Overview
Ukraine requires people who apply for citizenship to pass exams on the basics of the Constitution of Ukraine, the history of Ukraine, and the level of Ukrainian language set by the National Commission on State Language Standards. The requirement comes from the Law on Citizenship. This page is thin because the readable official sources give the outline but not the full procedure. They are in Ukrainian, and the law's text read for this page is the edition of 10 May 2026 shown on the Rada's site. The Cabinet announcement is from May 2024, so later rules may have changed the details.
Who must take it
According to the Cabinet of Ministers' May 2024 announcement, the exams apply to foreigners and stateless persons applying for citizenship. They also apply to people who were admitted to citizenship on condition that they pass within two years.
The law lets some applicants give a written pledge to pass the exams within two years after getting citizenship. These include people with outstanding services to Ukraine, people serving under contract in the Armed Forces, the State Special Transport Service or the National Guard, and certain other groups named in the law. Failing to keep that pledge is a ground for cancelling citizenship.
The exam requirement does not apply to children, people ruled legally incapable, people with certain disabilities of sight, hearing or speech, or people with listed mental disorders, each shown by a medical document.
Exam pattern
The Cabinet announcement describes the Constitution and history exam as follows.
| Subject | Tasks |
|---|---|
| Basics of the Constitution of Ukraine | 20 |
| History of Ukraine | 25 |
The exam is recorded on video for transparency, and those who pass receive certificates. The same announcement noted that registration needs an electronic account and an online application, and that the full procedure still had to be adopted. The language exam is separate and set by the National Commission on State Language Standards.
The law says the procedure for all three exams is set by the Cabinet of Ministers. The pass mark, time limit, fee and test locations were not found on the readable official pages, so they are left out here.
How to apply
Check the current Cabinet of Ministers procedure and the pages of the Ministry of Education and Science for registration. The law links passing the exams to the citizenship application itself.
Is the Ukrainian language exam part of this?
Yes, as a separate exam. The law requires language knowledge at the level set by the National Commission on State Language Standards.
Can I take the exams after getting citizenship?
Only some applicants can. Those who gave the pledge allowed by the law must pass within two years.