Study · Language

How can a foreigner learn Ukrainian and prove the level?

Published 29 October 2026 · facts checked against the primary sources on 2026-10-29 · Ukraine For ALL, Kyiv

Ukrainian levels follow the six-step scale of the Common European Framework, from A1 to C2, set out in the Commission's standard "Ukrainian as a foreign language". The legal frame is the Law on the State Language, No. 2704-VIII, and Cabinet of Ministers Resolution No. 409 of 14 April 2021 on the state language exams.

Where can a foreigner study Ukrainian?

Three routes rest on the law.

• A university preparatory faculty. Foreigners may enrol on a preparatory faculty or department for the state language and the language of study. It lasts no more than two years, is full-time only, and is open to people who already hold the education level needed for the next stage (Resolution No. 758, para. 2). Enrolment runs all year (MON Order No. 1541, para. 6(3)).
• Ukrainian inside a degree. Universities and colleges must teach the state language to a level that lets graduates work in their field in Ukrainian, and create conditions for foreigners to learn it (Law No. 2704-VIII, Art. 21(2)). Private universities teaching in an EU language still teach Ukrainian as a separate subject (Law No. 1556-VII, Art. 48(4)).
• Courses. Education institutions create proper conditions for foreigners and stateless persons to learn the state language (Law No. 2704-VIII, Art. 21(2)), and the state organises free Ukrainian courses for adults (Art. 6(3)).

A preparatory faculty is also a lawful purpose of study: Resolution No. 758 lets a foreigner apply through the state e-system for language study and receive the electronic invitation that a type D student visa is built on (para. 2).

What level does a preparatory faculty require at the end?

A2. The certificate of completion of a preparatory faculty is issued only to students who pass the state language exam at the elementary level of the second stage, A2, or higher (Resolution No. 758, para. 2).

Sources: National Commission for the State Language Standards, levels page; Resolution No. 758, para. 2. The Commission's citizenship page sets B1; it lists C1 or C2 for appointments to positions where the law requires the state language.

How does the state language exam work?

Resolution No. 409 covers three groups: officials who must use Ukrainian at work, people applying for citizenship, and foreigners who want to confirm their level (para. 1). For the last two groups:

Refugees and people granted asylum in Ukraine sit the exam free of charge (para. 51).

What does citizenship require?

Article 7 of Law No. 2704-VIII obliges anyone who wants Ukrainian citizenship to certify their level of the state language. The National Commission sets the level at B1 and counts the exam as passed with 70–100% of the total points. Its citizenship page adds three practical rules:

• the exam is taken in Ukraine only, at designated centres in Kyiv and in the Lviv and Kharkiv regions marked "for acquiring citizenship";
• you log in to the exam system with a qualified electronic signature, an ID card with a signature, BankID or Diia.Signature;
• you pay before the exam date and send the receipt to the Commission.

Passing the exam does not oblige you to apply for citizenship. Article 7(1) lets some groups acquire citizenship without the certificate, among them people with outstanding services to Ukraine and foreigners serving under contract in its armed forces, the State Special Transport Service or the National Guard. They file an undertaking to sit the exams and must master the language within two years of acquiring citizenship (Law No. 2704-VIII, Art. 7(1)). The citizenship route itself is covered in the residence section of this site.

FAQ

Can I take the Ukrainian language exam online from abroad?

The citizenship exam is taken only in Ukraine, at designated centres in Kyiv and in the Lviv and Kharkiv regions, according to the National Commission. The exam itself runs on a computer system with a video-recorded oral part (Resolution No. 409, para. 36).

How much does the Ukrainian state language exam cost for foreigners?

Three subsistence minimums for able-bodied persons as of 1 January of the year (Resolution No. 409, para. 51). The National Commission gives the amount as UAH 9,984 from 1 January 2026.

Does the Ukrainian language certificate expire?

No. Resolution No. 409, para. 43, makes the state certificate valid with no time limit. You may resit to raise your level, at most once every four months.

Which level do I need for a Ukrainian university?

Ukrainian law sets A2 as the minimum for the preparatory faculty certificate (Resolution No. 758, para. 2). Each university sets the language requirement for its degree programmes in its admission rules, and programmes taught in English state that in their description (Law No. 1556-VII, Art. 48(3)).

Is Ukrainian compulsory for foreign students?

Yes. Article 21(2) of Law No. 2704-VIII obliges universities to teach the state language to a level that allows professional work in it, and private universities teaching in an EU language keep Ukrainian as a separate subject (Law No. 1556-VII, Art. 48(4)).