Ukraine Situation/Dual Citizenship

[Brian&Larissa 73]

To me, non-issue.  Use the Ukrainian or American passport to enter Ukraine.  No visa required with her American passport so normal processing.  If she desires, and I know many who have done what is suggested above, use her Ukrainian passport to enter Ukraine and American to re-enter the USA.  Way to much over-thinking.  Now, if this was Russia, that might be a different story.  Regardless of which passport she uses to enter Ukraine, since she has a US passport the embassy will assist since she is now a US citizen. 

Tell her to have fun in Dendro Park!  My wife is from Kirovohrad, too.  Or what I now call it:  Krappy-piva-nit-skaya!  The new name is ridiculous! 

[Ksenia_O 696]

45 minutes ago, Coco8 said:

 

She is American so she should call the American embassy in the Ukraine. (I know she has dual citizenship but she should get in as American because if something happens, they know she is there and they will help) - The link I gave you before has numbers for the embassy in the Ukraine.

 

 

It's more complicated - "If a citizen of Ukraine acquires citizenship (nationality) of another state or states, in legal relations with Ukraine, the person is recognized as a citizen of Ukraine only" . . So, technically, if you didn't drop your Ukrainian citizenship  officially (it's a tough and long process), when, if you are in Ukraine, you will be treated as Ukrainian. And US Embassy is well aware of that

 

[Ksenia_O 696]

28 minutes ago, captainofiron said:

Do you enter Ukraine on a US passport?

 

About the 10 years, if you google Ukrainian citizenship, there are at least 3 bills (No 4116, 5433)  in the rada to ban them and apparently the president is pushing for it to pass even though it would ban millions

Now if its just the media going crazy that is one thing, but it seems like we can never find solid information directly from a Governmental entity when it comes to the former USSR

 

as far as chasing her, I dont think so either, but getting detained and having to bribe our way out, maybe

 

My concern is entry, getting detained or something along those lines, not so much traveling inside when we might need to go to the US embassy

Re-read my post. Who MAY BE imprisoned, if those bills are ever adopted. 
Millions Ukrainians have dual citizenship and enter Ukraine, visiting families, due to work and  etc. You are overthinking this. 

Anyway, whatever you decide - have a safe trip!!

[captainofiron 2]

2 hours ago, Suss&Camm said:

Lol - ofc not - I meant since she is an American, she would need a visa for UKRAINE - same as you

That you would need to find out - I also find that hard to believe.

WHOOPS, I made a typo, I meant to say dont need US citizens dont need a visa to enter Ukraine, not US HAHAHAHA

 

2 hours ago, Brian&Larissa said:

To me, non-issue.  Use the Ukrainian or American passport to enter Ukraine.  No visa required with her American passport so normal processing.  If she desires, and I know many who have done what is suggested above, use her Ukrainian passport to enter Ukraine and American to re-enter the USA.  Way to much over-thinking.  Now, if this was Russia, that might be a different story.  Regardless of which passport she uses to enter Ukraine, since she has a US passport the embassy will assist since she is now a US citizen. 

Tell her to have fun in Dendro Park!  My wife is from Kirovohrad, too.  Or what I now call it:  Krappy-piva-nit-skaya!  The new name is ridiculous! 

If this would have been 2013, I would have gone no qualms, but now it seems like Ukraine is circling the drain (queue the Seinfeld jokes) since the previous government was overthrown and when this type of stuff starts to happen you never know

That is why I am "over" thinking it, I want to be sure

 

Small world, I wonder if they know each other. Yea when they changed the name I made fun of my wife so much "you are from a really Krappy place" haha

 

1 hour ago, Ksenia_O said:

It's more complicated - "If a citizen of Ukraine acquires citizenship (nationality) of another state or states, in legal relations with Ukraine, the person is recognized as a citizen of Ukraine only" . . So, technically, if you didn't drop your Ukrainian citizenship  officially (it's a tough and long process), when, if you are in Ukraine, you will be treated as Ukrainian. And US Embassy is well aware of that

 

LOL, thanks for putting more doubt in my mind about going

 

1 hour ago, Ksenia_O said:

Re-read my post. Who MAY BE imprisoned, if those bills are ever adopted. 
Millions Ukrainians have dual citizenship and enter Ukraine, visiting families, due to work and  etc. You are overthinking this. 

Anyway, whatever you decide - have a safe trip!!

I understand what you are saying, but like I said above, Ukraine's political situation is been in real turmoil since the coup d'etat

[Ksenia_O 696]

1 hour ago, captainofiron said:

 

If this would have been 2013, I would have gone no qualms, but now it seems like Ukraine is circling the drain (queue the Seinfeld jokes) since the previous government was overthrown and when this type of stuff starts to happen you never know

That is why I am "over" thinking it, I want to be sure

 

Don't worry, usually Ukrainians "overthrow" a government once in 10 years - 2004, 2014 ....  so you have some years to go  

 

 

[Suss&Camm 2,213]

3 hours ago, captainofiron said:

WHOOPS, I made a typo, I meant to say dont need US citizens dont need a visa to enter Ukraine, not US HAHAHAHA

I was like.... 

[Lenchick 133]

On 5/25/2017 at 10:32 PM, captainofiron said:

thats the sticking point, in Ukraine its illegal to be a dual citizen (10 years of prison supposedly), and her US passport says Ukraine on her country of Birth. Add to that she never got an exit visa to live in Russia let alone the USA

 

She is concerned that the person entering will catch on to all that.

 

Sheesh, as I write this, I feel like I am in a novel or soap opera...

Who told you about 10 years inprisonmemt? There is no such a Ukrainian law. They don't recognize another citizenship if someone holds it, but there is NO fine or panishment for that so far. NONE. 

[Lenchick 133]

On 5/26/2017 at 6:33 PM, captainofiron said:

Do you enter Ukraine on a US passport?

 

About the 10 years, if you google Ukrainian citizenship, there are at least 3 bills (No 4116, 5433)  in the rada to ban them and apparently the president is pushing for it to pass even though it would ban millions

Now if its just the media going crazy that is one thing, but it seems like we can never find solid information directly from a Governmental entity when it comes to the former USSR

 

as far as chasing her, I dont think so either, but getting detained and having to bribe our way out, maybe

 

My concern is entry, getting detained or something along those lines, not so much traveling inside when we might need to go to the US embassy

The bill 4116 was from 2014 and withdrawn 

here is the link to the official website

http://w1.c1.rada.gov.ua/pls/zweb2/webproc4_1?pf3511=49734

 

The bill 5433 is stuck at the stage "in process" for a while 

http://w1.c1.rada.gov.ua/pls/zweb2/webproc4_1?pf3511=60558

 

There is another bill that the president proposed but nothing has been  legally adopted or voted for as of yet. 

 

[captainofiron 2]

On 5/28/2017 at 1:24 AM, Lenchick said:

Who told you about 10 years inprisonmemt? There is no such a Ukrainian law. They don't recognize another citizenship if someone holds it, but there is NO fine or panishment for that so far. NONE. 

It was some of my wife's friends/family members still in ukraine, that is part of what I was referring to when I said nothing but hearsay/misinformation

 

On 5/28/2017 at 1:41 AM, Lenchick said:

The bill 4116 was from 2014 and withdrawn 

here is the link to the official website

http://w1.c1.rada.gov.ua/pls/zweb2/webproc4_1?pf3511=49734

 

The bill 5433 is stuck at the stage "in process" for a while 

http://w1.c1.rada.gov.ua/pls/zweb2/webproc4_1?pf3511=60558

 

There is another bill that the president proposed but nothing has been  legally adopted or voted for as of yet. 

 

THANK YOU!

 

That is exactly what I was looking for, a Ukrainian government website showing exactly what the law says.

[Lenchick 133]

7 minutes ago, captainofiron said:

It was some of my wife's friends/family members still in ukraine, that is part of what I was referring to when I said nothing but hearsay/misinformation

 

THANK YOU!

 

That is exactly what I was looking for, a Ukrainian government website showing exactly what the law says.

You are welcome! Here is one more bill by Poroshenko that I mentioned but didn't give the link, in case you didn't find. 

 

http://w1.c1.rada.gov.ua/pls/zweb2/webproc4_1?pf3511=61320

[jvitya2111 0]

Show the US passport if you are flying from anywhere except Russia. She will be subject to the 90/180 day rule but if she's just coming for a visit it's not a big deal. There's no need for a visa. Also coming to Ukraine from Russia just show the Russian passport at the border. I live here and have many friends coming and going in between Russia and Ukraine and there haven't been any problems with them. Just don't go around flashing all the passports but in Ukraine. Just show the appropriate documents. If you want to relinquish citizenship in Ukraine I have no doubt it's a pain in the butt like every other process but it's doable.  

[MCIS 17]

As it has already been said, US citizens do not need a visa to travel to Ukraine. I have traveled to Kiev in the last year. It's a very nice place. Safe. No problems during entry or exit. I'm not sure about your wife's situation. I know in Russia if a person has ever had a Russian passport then they must enter the country using their Russian document. I know you are not going to Russia but, I give this as an example. Perhaps Ukraine has something similar. I can sympathise with your situation. My fiance' is from Donetsk. She is living in Russia because of the war there. Her divorce papers from Donetsk say the Republic of Donetsk. They are fine in Russia but no good in Ukraine. So, she had to get another divorce in Ukraine. Couple that with the fact that there was no border between Donetsk and Russia when she left Donetsk so she had no entry documents, blah, blah,blah. It's really a strange situation and difficult for people from the US to wrap their heads around. Good luck! If yo go to Ukraine I think you will enjoy it. The people are nice and it is a beautiful country.