Ministry of Defence issues guidelines on residence permits for foreign service members
The Ministry of Defence has drawn up guidelines for military units to make it easier for foreign nationals and stateless persons serving under contract to obtain temporary residence permits.
The document sets out the sequence of steps for commanders and the officers responsible, from checking how long a service member is legally entitled to stay in Ukraine to submitting the documents to the State Migration Service (SMS) and collecting the finished permit.
How the guidelines will help foreign service members obtain a permit
The guidelines draw on the best practices of units that have already set up the processing of temporary residence permits this way.
The unit organises the preparation of the documents and the appointment, while the service member provides the documents that only they hold and goes through the necessary procedures in person. This cuts the administrative burden on the individual and the time they have to be taken away from duty.
For the service member this means organised support: the unit helps put the document package together and arranges for the application to be filed on time and the permit collected.
The service member attends in person only for the stages that require it, such as having a photograph taken, giving biometric data or signing documents.
What units with foreign service members need to do
The officer designated by the commander draws up and updates a list of the foreign service members in the unit and checks the date the contract was signed, whether the service member holds a permit or another document confirming legal stay, and how long it is valid. This helps identify whose documents need to be filed first.
The designated officer then prepares the documents the unit itself can issue, checks the rest of the package and clears it with the State Migration Service in advance. The unit then arranges for the service member to submit the documents in person. Where needed, the service member is given someone to accompany them and help them communicate with SMS staff.
The guidelines also take account of the circumstances of service. If a service member is receiving hospital treatment and cannot travel to the SMS, the unit can arrange for a mobile team to visit the hospital.
If combat tasks or the security situation rule out the trip, the designated officer applies to the SMS to extend the period of legal stay and arranges submission once it can be done without additional risk.
Which foreign service members have to file their documents by November 10
The guidelines help units implement Law No. 4730-IX, which came into force on May 10, 2026. Under it, foreign nationals and stateless persons serving under contract in the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the National Guard or the State Special Transport Service must obtain a temporary residence permit.
The permit confirms that their stay in Ukraine is lawful. It is issued for the term of the contract and, as a general rule, for a further six months after it ends (apart from certain cases where the contract is terminated through the fault of the foreign national).
Service members who signed a contract before May 10, 2026 and have not yet obtained a permit or another document confirming lawful residence must file for a permit by November 10, 2026.
Until that transition period ends, their military registration document or service ID confirms that their stay is lawful.
For those who signed a contract on or after May 10, 2026, the filing deadline depends on the date they entered Ukraine. The unit checks how long the service member is entitled to stay in Ukraine under their documents and helps them apply for a permit. If that period is running out, the service member applies to the SMS to have it extended, together with a representative of the unit.
The SMS issues the permit within 15 working days of accepting the documents. The service member must collect the finished permit in person.
Earlier, the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine approved unified rules for supporting foreign volunteers who have come forward to join the Defence Forces.
