Statelessness affects thousands of people in Ukraine, leaving them without a nationality and often without access to basic rights such as education, healthcare, employment, legal identity, etc. UNHCR works to identify and protect stateless persons, persons with undetermined nationality and persons at risk of statelessness, and to support efforts to prevent and reduce statelessness across the country.
If you are not recognized as a citizen by any country, or if you have faced difficulties obtaining a birth certificate or passport – documents that prove your nationality – you may be at risk of statelessness.
UNHCR cooperates with partner organizations across Ukraine to provide free legal aid to stateless persons, persons with undetermined nationality and those at risk of statelessness. These partners can help you:
- Understand your legal status by providing legal counselling and help you with further administrative procedures
- Gather the missing documents and support you with necessary applications, including representation in courts (if required), to establish your identity and confirm your nationality
- Obtain a birth certificate or passport
- Apply for recognition as a stateless person and obtain a residence permit, if Ukraine does not recognize you as a citizen
- Acquire Ukrainian nationality after you have been recognized a stateless person
All the above services are covered by UNHCR and provided by our partner organizations free of charge.
For more information on statelessness and relevant administrative procedures that UNHCR partners can help you with, please visit the UNHCR Ukraine Statelessness page
Free legal assistance for stateless persons, persons with undetermined nationality, and persons at risk of statelessness is provided by the following UNHCR partner organizations:
| CF «THE RIGHT TO PROTECTION» |
| 📍 Kyivska, Chernihivska, Sumska, Kharkivska, Dnipropetrovska, Poltavska, Cherkaska, Vinnytska and Chernivetska oblasts 📱 Tel.: +380930389031 +380631923957 |
| NGO The Tenth of April (TTA) |
| 📍Odeska, Kirovohradska and Mykolaivska oblasts 📱Тel.: 0800332858 |
| IFHEP REGION KARPAT (NEEKA) |
| 📍Zakarpatska, Ivano-Frankivska and Lvivska oblasts 📱 Тel.: 0800308300 |
| UNHCR Hotline (operated by Donbas SOS) |
| Tel.: 0800307711 (Mon–Fri, 09:00–18:00) |
For more information, please visit Legal aid page