Ukraine and Israel: Whether Ukrainian citizenship is automatically revoked for a Ukrainian who acquires Israeli citizenship, and if so, the procedures for recovering Ukrainian citizenship

According to a consular affairs attaché at the Embassy of Ukraine in Canada located in Ottawa, Ukrainian citizenship is not automatically revoked when someone acquires Israeli citizenship (5 June 2007). The Attaché stated that Ukraine operates on the basis of single citizenship (Ukraine 5 June 2007; see also ibid. n.d.), but, as long as a person does not specifically renounce their Ukrainian citizenship, it is retained (ibid. 5 June 2007). On its Web site, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine explains that unless a Ukrainian citizen who has adopted a foreign citizenship formally revokes their Ukrainian citizenship, that person is legally considered to have only Ukrainian citizenship (ibid. n.d.). The United States (US) Department of State Reciprocity Schedule on Ukraine states that "persons emigrating from Ukraine normally retain their Ukrainian citizenship" (6 Apr. 2007).

In contrast, Article 19 of the Law on Citizenship of Ukraine declares that Ukrainian citizenship is lost "if a citizen of Ukraine has voluntarily acquired the citizenship of another state after attaining his/her majority" (Ukraine 18 Jan. 2001). Article 18 of the same law states the following:

Renunciation of the citizenship of Ukraine is allowed if a person has acquired the citizenship of another state or obtained a document issued by the authorized body of another state certifying that the citizen of Ukraine would obtain the citizenship of this state if he/she renounces the citizenship of Ukraine. (ibid.)

According to the Attaché, the president of Ukraine issues a decree roughly three or four times per year with the names of people who have renounced their Ukrainian citizenship (ibid. 5 June 2007).

With respect to the procedures for recovering Ukrainian citizenship after having acquired a foreign citizenship, Article 10 of the Law on Citizenship of Ukraine states that a person must submit documents to the relevant Ukrainian authority proving renunciation of the foreign citizenship (Ukraine 18 Jan. 2001). The Attaché corroborated this information and explained that people who renounce their Ukrainian citizenship can recover it if they renounce their foreign citizenship and apply again for Ukrainian citizenship to either the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ukraine's overseas offices, the Commission on Citizenship, security services or the Ministry of Interior (Ukraine 5 June 2007).

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim for refugee protection. Please find below the list of additional sources consulted in researching this Information Request.

References

Ukraine. 5 June 2007. Embassy of Ukraine in Canada, Ottawa. Telephone interview with a consular affairs attaché.
_____. 18 January 2001. Ministry of Foreign Affairs. "Law on Citizenship of Ukraine." [Accessed 1 June 2007]
_____. N.d. Ministry of Foreign Affairs. "Citizenship." [Accessed 18 May 2007]

United States (US). 6 April 2007. Department of State. "Reciprocity Schedule: Ukraine." [Accessed 1 June 2007]

Additional Sources Consulted

Internet sites, including: Consulate General of Ukraine in Chicago, Embassy of Ukraine in the State of Israel.