Temporary Residence and Legal Status of Foreign Military Personnel in Ukraine

Last reviewed on 29 September 2026. This area is changing quickly, so a service member should confirm the current procedure with the military unit and the State Migration Service before filing.

Ukraine changed the residence rules for foreign nationals and stateless persons serving under contract in its Defence Forces. The main changes took effect on 10 May 2026 under Law No. 4730-IX and Cabinet of Ministers Resolution No. 573 of 6 May 2026.

The temporary residence permit is now the main document

A foreign national or stateless person who lawfully serves under contract in the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the National Guard of Ukraine or the State Special Transport Service can obtain a Ukrainian temporary residence permit under category 04/19.

A military registration document or service ID remains important evidence, but it is no longer the general long-term substitute for a residence permit. The permit is the document that confirms temporary residence and is commonly needed for banking, notarial, medical and other administrative procedures.

Transitional deadline for service members already under contract

A person who signed the relevant military contract before 10 May 2026 and has not yet obtained another document confirming lawful residence must apply for the permit during the six-month transitional period. The Ministry of Defence identifies the deadline as 10 November 2026.

Until that transitional period ends, lawful temporary residence can be confirmed by the military registration document or service ID. Because a missed deadline can affect the person's legal stay, units and service members should arrange filing early rather than rely on the final days of the transition.

What the military unit should help organise

The Ministry of Defence recommends that the military unit appoint a responsible officer to check contract dates, residence documents and deadlines, prepare documents within the unit's control, and organise personal submission to the State Migration Service or another authorised receiving office.

The service member must still complete steps that require personal presence, including biometric capture and collection of the finished permit. Where inpatient treatment or security conditions make travel impossible, the unit can coordinate with the migration authorities on an appropriate arrangement, including a mobile visit in a qualifying medical case.

Core documents for category 04/19

The military-service basis is confirmed by the following core documents, together with the general identity and application documents required for the permit:

• A military registration document or service member's service ID
• The contract for military service in an eligible formation
• An undertaking by the military unit to notify the State Migration Service if the contract ends early
• The applicant's passport or other accepted identity document and the required Ukrainian translation
• The application and proof of payment or exemption required for the filing

The receiving authority checks originals and keeps the required copies. The State Migration Service states that the residence permit is normally issued within 15 working days after a complete package is accepted, and the finished card must be collected personally.

How long the permit remains valid

For category 04/19, the permit is issued for the term of the military service contract and, as a general rule, for a further six months after the contract ends. Ukrainian law lists exceptions for particular grounds of termination, so the six-month period should not be assumed without reviewing how the contract ended.

The post-contract period gives an eligible former service member time to regularise the next residence basis, deal with administrative matters or prepare to leave. A new status is not granted automatically and should be planned before the permit expires.

Permanent residence after military service

Military service can create a separate route to an immigration permit and permanent residence. The current Law on Immigration includes persons who served in the Armed Forces, the State Special Transport Service or the National Guard for three or more years, or for at least one year during martial law.

A separate basis exists for certain former service members found unfit for service because of an illness, injury, wound, concussion or other health consequence received while carrying out military duties. Each route requires its own evidence and immigration application; the temporary residence permit does not convert into permanent residence automatically.

Citizenship is a separate application

Contract service can also affect the residence condition for admission to Ukrainian citizenship. Under the current framework, one year of qualifying contract service during martial law can satisfy the relevant residence requirement for an eligible applicant, but the other statutory conditions and documents still apply.

Special rules may apply to decorated service members, certain former service members and family members. Requirements concerning foreign citizenship, declarations and examinations in the Constitution of Ukraine, Ukrainian history and the Ukrainian language must be checked for the applicant's exact category. Military service alone is not an automatic grant of citizenship.

What about spouses and children?

Ukrainian law allows a family reunification route for qualifying family members of foreign service members. A spouse or child files a separate application based on the family relationship and the service member's legal status; the family member does not automatically receive the same permit.

Further changes are still proposals

As of 29 September 2026, Draft Laws Nos. 15585, 15586 and 16094 remain under parliamentary consideration. They concern aspects of the status of foreigners involved in Ukraine's defence, temporary citizenship documentation and the grounds for the stay of foreign service members. They are proposals rather than current law and should not be used as filing rules unless and until they are adopted and take effect.

Treat temporary residence, permanent residence and citizenship as three separate procedures, each with its own eligibility test and documents.