Foreigners in Ukraine may be required to take a paid Ukrainian language exam
The Verkhovna Rada is proposing to change the approach to language testing for foreigners and stateless persons. According to draft law No. 15261, the Ukrainian language exam for this category of individuals is to be separated from the testing for Ukrainian citizens, with separate proficiency levels and grading criteria to be introduced. The cost of such an exam is to be determined by the Cabinet of Ministers.
This is reported by the Judicial and Legal Newspaper.
The goal is to create a comprehensive “Ukrainian as a Foreign Language” system in Ukraine—similar to TOEFL, IELTS, or TestDaF for English and German.
The authors of the bill emphasize that the current model has revealed a problem after nearly five years of implementation. Currently, the same assessment system is applied to two completely different categories:
- Ukrainian citizens who are required to be proficient in the state language to hold public office;
- foreigners who wish to obtain Ukrainian citizenship.
At the same time, the current classification of proficiency levels is effectively based on standards for a foreign language (CEFR), even though it is also applied to Ukrainian officials.
The draft law proposes separating these systems—for civil servants and other individuals defined by the language law, only two levels of proficiency in the state language will remain, while a separate six-level system based on the CEFR model will be introduced for foreigners.
Specifically, the following levels of Ukrainian language proficiency will be introduced for foreigners:
- A1 — beginner;
- A2 — basic;
- B1 — threshold;
- B2 — intermediate;
- C1 — advanced;
- C2 — Proficient.
The key reason is Ukraine’s international integration, particularly the prospect of joining the Association of Language Testers in Europe (ALTE), which entails aligning the language certification system with international approaches and introducing more standardized rules for assessing proficiency in Ukrainian as a foreign language.
This entails the establishment of uniform language requirements, the development of an international certificate in the Ukrainian language, and the integration of Ukrainian into the global language certification system, as well as expanding the geographic scope of exam administration—specifically, the ability to take exams not only in Ukraine but also abroad through authorized institutions, in cooperation with international organizations, including the Ukrainian Institute, using remote testing technologies.
According to the law, taking the exam to assess proficiency in the state language is free of charge for Ukrainian citizens, persons recognized as refugees or persons in need of subsidiary protection, and persons granted temporary protection. Meanwhile, taking the exam to assess proficiency in Ukrainian as a foreign language for foreigners and stateless persons is subject to a fee and is funded by individuals and/or legal entities.
In addition, the draft law provides that the fee for taking the exam to assess proficiency in Ukrainian as a foreign language shall be credited to the revenues of the State Budget of Ukraine, and the amount of such a fee shall be established by the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine.
At the same time, the implementation of the bill will not require funding from the state or local budget in 2026.
In particular, it is anticipated that IT specialists and cybersecurity experts will need to be added to the Commission’s staff for system administration, technical support, and ensuring the security of information systems.
It also involves increasing the maximum number of Commission staff, expanding funding for the payroll fund, creating a separate budget program, and additional expenses for the technical and organizational support of exams in Ukrainian as a foreign language.
According to the bill, the certificate for foreigners will be valid for five years, while documents for individuals taking the exam to fill positions will remain valid indefinitely.
The bill introduces a separate language certification system for foreigners, which could make the process of obtaining citizenship more formalized and structured. It also expands the powers of the National Commission on State Language Standards and facilitates the transition to a more digital and internationally compatible model of language exams, including the option to take them abroad.
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