Ukraine extends temporary residence permit deadlines for foreign military personnel
The deadline for foreign volunteers to obtain temporary residence permits has been officially extended to May 10, 2027. This applies to foreigners and stateless persons serving under contract in the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the State Special Transport Service, and the National Guard of Ukraine.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed the relevant Law No. 16094.
A service member on a combat mission cannot always get to the migration service within the set deadline. That is why document requirements need to reflect the real conditions of service. This law gives foreign service members time to obtain a residence permit and retain lawful grounds for staying in Ukraine. It allows the military unit and the State Migration Service to organize the process.
The law will enter into force the day after its official publication.
Why the residence permit deadline for foreign service members was extended
The need for changes arose after Law of Ukraine No. 4730-IX dated December 17, 2025, entered into force. It required foreign service members to obtain a temporary residence permit. Accordingly, those who were already serving when the law entered into force (May 10, 2026) had six months to obtain a permit.
This period expires on November 10, but many foreign soldiers are unable to obtain a permit in time. They carry out combat missions far from their units’ bases, making it difficult for them to collect documents and visit the migration service while on such missions.
There are also cases where foreign service members may go straight on combat missions after basic training, which also leaves them unable to apply to the migration service in time. The signed law therefore resolves this issue and allows more time to properly organize the process of obtaining permits locally.
Residence permit deadlines for each category of foreign volunteers
For those who signed a contract before May 10, 2026: the period for applying for a permit has been extended from six months to one year from the date the previous law entered into force, that is, until May 10, 2027.
For those who signed a contract after May 10, 2026, but before the new law enters into force: service members who have not yet obtained a permit can apply for one until May 10, 2027.
For those who sign a contract after the law enters into force: their stay in Ukraine will be considered legal from the day the contract is signed until they receive a permit, but for no longer than three months.
For service members whose contracts have been terminated: in cases defined by law, a person without a permit or other document confirming legal stay is given three months to regularize their status.
Until a permit is issued, people in all these categories can confirm their legal stay in Ukraine with a military registration document, a service ID card, or a certificate in the form prescribed by the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine.
As previously reported, the Ministry of Defence provided a detailed explanation of the procedure for obtaining temporary residence permits for foreigners and stateless persons serving or intending to serve in the Defence Forces of Ukraine.
