MoD updates deferment procedures: automation, transparency, Reserve+, paperless process

Effective November 1, 2025, Ukraine will implement new rules governing the issuance and extension of mobilization deferments. The changes are designed to improve transparency, prevent corruption, streamline procedures, and shift to a fully digital processing system.

Amendments to Cabinet of Ministers Resolution No. 560 provide for the automatic extension of deferments, designate the digital format as the main method of processing, and transfer the submission of paper documents to Administrative Service Centers (ASCs).

“The new rules for obtaining and extending deferments make the process as transparent as possible. At the same time, we are eliminating redundant paperwork and excessive requests so that enlistment offices can focus on mobilization tasks. Over 600,000 deferments will be automatically extended, without citizens having to take any additional actions or stand in queues at enlistment offices,” said Denys Shmyhal, Minister of Defence of Ukraine.

“Automatic extension and the digital format eliminate risks of misuse and save time. Over 80% of deferments are already available for online processing, and most will be extended automatically based on data already available to the state. The deferment application service will be accessible at any Administrative Service Center convenient for applicants,” noted Oksana Ferchuk, Deputy Minister of Defence of Ukraine for Digital Development, Digital Transformation, and Digitalization.

The Ministry of Defence explains what has changed and how individuals liable for military service and eligible for deferment should proceed.

Key changes

1. Automatic extension

All deferments confirmed by state registers or permanent in nature will be extended automatically. This makes the process transparent and eliminates the need to reassemble documents or reapply.

Automatic deferment extensions apply to the following categories:

• individuals with disabilities;
• those deemed temporarily unfit for military service;
• parents of three or more children under the age of 18;
• parents of a child with a disability under the age of 18;
• parents of an adult child with a disability of Group I or II;
• individuals whose spouse has a disability of Group I or II;
• individuals providing care for a parent with a disability (either their own or their spouse’s);
• men and women who are raising a child under the age of 18 while their spouse serves in the military;
• full-time or dual-form students pursuing a higher level of education, as well as doctoral candidates and medical interns;
• academic, research, and pedagogical personnel holding at least 0.75 of a full-time position at their primary place of employment;
• individuals whose immediate relatives lost their lives or went missing in action during combat operations or under martial law;
• relatives of Heroes of Ukraine posthumously honored for their bravery shown during the Revolution of Dignity;
• individuals illegally deprived of liberty due to russian aggression;
• service members released from captivity.

2. Online application via Reserve+

Nine types of deferments can already be applied for online through the Reserve+ app. The application process is available to the following categories:

• individuals with disabilities;
• individuals deemed temporarily unfit for military service pursuant to a Military Medical Commission (MMC) decision issued in electronic form;
• parents of three or more children under the age of 18 born to the same marriage;
• parents of a child with a disability under 18 years of age;
• parents of an adult child with a disability of Group I or II;
• individuals whose spouse has a disability of Group I or II;
• men and women who are raising a child under the age of 18 while their spouse serves in the military;
• full-time or dual-form students pursuing a higher level of education, as well as doctoral candidates and medical interns;
• academic, research, and pedagogical personnel holding at least 0.75 of a full-time position at their primary place of employment.

The list will be further expanded. Two more types of deferments will be added to the app in the near future and will be available to the following categories:

• individuals providing care for a parent with a disability (either their own or their spouse’s);
• Single parents raising a child under the age of 18.

3. Offline submission at Administrative Service Centers (ASCs)

Individuals whose deferment category has not yet been digitized, as well as those who do not use smartphones or possess only paper documents with insufficient data in state registers, may submit a deferment application at any convenient Administrative Service Center (ASC) starting 1 November.

In such cases, the ASC administrator receives and scans the documents and forwards them electronically to the respective Territorial Recruitment and Social Support Center (TRSSC) for decision-making. This means the ASC operates as the front office handling applications, and the decision is made by the TRSSC.

4. Modernizing paper certificates

Starting 1 November 2025, a paper deferment certificate bearing an ink stamp will no longer be required. The primary proof of deferment is now the electronic military registration document available in the Reserve+ app.

If access to the app is unavailable, a paper version may be printed. The file for printing can be obtained through:

• the Reserve+ app;
• the Diia portal;
• alternatively, if necessary, by requesting a printed copy from a TRSSC (or from an ASC for deferment-related documents).

Until the end of October, TRSSCs will continue accepting applications under the previous procedure. Starting 1 November, deferment applications may only be submitted through Reserve+ or ASCs.

How to apply for a deferment

Deferment applications are to be submitted through the Reserve+ app or at an ASC, depending on the category. 80% of deferments can be processed through the Reserve+ mobile app. Effective 1 November 2025, TRSSCs will cease accepting deferment applications submitted in person by citizens.

If you have already submitted an application under the previous procedure but have not yet received a decision, you should still notify your respective TRSSC.

How to apply for a deferment if you do not use Reserve+ or are unable to apply through the app

Check whether the application process is available at your local ASC, and contact an administrator during the Center’s operating hours.

How to check whether your deferment has been granted if you do not use Reserve+ 

The ASC administrator will notify you of the application review result and may issue a printed version of the electronic military registration document with a deferment notation.

If your deferment is refused and you require an official document confirming this, it will be delivered to your email or can be collected from the TRSSC in paper form with an ink stamp.

How will the automatic extension work?

If you already hold a deferment eligible for automatic extension, no further action is required. By the end of October, Reserve+ users who have active deferments will receive a notification confirming their automatic extension.

Please note: if the system cannot verify your eligibility (for example, due to divorce or missing data in state registers), your deferment will not be extended. If you still meet the eligibility criteria, try updating your information in the relevant registers.

What to do if your deferment was expected to be extended automatically but was not 

This likely indicates that the state registers did not confirm your eligibility. In that case, you may try updating your personal information in the registers online.