Renunciation of Ukrainian citizenship to obtain Russian citizenship 2021

Most foreigners living and working in another country face many difficulties, including financial ones. For example, just for permission to work in Russia, a Ukrainian migrant has to pay from 2,000 to 9,000 rubles monthly to the treasury, depending on their place of residence. And this does not include other taxes. It is not surprising that many seek to acquire Russian citizenship by renouncing Ukrainian citizenship.

Necessity of refusal

Like other member countries of the Council of Europe, Ukraine has signed the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights. According to this document, as well as the Ukrainian Constitution (Part 1, Article 25), a person cannot be deprived of the right to change citizenship. Obstacles by state authorities on the path to cessation of citizenship may be grounds for appealing to the ECHR, an international judicial body that regulates the legal actions of countries that have ratified the European Convention.

Thus, filing an application to renounce Ukrainian citizenship is a voluntary step.

Civil status is not canceled automatically - the application is considered by a special commission under the President of the country. The date of termination of citizenship should be considered the date of signing of the relevant decree by the President.

In connection with the events in eastern Ukraine and Crimea, Russian migration authorities have introduced some relaxations for immigrants from these regions. As an exception, applicants can obtain Russian citizenship without renouncing Ukrainian citizenship. But, since there is no institution of multiple citizenship in the Russian Federation, the state makes the following requirements for potential citizens:

The applicant must guarantee in writing that he will take steps to terminate his previous civil status as soon as possible.
As soon as the legal connection with Ukraine is terminated, the applicant will present to the competent authorities a document of refusal issued by the Ukrainian representative office.

A written guarantee on behalf of the child is drawn up by his legal representative.

Find out more about .

The question of whether it is possible to renounce Ukrainian citizenship deserves special consideration. To be precise, from a legal point of view, this formulation is not entirely correct, because the refusal procedure as such is not only not provided for, but is not even allowed by law. Is this an obstacle to terminating citizenship? No.

If an applicant, trying to establish a new legal connection with another state, declares that he wants to formalize a renunciation of Ukrainian citizenship in order to obtain Russian citizenship in 2021, his documents will simply not be accepted.

To avoid confusion, the term “refusal” used in this article will mean the loss or loss of citizenship status in accordance with the procedure mentioned in Article 18 of the Law of Ukraine “On Renunciation of Citizenship.”

Renunciation of citizenship under the law of Ukraine

According to Ukrainian legislation, it is impossible to “renounce” citizenship. You can only go through the procedure for renouncing citizenship (Article 18 of the Law on Citizenship of Ukraine).

Exit is possible provided that the Ukrainian goes through the following steps:

lives permanently in another state or has acquired citizenship of another country;
appealed to the Ukrainian authorities with a request to leave;
paid by the state duty;
a corresponding Decree of the President of Ukraine on withdrawal was issued.

According to Ukrainian law, in order to terminate citizenship, Ukrainians must receive a response from the president of their country. But there are obstacles on this path - you need to personally come to the territory of Ukraine to comply with a number of formalities (and often Ukrainians cannot cross the border for fear of being called up or being held accountable for any far-fetched reason).

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But Russian legislation, when admitting a foreigner to the ranks of Russians, does not require a complete renunciation of previous citizenship. The refusal procedure we described above is sufficient. In fact, this is just a formality, since Kyiv does not respond to letters of refusal. Accordingly, having received a Russian passport, ex-migrants become people with two citizenships. As a result of this, the constitutional rights of citizens of the Russian Federation are violated, namely the right to be elected to self-government bodies and legislative bodies of state power. There is no opportunity to become a member of the Public Chamber or work in the state. structures.

Summarize. Renunciation of citizenship is a normal formal procedure that does not terminate the applicant’s previous citizenship. But to become a Russian citizen, a refusal is enough ; a complete and real renunciation of citizenship is not necessary. Having become a Russian, a person also remains a citizen of his original state. After receiving a Russian passport, he can go through the procedure of renouncing his previous citizenship, or retain both citizenships.

Author: Ksenia Novikova

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The main ways to lose Ukrainian citizenship

According to current legislation, loss of Ukrainian citizenship occurs only in two cases: a citizen can lose his status voluntarily or on the initiative of the country’s authorities.

In the first case, the authorized bodies begin to consider the application only after receiving a corresponding application for a decision to terminate citizenship. The only condition: the absence of circumstances that would prevent the authorities from making a positive decision.

In the second case, the loss of Ukrainian citizenship is a consequence of the actions of the state. The authorities themselves initiate the procedure if it becomes known that an adult citizen:

became a subject of another country;
acquired the status of a Ukrainian citizen by fraud;
entered voluntary military service in another state.

So, according to Art. 17 of the above-mentioned law, voluntary termination of citizenship is usually called “exit”, and deprivation at the initiative of the authorities is called “loss” of status. To lose citizenship, it is enough to submit documents confirming the occurrence of these conditions to the competent authorities.

Sometimes the question of how to lose Ukrainian citizenship is asked by persons accused or found guilty of a criminal offense, who have debts to tax authorities or banks. Before proceeding with the refusal procedure, you need to repay your “debts” to society and only after that submit a petition.

Documents for refusal

According to information published on the website of the Ukrainian Embassy, in order to initiate consideration of the application, the applicant must prepare a small package of documents. Here is a list of documents for renouncing Ukrainian citizenship:

Statement.
4 photos 3.5 x 4.5 cm.
A copy of a foreign passport with a note that the citizen left Ukraine for permanent residence, or a copy of a passport of a USSR citizen of the 1974 model with a note that he was discharged from the territory of Ukraine.
A document confirming the acquisition of citizenship of another power, or guaranteeing that this status will soon be assigned.

Important requirement: all certificates and copies are submitted in 4 copies.

Parents should know what documents are needed to renounce Ukrainian citizenship in case of paperwork for a minor child. In addition to the application, this list includes:

copy ;
a copy of a document confirming Ukrainian citizenship;
confirmation of the child’s departure for permanent residence outside Ukraine.

If the applicant cannot provide documents confirming the status of a Ukrainian citizen and the fact of permanent residence outside the country, this does not mean that a certificate of renunciation of Ukrainian citizenship will not be issued to him. To prove the existence of these conditions, he must send a request to the internal affairs authorities or the diplomatic mission of the country.

Filling out an application

To confirm that cessation of citizenship is a voluntary act, the citizen must personally bring a completed notice of renunciation of Ukrainian citizenship in form 20 (the form was approved by Order of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine dated September 15, 2006 No. 185). The application is submitted to the President of Ukraine.

It is important not only to know how to write a renunciation of Ukrainian citizenship. According to Russian law, this application must be certified by a notary. Otherwise, the document will not have legal force, and neither the consulate nor the migration authority of the Russian Federation will accept it.

When submitting an application to renounce existing Ukrainian citizenship on behalf of a child, use Form 21 below.

Since it costs money to notarize a document, make sure that the application is completed without errors. When downloading the form, stock up on several copies at once. If you make a mistake when entering information, you can use a new form.

Sequence of stages

A regulatory document regulating the procedure for renouncing Ukrainian citizenship was approved in March 2001. This special order is called “The procedure for processing applications and representations on issues of citizenship of Ukraine and the implementation of decisions taken.”

According to the procedure, applications are considered by a special commission under the President, the composition of which is approved by the head of state.

For those who are interested in what renunciation of Ukrainian citizenship looks like, here is an approximate list of stages:

Submission of documents by the applicant.
Registration and transfer of case materials to the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Research of the applicant’s situation based on information obtained from data banks or from central/local executive authorities. The purpose of the activities is to identify facts that allow or hinder a positive decision in the case. This procedure for renouncing Ukrainian citizenship is entrusted to employees of the Citizenship Department under the Presidential Administration.
Submitting the research results to the commission for consideration.
Making a decision at a meeting of the commission and transferring the draft decree to the President.
The President signs a decree on the termination of citizenship.

The commission makes a decision by voting. The disagreement of one of the commission members must be justified in an appendix to the minutes of the meeting.

How to act while in Ukraine

The most problems arise for those who are interested in how to renounce Ukrainian citizenship while on the territory of the country.

By law, only persons who have received permanent residence in another state can initiate the exit procedure, and the fact of their permanent residence outside Ukraine must be formalized in accordance with Ukrainian legislation.

They should submit documents to the Ukrainian diplomatic mission located in the territory of their country of residence.

As indicated on, renunciation of Ukrainian citizenship in Ukraine is possible only as an exception, if we are talking about the natural or adopted children of applicants. In their case, place of residence does not matter.

If the applicant lives in Russia

In recent years, hundreds of thousands of Ukrainian migrants have ended up on the territory of the Russian Federation. Since many of them may be considering the possibility of changing their citizenship, we will try to briefly clarify the question of how to renounce Ukrainian citizenship while in Russia.

First, they will have to obtain documents confirming the absence of debts and outstanding convictions, and also be deregistered at their place of residence.

Ukraine is one of the countries that seek to limit the number of stateless persons - persons who are not citizens of any country. Therefore, in order to submit a petition to initiate the renunciation of Ukrainian citizenship in Russia in 2021, you need to have documents guaranteeing that this will not happen (permanent residence, Russian citizenship, a certificate from the migration authority confirming the start of the naturalization process, etc.).

On the territory of the Russian Federation, citizenship issues are dealt with not only by the Embassy, but also by other representative offices. Each of them “serves” a specific region of the country. The choice of institution is related to the applicant’s place of residence.

Those who live in 17 regions located within this consular district can renounce Ukrainian citizenship in Moscow.

Stages of registration of refusal

Depending on a combination of factors, the interested person will have to undergo a procedure such as renunciation of Ukrainian citizenship. It is different for different situations. Regardless of whose initiative the decision was made, the process is considered individually.

Decree of the President of Ukraine No. 215/2001 determines the type of document with which a decision is made. In addition, a commission is approved that considers relevant issues. The stages that the applicant must go through are listed below.

Preparation and submission of documents.
Sending the submitted papers to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine.
The commission studies the case individually.
Making a decision to approve the petition and submitting a draft future decree to the President of the country.
Signing of the document by the head of state.

At the consideration stage, the commission makes a decision by voting of all members. If a specific situation differs from the standard, it is possible to establish separate commissions and intermediate meetings to consider its essence.

If you live in Ukraine

According to the law, a person who is seeking permanent residence in another state has the right to apply for a positive decision on renunciation of citizenship. The fact of permanent residence outside Ukraine must be documented. Positive decisions for persons located within the country are made in exceptional cases and extremely rarely.

Renunciation of citizenship for Ukrainians: Video

If the applicant is located in the Russian Federation

Another question arises for those who have already moved to a new country. How to renounce Ukrainian citizenship in Russia? To do this, it is first advisable to clearly indicate your stay in the Russian Federation as clearly as possible, that is, obtain a residence permit or at least a temporary residence permit, get a job, etc.

Read also: Russian citizenship for Ukrainians in 2021 How to obtain Ukrainian citizenship for a Russian citizen

To register a refusal, you must contact one of the nearest representative offices of Ukraine in the Russian Federation (depending on your region of residence). Addresses and other contacts of each of them can be found in official Internet sources. The largest is the Ukrainian Embassy in Moscow.

Where to send a written request

In most cases, the applicant will be expected to submit the petition and other citizenship documents during an in-person visit. However, in some cases, applicants may have a question about where to send the letter of renunciation of Ukrainian citizenship and the accompanying package of documents. Although it is better to authorize a trusted person to represent your interests instead. Submission of an application by postal services is possible only if there are compelling reasons, for example, serious illness, arrest of the applicant, natural disaster and other compelling circumstances.

According to experts, the decision to send a renunciation of Ukrainian citizenship by mail should be made only as a last resort. Very often, during the acceptance of applications, employees identify some errors or lack of data. If there is a need to make amendments, the document will be sent back the same way, as a result the procedure will be delayed.

If you nevertheless decide that in your case only the “remote” route is possible, write down the postal address of the Ukrainian Embassy in Moscow where to send the renunciation of citizenship: 125009, Moscow, Leontyevsky Lane, 18. You can clarify the details related to the issue of termination of status by phone 629-14-57.

Cost of registration of refusal

As a rule, diplomatic missions provide only paid services for the review and issuance of documents. In accordance with this practice, a substantial state fee is provided for renunciation of Ukrainian citizenship.

When discussing its size, one cannot fail to mention one useful fact. As mentioned above, the decision to terminate citizenship can be made unilaterally by government agencies of the country (Ukrainian diplomatic missions, consular offices or migration service units).

If the events are not carried out at the initiative of the citizen, the consular fee for renouncing Ukrainian citizenship is not charged.

In other cases, wherever the applicant submits documents, he must attach a payment order confirming payment for consular services. As when choosing a place of application, you should take into account the method of depositing funds and the details of the institution.

According to the table of tariffs for consular fees, approved in April of this year and published on, the cost of renouncing Ukrainian citizenship in Russia is $210 or 11,880 rubles. Full information on current details and affiliation with consular districts can be obtained from

What procedures for terminating citizenship exist in Ukraine?

The list of procedures for terminating Ukrainian citizenship is provided for by the Law “On Citizenship”. Thus, the provisions of this legal act provide for the possibility of terminating citizenship:

- as a result of exit;

- as a result of loss;

- on the grounds provided for in international legal treaties.

The above list is exhaustive and termination of citizenship in any other way, bypassing these procedures, from the point of view of national legislation is unacceptable, impossible and legally worthless.

More detailed information about the procedures for exit and loss of citizenship can be found at this link.

Termination of citizenship on the grounds provided for in international legal treaties of Ukraine is applied in cases where a citizen of Ukraine receives citizenship of a state with which Ukraine has an agreement providing for a simplified termination of Ukrainian citizenship in connection with the acquisition of a foreign one.

Today, such agreements with Belarus and Kyrgyzstan continue to be in force.

The date of termination of citizenship is the date the President of Ukraine issues a decree on termination of citizenship of Ukraine. In this regard, it can be absolutely justifiably stated that in the absence of a corresponding decree, a person is not considered to have ceased to be a citizen of Ukraine.

You can find out about my services for monitoring the consideration of your application for renunciation of Ukrainian citizenship, as well as how to use such a service, at this link.

How long to wait for renunciation of citizenship

Having studied the stages preceding the receipt of the long-awaited certificate of loss of previous civil status, the applicant may reasonably ask how long to wait to renounce Ukrainian citizenship. Let's do the math:

review of documents at the consular office, their possible return to correct errors, transfer to the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs - 1 month;
return of documents from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for revision or sending materials to the Commission - 1 month;
if necessary, it may take up to 8 months to finalize and send documents;
consideration of the application by the Commission - up to 1 year.

The Presidential Commission meets as necessary, at least once every 2 months.

In special cases, expert and working groups may be created, and heads of executive authorities and other competent institutions and organizations may be invited. All these actions take up to 20 months. Moreover, if the events are carried out at the initiative of the state, the period is not reduced.

Petition for voluntary renunciation of Ukrainian citizenship

The registration of voluntary renunciation of citizenship is carried out by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine directly in the country itself, as well as the relevant diplomatic and consular institutions of Ukraine abroad.

In general, the reception and processing of written and oral appeals (and applications) from citizens is carried out in accordance with the Law of Ukraine “On Citizens' Appeals” No. 393 of 10/02/1996. The standard review period is a month. If necessary, it can be extended up to 45 days. Basic requirements for a written application: full name, residential address of the applicant, dating.

Website of the Ukrainian Embassy in the Russian Federation.

Main stages of registration of voluntary renunciation of Ukrainian citizenship	Short description
Preparation of necessary documents	You will need: · applicant's passport (preferably with a note about leaving for another country for permanent residence); · application in the required form; · 4 photos size 35X45; · paid state fee for registration ($210); · other documents depending on the situation and as necessary (child’s birth certificate, documentary evidence that the applicant has another nationality, etc.)
The applicant’s first appeal to the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Sample	All prepared documents are transferred to the competent authorities. Consideration of the application and verification of accepted documentation lasts about a month.
Sending documentation on the applicant’s case to the Citizenship Commission Sample	The documents and results of consideration are sent by the first instance. The Commission works with the received documents for another month, after which it makes a decision and forwards it to the President for approval.
Issuance of the appropriate Presidential Decree	The date of termination of Ukrainian citizenship is the date of the issued Decree

In total, the registration period can last 12-20 months. In fact, the interested person only needs to correctly draw up an application, collect all the necessary documents, submit everything together to the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and wait for a response.

If the termination of citizenship is carried out at the initiative of the authorities, then the citizen does not need to pay a state fee or take any actions.

Features of refusal for residents of Crimea

During the “transitional” stage, the Russian authorities made it possible for residents of the peninsula to have two passports at once. If someone decided to limit themselves to Russian, he could write an application to the FMS and simply exchange a Ukrainian document for it.

Today, the situation with legalizing your status has become more complicated. Last year, representatives of the Directorate for Migration Issues of the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia for the Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol explained to Crimeans how to renounce Ukrainian citizenship while having Russian citizenship. Now they are instructed to:

;
after 6 months apply for permanent residence;
.

It is at the last stage that difficulties arise. According to Russian legislation, confirmation of the renunciation of Ukrainian citizenship is required at the last stage. But the Ukrainian authorities will not accept the application if the applicant is not registered with the consulate in another state.

Since, from their point of view, Crimea is not the territory of the Russian Federation, in order to formalize the refusal, residents of the peninsula must:

Register in Ukraine.
Obtain permanent residence in a third country (not Russia).
Register with the consulate there.
Submit a petition to renounce Ukrainian citizenship.

Another new requirement of the Russian authorities is mandatory. Crimeans, as well as Russians, who do not obey the order, will face fines of up to 1,000 rubles.

On the other hand, in accordance with Art. 20 of the Law, until the withdrawal from Ukrainian citizenship after receiving Russian citizenship comes into force, a citizen can enjoy all the rights and must fulfill all the duties of a Ukrainian citizen.

How can a Ukrainian obtain Russian citizenship in Crimea?

Persons who officially lived and worked on the peninsula in March 2014 were recognized as Russian citizens. But in order to legalize the rights of a citizen, they only had to submit to the migration department:

application for citizenship;
passport with registration in Crimea or Sevastopol;
photo size 35x45 mm.

Currently, work is underway to create a simplified scheme for those who have grounds to apply for citizenship under the “right of the soil”, native speakers of the Russian language and persons born to citizens of the Russian Federation.

Considering the numerous nuances of this issue, it will be useful for Crimeans planning to change their citizenship to Russian to read the article about.

Is renunciation of Ukrainian citizenship required to obtain Russian citizenship?

Residents of Crimea and the DPR are faced with the issue of losing Ukrainian citizenship in order to acquire Russian citizenship. There is a provision in the legislation of the Russian Federation that states that it will be necessary to confirm the renunciation of Ukrainian citizenship if a person has been recognized as a native speaker of the Russian language. Only certain categories of citizens are exempt from having confirmation:

WWII veterans;
refugees from Ukraine with the appropriate official status;
citizens who have received political asylum in the Russian Federation;
nationals of those countries with which an agreement has been concluded on simplified acquisition of permanent resident status.

After you have managed to renounce Ukrainian citizenship in favor of Russia, you must confirm the availability of a copy of the petition for the action taken. The document is sent to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine for consideration. If a citizen of Ukraine goes to Russia for permanent residence, he must register with the Ukrainian consulate, otherwise the refusal procedure after resettlement will be complicated.

Confirmation of renunciation of Ukrainian citizenship

Obtaining a certificate of absence of Ukrainian citizenship

And the last aspect that needs to be mentioned is how to obtain a certificate of absence of Ukrainian citizenship. This document will be needed by those who, when registering a new status, pledged to terminate their previous citizenship.

The date of termination of legal ties with Ukraine is considered to be the day the President signs the decree. Representatives of the Consulate or diplomatic mission are required to provide this information to the applicant within the week following the signing of the decree.

A certificate of non-citizenship of Ukraine is issued only after the submission of a civil passport. If necessary, former citizens can contact the country's migration service to provide such a certificate.

How can a Russian confirm his lack of Ukrainian citizenship?

Sample certificate of absence of Ukrainian citizenship.

After a Russian citizen has made a voluntary exit or was forcibly deprived of Ukrainian citizenship, he may need documentary evidence of this fact. Such confirmation is a certificate of absence of Ukrainian citizenship. If at your place of work or service they ask you for a certificate of renunciation of Ukrainian citizenship, do not worry: this is just an inaccuracy in the wording; in fact, what is needed is a certificate of absence of citizenship.

You can get it both in Ukraine, at the state migration service, and while on the territory of the Russian Federation - at a consular office. As a rule, it is drawn up and issued upon leaving citizenship. However, a separate application is also acceptable, for example, for those who previously ceased to be Ukrainian, and a certificate about this was needed later.

Here is information about obtaining a certificate from the official website of the Ukrainian Consulate - https://ekaterynburg.mfa.gov.ua/news/71737-proverka-prinadlezhnosti-k-grazhdanstvu-ukrainy.