Traveling abroad with dual citizenship

Martial law, which has been in place in Ukraine since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, has restricted free border crossing to men aged 18 to 60. Naturally, men with dual citizenship have questions about how this situation will affect them. If you want to understand this in more detail, you can contact the team of Prikhodko & Partners Law Firm.

Migration law is the focus of our practice. Therefore, we will answer your questions in the format of a consultation, and we can also offer a legal support service in cooperation with the authorized state authorities.

What does the current legislation say about dual citizenship?

If you refer to the provisions of the Law “On Citizenship of Ukraine”, you can see from its text that there is a single citizenship in our country. This means 2 important facts:

• If a citizen of Ukraine has acquired the citizenship of another state, then in legal relations with Ukraine he or she is recognized exclusively as a citizen of our country.
• If a foreigner has acquired Ukrainian citizenship, he or she is also recognized as a citizen of Ukraine in relations with our country.

In order to renounce citizenship, a corresponding Presidential Decree on renunciation of Ukrainian citizenship is required. Until this happens, all the same rules of law apply to the person as to other citizens. Therefore, it is obvious that the restriction on leaving Ukraine during martial law remains in force.

Is it possible to travel with a passport of another country?

This is a question we hear quite often. However, this way is not a constructive solution. Even if you show only a passport of a citizen of another state when leaving, you may be subject to a situation where representatives of the border service will check you against databases (which contain all citizens of Ukraine) and ban you from leaving.

How can I leave Ukraine if I have dual citizenship?

Such a situation is possible if a person with dual citizenship decides to change his or her place of residence. In this case, they can apply for permanent residence abroad. To do this, you need to contact the territorial office of the SMS and obtain permission to leave. This is followed by the procedure for deregistration from the military register in the MCC and JV. Given the new changes to the legislation on mobilization, the overload of military enlistment offices and the risk of human error, it is worthwhile to enlist the support of a professional lawyer in such matters. You will definitely find such a specialist in our law firm.

High-quality legal support will help you get the necessary stamp in the passport of a citizen of Ukraine, which the State Migration Service puts when certifying a person's permission to travel abroad for permanent residence.

Thus, the procedure for departure is difficult, lengthy and complicated by many bureaucratic aspects. When you contact the specialists of the Prikhodko & Partners Law Firm, we analyze the prospects in your situation and agree with you on a further action plan.

To summarize...

Travel abroad during martial law for men with dual citizenship is limited, given the above legal provisions. However, there is still a possibility to arrange such a departure for permanent residence. The key is to know the correct sequence of actions within the legal framework. A qualified lawyer specializing in migration law will help you with this.

Fill out the form on our website and our lawyer will contact you shortly to provide an initial consultation and advise you on the algorithm of actions for traveling abroad with dual citizenship.