assistance agreement · Support before the Migration Service
WHERE THE PROCESS BEGINS
A birth certificate and citizenship are two distinct legal matters
A Ukrainian birth certificate confirms the registration of a birth, but it does not, by itself, establish a child’s Ukrainian citizenship in every situation. Conversely, a child born outside Ukraine may be a Ukrainian citizen from birth when the statutory grounds are met.
01
Establish the legal grounds
We examine the parents’ citizenship at the time of birth, the child’s place of birth and the applicable legal provisions.
02
Identify the correct procedure
We determine whether acquisition of citizenship must be registered, existing citizenship must be confirmed or a relevant certificate must be obtained.
03
Plan the documentation
We identify the documents required for the child to obtain a Ukrainian passport at the next stage.
Important: if at least one parent was a Ukrainian citizen when the child was born, Ukrainian law provides for citizenship by birth. This does not mean that the child must acquire citizenship anew each time documentary evidence is required.
WHEN CONFIRMATION MAY BE NEEDED
Six situations that bring parents to us
There is no single set of documents that works for every family. The legal grounds depend on the circumstances of birth, the parents’ citizenship and the law applicable at the relevant time.
01
The child was born abroad
One or both parents were Ukrainian citizens at the time of birth. We check the legal grounds and the formalities for foreign-issued documents.
02
One parent is a foreign national
We examine how the child acquired citizenship, whether another citizenship exists and which procedure applies.
03
Both parents are foreign nationals
We assess the parents’ permanent residence, whether the child holds another nationality and the grounds for acquiring Ukrainian citizenship.
04
The child was born in Ukraine
A birth certificate is available, but the State Migration Service requires documentary confirmation of citizenship before issuing a passport.
05
Some parental documents are missing
A passport has been lost, details do not match, surnames have changed or a parent’s citizenship must be established separately.
06
An application was refused or further documents requested
We examine the reason for the difficulty, request the legal grounds and prepare the next course of action.
THREE DISTINCT LEGAL BASES
Determine the procedure before applying
A common mistake is to describe every step involving a child’s documents as “obtaining citizenship”. Sometimes citizenship already exists by operation of law and only needs to be properly documented.
ARTICLE 7
Citizenship by birth
If either parent was a Ukrainian citizen at the time of the child’s birth, the child is a Ukrainian citizen by birth. Other situations are subject to the specific conditions laid down by law.
ARTICLE 14
Acquisition through a parent’s citizenship
This applies in certain cases where a child is a foreign national or stateless person and one or both parents hold Ukrainian citizenship.
DOCUMENTATION
Confirmation and certificate issued by the Migration Service
We establish which document should evidence the relevant basis of citizenship and whether a certificate of registration as a Ukrainian citizen is required.
Since 16 January 2026, amendments to the Law of Ukraine “On Citizenship of Ukraine” have applied, and the procedure for processing applications was updated in February 2026. We therefore assess each case under the current rules, taking the child’s date of birth into account.
Check the legal grounds in the Law of Ukraine “On Citizenship of Ukraine” and the official guidance of the State Migration Service.
OFFICIAL PROCESSING TIMES IN 2026
Citizenship documentation for children: what the timelines mean
The State Migration Service sets different time limits depending on the legal basis. For applications concerning citizenship by birth, the stated period is up to 20 working days from acceptance of the application. For a child acquiring citizenship through a parent’s citizenship, it is up to three months.
After the relevant decision, the certificate of registration as a Ukrainian citizen is processed separately, generally within 10 days. Preparing foreign documents, translations and resolving discrepancies may require additional time.
We check which procedure applies before filing, so we do not promise unrealistic timelines or lose time preparing the wrong documents.
OFFICIAL ADMINISTRATIVE FEE
UAH 137.75
The amount published by the State Migration Service for processing and issuing a certificate of registration as a Ukrainian citizen. There is no separate fee for the acquisition of citizenship itself.
Legal fees are separate
The amount of the lawyer’s professional fee is agreed after reviewing the documents and defining the scope of assistance.
Outcome: a document issued in accordance with the prescribed procedure, provided the grounds are established and the Migration Service makes the relevant decision.
REQUIRED DOCUMENTS
Documents for confirming a child’s Ukrainian citizenship
The final list depends on the legal provision and the applicant’s circumstances. Rather than relying on generic online checklists, we first verify the applicable basis.
BIRTH
The child’s birth certificate
A Ukrainian birth certificate or a foreign-issued document. An apostille or legalisation and a notarised translation may be necessary.
PARENTS
Passports and proof of citizenship
Documents identifying the parents and establishing their citizenship when the child was born; where necessary, residence documents or evidence of a name change.
APPLICATION
Application, photographs and supporting evidence
Prescribed application forms, photographs, evidence that the child has no other citizenship or special supporting documents, if required by the relevant legal basis.
Who applies: a parent or another legal representative of the child. From age 14, the child’s personal attendance when applying is generally required, with exceptions for duly documented valid reasons. Representation is assessed under the rules of the particular procedure.
We check foreign documents for legalisation, translation and admissibility requirements. If a parent is abroad, we separately agree on a practical way to obtain the necessary records.
THE MAGISTERS PROCESS
From document review to a decision by the Migration Service
We take responsibility for legal preparation, without claiming to replace parents where the law requires their personal participation. You know what each stage involves.
01 / REVIEW
Review the family circumstances
We check the birth date, parents’ citizenship, place of birth and documents currently available.
02 / LEGAL BASIS
Identify the applicable law
We distinguish citizenship by birth, registration based on a parent’s citizenship and any other available grounds.
03 / DOCUMENTS
Prepare the documents
We create a case-specific checklist and review applications, translations, certificates and the legal representative’s authority.
04 / APPLICATION
Support the application
We help the family submit documents to the competent office of the State Migration Service in the correct manner.
05 / FOLLOW-UP
Monitor the procedure
We review requests from the Migration Service and prepare explanations or additional records where genuinely required.
06 / OUTCOME
Obtaining the document
We assist with obtaining a certificate or other confirmation and explain the next steps towards a Ukrainian passport for the child.
WHEN THE PROCESS BECOMES DIFFICULT
What if the Migration Service will not confirm the child’s citizenship?
An oral explanation, a request for an additional document and a formal refusal are legally different situations. Before lodging a complaint, we identify the actual obstacle.
EVIDENCE
A parent’s citizenship cannot be established
If the issue concerns a passport, the date citizenship was acquired or archival records, we first establish the legally relevant facts.
PROCEDURE
Documents requested without an explanation
We examine the rules applicable to the case, prepare reasoned submissions and seek consideration in accordance with the law.
APPEAL
A written refusal has been issued
We review the reasons and the file. Where there are grounds, we prepare an administrative challenge or court appeal.
The lawyer’s task is not to dispute matters for their own sake, but to restore the lawful process and secure proper consideration of the child’s documents.
PARENTS’ FREQUENT QUESTIONS
What to know before contacting the Migration Service
A child’s citizenship depends on the circumstances of birth and the parents’ legal status. Without reviewing the documents, there are no universal answers.
But several questions should be resolved before applying: which legal basis applies, who must submit the application and what document should result.
My child was born in Ukraine. Are they automatically a Ukrainian citizen?
Not necessarily. Birth in Ukraine and a Ukrainian birth certificate do not always establish Ukrainian citizenship. The parents’ citizenship and legal status, together with the relevant provisions of the Law of Ukraine “On Citizenship of Ukraine”, must be assessed. For some children, citizenship does arise automatically by birth.
One parent is Ukrainian and the other is a foreign national. What should we do?
If either parent was a Ukrainian citizen at the time of birth, the child is a Ukrainian citizen by birth. For documentary confirmation, we examine the individual circumstances, date of birth, passports and birth certificate. Having a foreign-national parent does not, by itself, remove this entitlement.
How do we confirm the citizenship of a child born abroad?
The application requires birth records, evidence of the parents’ citizenship at the time of birth and properly authenticated foreign documents. An apostille or consular legalisation and translation may be necessary, depending on the issuing country and applicable international agreements.
How long does the citizenship procedure take?
The timeframe depends on the legal basis. The State Migration Service states up to 20 working days for applications relating to citizenship by birth, and up to three months for acquisition of citizenship through a parent’s citizenship. Issuance of the certificate after the decision and document preparation are separate stages.
How much does the certificate of registration as a Ukrainian citizen cost?
According to information published by the State Migration Service, the administrative fee for issuing the certificate is UAH 137.75; there is no fee for acquiring citizenship itself. The lawyer’s professional fee, translation costs and other expenses are agreed separately.
Must the child attend the Migration Service in person?
When an application is filed by a legal representative, a child aged 14 or older must generally attend in person. Legislation provides limited exceptions for valid reasons supported by documents.
Can a lawyer handle the entire process without the parents?
A lawyer can prepare the legal position and documentation, deal with the Migration Service within the legally permitted scope and support the procedure. However, applications concerning a child’s citizenship are subject to specific rules for parents and legal representatives. It would be misleading to promise that their participation can be eliminated entirely.
Is a citizenship certificate needed for a child’s Ukrainian passport for travel abroad?
Whether a particular certificate is required depends on the basis of citizenship and the documents the child already holds. If citizenship must be established or its acquisition formally registered, a certificate issued by the Migration Service may support a subsequent passport application.
What if the Migration Service has refused the application?
The first step is to obtain and review the formal decision, its reasons and the case file. If the refusal stems from an incorrect application of the law or an improper assessment of evidence, we consider the available appeal procedures.
Can we begin if our family lives outside Ukraine?
Yes. Legal review of documents can begin remotely. The filing procedure, however, depends on where the family is located, the legal grounds and the powers of the relevant authority in Ukraine or a Ukrainian consular office. We determine the permissible route after reviewing the facts.