To obtain Ukrainian citizenship, foreigners will have to pass exams. Photo: wikimedia.org
The Verkhovna Rada approved draft law No.7606 at first reading, which provides for mandatory examinations for foreign nationals applying for Ukrainian citizenship. The document was approved with 309 votes in favor.
The draft law proposes to test the knowledge of people applying for Ukrainian citizenship by holding examinations in the following subjects: Fundamentals of the Constitution, History of Ukraine, and Ukrainian Language.
"The Russian Federation’s full-scale invasion of Ukrainian territory on February 24, 2022 has altered the state’s attitude toward the institution of citizenship," the explanatory note to the draft law reads.
If the document is adopted at second reading, those who were granted citizenship within the last two years will also have to pass the exams.
However, if an applicant has rendered outstanding services to the country or there’s a national interest in granting them citizenship, they will be exempted. In particular, this may apply to foreigners who have contracted to serve in the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
In addition, children and people with persistent mental or intellectual disorders won’t have to pass the exams.
At the same time, the draft law provides for updated grounds for the loss of Ukrainian citizenship. In particular, these are the failure to pass the exams or the refusal to renounce the citizenship of another country.