The Deadline For Foreign Nationals In The Armed Forces Of Ukraine To Apply For Residence Permits Has Been Extended

10.11.2026, 15:57

Zelensky signed the law.

Foreign military personnel serving in the Ukrainian Defense Forces under contract have been granted additional time to apply for a temporary residence permit. The deadline has been extended to May 2027.

This was reported by reported by the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed Law No. 16094, which amends the deadlines for processing documents for foreigners and stateless persons serving under contract in the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the State Special Transport Service, and the National Guard of Ukraine.

By when must a residence permit be obtained

For foreigners who signed a contract before May 10, 2026, the deadline for applying for a residence permit has been extended from six months to one year from the date the previous law took effect. Now, the document can be obtained until May 10, 2027.

For those who signed a contract after May 10, 2026, but have not yet received their residence permit before the new law takes effect, the option to apply for it has also been extended until May 10, 2027.

For foreigners who sign a contract after the new law takes effect, their stay in Ukraine will be considered legal from the date the contract is signed until they receive their certificate, but for no longer than three months.

A separate provision addresses the situation for military personnel whose contracts have ended. In cases specified by law, if a person does not have a certificate or other document confirming the legality of their stay in Ukraine, they will be given three months to regularize their status.

How to prove the legality of your stay in Ukraine

Until a residence permit is issued, foreign military personnel will be able to confirm the legality of their stay in Ukraine with one of the following documents:

a military registration document;
a service ID;

a certificate in the format established by the Ministry of Defense.

As Deputy Minister of Defense Lyubov Galan explained, the changes take into account the conditions of military service, in particular the performance of combat missions far from the unit’s deployment location. Therefore, foreign military personnel are not always able to gather the necessary documents in time and apply in person to the migration service.

When the law takes effect

The need to extend the deadlines arose after Law No. 4730-IX of December 17, 2025, took effect. It required foreign military personnel to obtain temporary residence permits. For those who were already serving when the law took effect on May 10, 2026, a six-month period was provided to obtain the necessary documents.

This deadline expires on November 10, 2026. However, some military personnel were unable to obtain the permits in time due to combat missions and training.

The new law will take effect the day after its official publication.

PATREON Support the website

Write your comment