The law simplifies the procedure for obtaining Ukrainian citizenship for spouses of military personnel of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and other security forces protecting the territorial integrity of Ukraine. It is particularly important that these provisions also apply to the spouses of fallen military personnel and those who were discharged from service due to injuries or other valid reasons. Structurally, the law amends three key laws: ‘On Citizenship of Ukraine’, ‘On Immigration’, and ‘On the Legal Status of Foreigners and Stateless Persons’. The main changes relate to the introduction of a new concept of ‘declaration of renunciation of foreign citizenship for the spouse of a Ukrainian citizen’ and simplification of document submission procedures. Key innovations include:
– The ability to submit a declaration of renunciation of foreign citizenship instead of the necessity of actually leaving the previous citizenship
– Permission to use expired passport documents for obtaining a residence permit, if obtaining new documents requires contacting the aggressor state’s authorities
– Expansion of the list of categories of persons who can receive an immigration permit
