Dual Citizenship in Ukraine in 2025: Legal Status

According to Article 4 of the Constitution of Ukraine and Article 2 of the Law of Ukraine “On Citizenship of Ukraine,” the country recognizes and adheres to the principle of single citizenship. Thus, the legal status of dual citizenship is not officially defined. In legal relations, Ukraine recognizes only Ukrainian citizenship for a citizen who acquires another nationality. Likewise, for a foreign national who obtains Ukrainian citizenship, the state recognizes them solely as a Ukrainian citizen.

Moreover, the Hague Convention of April 12, 1930, in Article 5, states that a person holding more than one nationality and residing in a third country is considered to have only one nationality. The third country recognizes the citizenship of the state with which the person has a habitual residence or the closest connection, based on the actual circumstances.

Is There Any Liability for Dual Citizenship?

Current Ukrainian legislation does not establish any liability for holding dual citizenship. The law does not prescribe fines or other penalties for a person possessing the citizenship of another country. Also, acquiring a second passport does not automatically lead to the loss of Ukrainian citizenship, since the law states that in legal relations with Ukraine, such a person is recognized solely as a Ukrainian citizen.

However, it is worth noting that the Code of Ukraine on Administrative Offenses previously included a provision stating that failure to submit, or late submission of, a declaration by a citizen who voluntarily acquired foreign citizenship (nationality) could result in a fine of 10 to 30 non-taxable minimum incomes (170 to 510 UAH). This provision was repealed, but there is no guarantee that a similar regulation will not be introduced in the future.

Can a Person Be Stripped of Citizenship for Holding Another Passport?

According to Article 17 of the Law of Ukraine “On Citizenship of Ukraine,” one of the grounds for loss of citizenship is the termination of Ukrainian citizenship. Article 19 lists the grounds for such termination, including voluntary acquisition of another citizenship by a Ukrainian citizen who has reached the age of majority at the time of acquisition.

Therefore, based on these provisions, it appears that a person could be stripped of Ukrainian citizenship for holding another passport. However, Article 2 of the same law states that a person with dual citizenship is recognized as a Ukrainian citizen, and a Ukrainian citizen cannot be deprived of their citizenship.

As a result, although the legal norms allowing the state to revoke the citizenship of a person with dual nationality exist, there is no defined procedure for doing so. In practice, revocation of Ukrainian citizenship is extremely rare and typically occurs only in high-profile cases involving politicians or officials.

Military Duty and Dual Citizenship: How It Works

This issue has become increasingly relevant. Ukraine is under martial law and conducting mobilization, while some European countries are also amending their military service laws. Consequently, individuals holding more than one citizenship are interested in how military obligations apply across their countries of citizenship.

These matters are regulated by a specific convention. According to the Convention on the Reduction of Cases of Multiple Nationality and on Military Obligations in Cases of Multiple Nationality of May 6, 1963, specifically Article 6, any individual is required to fulfill military obligations with the contracting state in which they normally reside. However, until the age of 19, a person may choose to serve voluntarily in another contracting state of which they are a citizen.

Importantly, a person who fulfills military duty under Article 6 of the Convention for one contracting state is considered to have met this obligation for all contracting states of which they are a citizen. Additionally, if such a person later changes their habitual residence to another contracting state of which they are also a citizen, they are only subject to reserve duty for that new state.

However, there is another provision in the same article stating that in case of mobilization by any contracting state, the obligations under this article do not hold binding force for that state. In the context of Ukraine’s ongoing mobilization, a person may be subject to conscription regardless of whether they have already served in another country of citizenship.

Are Legal Changes to Citizenship Law Expected in 2025?

While precise predictions are impossible, there are many indications that changes to the Law on Citizenship, favoring the recognition of multiple citizenships, could occur in 2025.

Looking at the timeline: in October 2023, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine publicly supported the idea of multiple citizenship, highlighting its relevance in modern times and for the needs of Ukrainian society. In January 2024, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy submitted a relevant draft law to Parliament. In November of the same year, he declared in the Verkhovna Rada that Ukraine should introduce the institution of multiple citizenship. By December 2024, the Parliament adopted the bill in the first reading.

In May 2025, the Minister of National Unity, Oleksiy Chernyshov, stated in a foreign media interview that Ukraine intends to adopt a law allowing multiple passports, aiming for its implementation by the end of 2025.

However, some factors may slow down the process, primarily the Constitution of Ukraine. Article 4 of the Constitution stipulates that Ukraine has a single citizenship. Since the Constitution is the fundamental law of the country, amending it requires a complex and time-consuming procedure.