Ukraine simplifies citizenship procedure for Moldovans

The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine has added the Republic of Moldova to the list of countries whose citizens can benefit from a simplified procedure for acquiring Ukrainian citizenship, under the new legislation on multiple citizenship, according to several Ukrainian publications.

The announcement was made by Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko, who noted that the decision was discussed with Prime Minister of the Republic of Moldova Alexandru Munteanu.

“Ukrainians from the Republic of Moldova will be able to obtain Ukrainian citizenship through a simplified procedure. The government has added the Republic of Moldova to the list of countries whose citizens are eligible for this mechanism,” Svyrydenko said, quoted by “The New Voice of Ukraine”.

According to the Ukrainian prime minister, the measure is “a natural step,” given that the two states share a common border, pursue the same objective of integration into the European Union, and have closely cooperated since the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. She also emphasized that a large Ukrainian community lives in the Republic of Moldova and that the authorities in Kyiv want to facilitate this community’s access to Ukrainian citizenship.

The Ukrainian prime minister announced that the government is continuing to work on simplifying procedures. At present, applicants must take exams in the Ukrainian language, the Constitution, and the history of Ukraine, which can only be taken on the territory of Ukraine. The Kyiv executive intends to allow the exams to be taken remotely and to simplify the final stage of processing documents through diplomatic missions abroad, according to sud.ua.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha described the decision as a “strategic step” and said it is also a response to Russia’s attempts to destabilize the Republic of Moldova by exploiting the citizenship issue in the Transnistrian region.

“For us, including the Republic of Moldova on this list is not just a formal expansion. It is a logical step in relations with a country with which we share a common border and a common path towards the European Union,” said the head of Ukrainian diplomacy, quoted by uatv.ua.

The Ukrainian press points out that this is not a bilateral dual citizenship agreement between the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine, but rather the application of a Ukrainian law that allows multiple citizenship for citizens of states included on the list approved by the government in Kyiv, according to ukrinform.net.