Exams for Ukrainian citizenship by descent under Law No. 4502-IX

The short answer

Since 16 January 2026, when Law No. 4502-IX entered into force, an adult who applies for Ukrainian citizenship by territorial origin (by descent) must show knowledge of the fundamentals of the Constitution of Ukraine and the history of Ukraine, and command of the Ukrainian language at the level set by the National Commission on State Language Standards (Article 8 of the Law “On Citizenship of Ukraine”). In practice this means two exams: a state language exam at level B1, and an exam on the Constitution and the history of Ukraine. The exam documents are filed together with the citizenship application. Both exams are taken in person in Ukraine; neither can be taken online or at a consulate at the time of writing.

Before 16 January 2026 applicants by descent did not take these exams. Applications filed before that date are considered under the old rules (item 2 of the final and transitional provisions of Law No. 4502-IX).

This article is part of our series on citizenship by descent under the 2026 law.

The two exams

Language exam locations

The National Commission publishes the list of exam rooms for citizenship applicants. At the time of writing it lists:

• Kyiv: Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv.
• Lviv: Ivan Franko National University of Lviv; Lviv University of Business and Law.
• Kharkiv: Simon Kuznets Kharkiv National University of Economics; H. S. Skovoroda Kharkiv National Pedagogical University.

The Commission states plainly that the exam cannot be taken online or outside Ukraine: the applicant must come in person to the authorised institution. See the official list of locations.

Who is exempt

Article 8 of the Law “On Citizenship of Ukraine” exempts from the exams:

• Children, that is, applicants under 18.
• Persons declared legally incapable by a court.
• Persons with a disability related to impaired vision, hearing or speech, confirmed by a medical report from a competent foreign authority or a Ukrainian healthcare institution.
• Persons with mental disorders confirmed by such a medical report. The list of disorders that can prevent taking the exams is approved by the Ministry of Health (Order No. 70 of 13 January 2024).

The exempt person files the court decision or medical report instead of the exam documents (paragraph 33 of the Procedure approved by Decree of the President No. 215/2001).

Postponement, not exemption

Two groups file an undertaking to pass the exams instead of the exam documents: persons serving under contract in the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the State Special Transport Service or the National Guard, and persons who received a temporary residence permit under parts 20 or 24 of Article 4 of the Law “On the Legal Status of Foreigners and Stateless Persons”. Under the definition in Article 1 of the Law “On Citizenship of Ukraine”, the undertaking means passing the exams within two years after acquiring citizenship.

How and when the exams fit into the process

1. Stage 1: we confirm from the documents and the first archive request that you are eligible. There is no point sitting the exams before this.
2. Register for both exams in the two electronic systems and pay the exam fees.
3. Travel to Ukraine and sit the exams on the assigned dates. The two exams are run by different bodies and are booked separately.
4. Receive the electronic certificates and include them in the citizenship file, together with the family documents.
5. File the application with the State Migration Service or, from abroad, with a Ukrainian consulate. The exam documents are filed at this point, not later (paragraph 33 of the Procedure).

Preparation materials, the exam programmes and practice tests for the Constitution and history exam are published on citizenship.gov.ua. Sample tasks for the language exam are available in the Commission’s exam system.

Do not want to take the exams?

The exams apply to the citizenship application. Our overview explains the alternative: a person eligible for citizenship by territorial origin is a recognised ground for an immigration permit under Article 4, part 3 of the Law “On Immigration” (except persons who previously held Ukrainian citizenship), which leads to a permanent residence permit. That route does not give a Ukrainian passport, but it lets you live and work in Ukraine while you prepare.

Price

We work in two stages, the same as on our citizenship by descent overview and our services page. You do not pay for the full process before you know it is worth pursuing.

Paid separately

• Certified translation and notarisation, billed on the actual volume of documents in your case.
• A genealogist, if one is needed to trace records beyond the first archive request, quoted and billed separately.
• Exam fees charged by the testing bodies for the language exam and for the Constitution and history exam: official fee as set by the state, we tell you the exact amount before you pay.
• Court proceedings to establish a fact, if they become necessary: handled by a litigation attorney, from $2,000 per case, plus the court fee payable to the state.
• Apostille or legalisation of foreign documents, archive copying charges where an archive bills them, and courier delivery.

Total legal fee for both stages: $1,800. Every separate cost is named to you before you pay it.

Questions we are asked

UA-Residency is the practice of Taras Guk, a licensed Ukrainian attorney in Kyiv (certificate KV No. 000685). The decision on citizenship by territorial origin is made by the territorial body of the State Migration Service of Ukraine or, for applicants living abroad, by a Ukrainian embassy or consulate, not by us, and we do not guarantee the result of any application. You may apply to these authorities yourself and pay only the official fees. This article is general legal information current as of 28 September 2026 and is not individual legal advice. Laws and government resolutions may change without notice.

Contact: WhatsApp +380 73 728 4656, email info@uaresidency.com.

Last updated: 28 September 2026