Anyone applying for Ukrainian citizenship has to prove they know Ukrainian, the state language. The National Commission on State Language Standards runs the exam for this. Foreigners and stateless people can take it, and passing it doesn't oblige you to apply for citizenship.
- B1
Citizenship
You can recognize and use correct Ukrainian to say what you mean in everyday situations.
- CEFR B1
- Pass: 70%
- 9,984 hryvnias in 2026
The fee is three times Ukraine's subsistence minimum for working-age adults, as set on January 1 of each year, so it changes every year.
The four parts count equally, 25% each. You pass with a total of 70% to 100%. No part of the exam tests spelling rules. Making the same kind of mistake again and again doesn't lower your score further, as long as your meaning stays clear.
| Part | What you do |
|---|---|
| Listening | 12 tasks on recordings like ads and announcements, each played twice |
| Reading | 31 tasks on 6 texts, about 1,000 words in all |
| Writing | A short message of up to 50 words, then a longer text on a given topic with set points to cover |
| Speaking | Describe a photo in about 10 sentences, talk on a topic in 20 to 25 sentences, then answer the examiner in a short dialogue |
You can only take this exam in Ukraine, at authorized universities in Kyiv and in the Lviv and Kharkiv regions. When you apply, choose a center marked "for acquiring citizenship."
- Sign in to the exam system, exam.mova.gov.ua, through id.gov.ua with an electronic signature, such as the signature in the Diia app, Bank ID or an ID card with a signature on it, and add your email address.
- Apply for the exam and pick your center and date.
- Pay the fee at a bank or in a banking app before the exam day, and email a copy of the receipt to the commission.
- On the day, bring your ID, your electronic signature and a copy of your payment receipt. Without the ID or the receipt, you can't take the exam. Keep the receipt until you get your certificate.
Results come within 15 calendar days. Your certificate goes into the state register of language certificates. If you don't pass, you can take the exam again, but not more than once every four months.
The listening and reading parts check that you get the main idea and the key details of everyday Ukrainian. That gets easier with lots of reading and listening in Ukrainian you mostly understand. Teachers call this comprehensible input.
- Tune In to Everyday UkrainianA few times a week, listen to the news, a weather report or announcements in Ukrainian, and read along when a transcript is available.
- Record YourselfDescribe a photo out loud in about ten sentences, record it, then play it back and listen for anything that wasn't clear.
Bubblegum
For serious learners, Bubblegum is the best app to learn Ukrainian. You learn from Ukrainian you can mostly understand, which is called comprehensible input.
Poppy, your AI tutor, writes Ukrainian lessons you can follow at the level you're at now. Her six levels are Bubblegum's own, so none of them equals B1.
- Pick “Live or Work in Ukraine” as a goal, and Poppy writes lessons about the places and errands you meet there.
- Practice the speaking part by talking with Poppy out loud in live voice chat.
- Ask Poppy about a Ukrainian sentence you don't follow, and she breaks it down for you.
- Regenerative Review™ brings back the Ukrainian words you saved, inside new stories Poppy writes for you.
- Clear, expressive AI voices read every lesson aloud, with a different voice for each speaker.
- Bubblegum doesn't score your writing or speaking the way the examiner does. Try the commission's sample tasks with a teacher before exam day.
- A new custom lesson costs us real money to make, so your first one is free, and Bubblegum Pro gives you unlimited custom lessons. The lesson library is free for everyone, because we believe everyone should be able to learn.
- Regenerative Review™
- Teaches Cyrillic
Mobile
A Parcel That Hasn't Arrived
Затримка посилки
Oleksiy arrives at the parcel pickup point because his order is delayed. He wants to ask the female employee about the reason for the delay.
Good afternoon, I have a question for you about my parcel. It was supposed to arrive last week, but it is still not here. Can you check the status of the order?
Good afternoon, of course, I can check that. Give me your phone number or tracking number. I will look it up in the system now.
Here is my tracking number on my phone screen. It says here that the parcel is already at the branch, but there was no notification. I have been waiting for a few days already.
The employee looks closely at the computer screen. She finds the order and explains a minor technical error. The problem is quickly resolved, and the customer receives the parcel.
Can I take the Ukrainian citizenship exam abroad?
No. You can only take it in Ukraine, at an authorized center in Kyiv or in the Lviv or Kharkiv region.
Is Bubblegum free?
Yes. The lesson library is free for everyone, because we believe everyone should be able to learn. It holds lessons that other learners asked Poppy for. A new custom lesson costs us real money to make, so your first one is free, and Bubblegum Pro gives you unlimited custom lessons.
Sources
- National Commission on State Language Standards: how to take the exam for citizenship (who, where, payment, B1 certificate, 70% pass mark)
- National Commission on State Language Standards: exam fee (three subsistence minimums; 9,984 hryvnias from January 1, 2026)
- National Commission on State Language Standards: where to take the exam (authorized universities, registration, results within 15 days)
- National Commission on State Language Standards: how to prepare for the citizenship exam (parts, tasks, scoring)
- National Commission on State Language Standards: description of the citizenship exam and sample tasks
- National Commission on State Language Standards: explanation of how the citizenship exam is organized (registration through id.gov.ua, payment details)
- Bubblegum
Checked on October 24, 2026 against each app's own pages.
