Rules for verifying military documents have been simplified for Ukrainians living abroad
The Ukrainian government has changed the procedure for verifying military registration documents for men aged 18 to 60 when obtaining consular services abroad. The main change is that the requirement to generate an electronic military registration document no earlier than 72 hours before the visit has been eliminated.
Men aged 18 to 60 who seek consular services abroad must, as before, present a valid military registration document to the consul for verification.
The electronic military registration document (e-VOD) is generated through the “Reserve+” app.
Previously, the document had to be generated no earlier than 72 hours before a visit to the embassy or consulate. This requirement has now been eliminated.
To receive consular services, it is sufficient to present an e-VOD that is valid at the time of the request.
Consular services may be denied based on the results of a review of the military registration document if it is determined that:
- the e-VOD is invalid or the information it contains needs to be updated;
- the applicant has not presented a valid e-VOD;
- the document does not confirm that the personal data is up to date.
Thus, the main requirement remains the possession of a valid military registration document; however, it is no longer necessary to specifically obtain one in advance of the visit.
There are several exceptions when an e-VOD does not need to be presented when receiving consular services.
In particular, the document is not required when:
- the issuance of an identity card for return to Ukraine;
- performing consular actions regarding children of Ukrainian citizens, if the other parent is a foreign national or a stateless person;
- performing consular actions based on applications from Ukrainian citizens who are under arrest, detained, or imprisoned abroad.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs also announced the development of a mechanism that will allow citizens who cannot log in to the “Reserve+” app to update their military registration data through Ukrainian embassies and consulates.
By the end of 2026, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in collaboration with the Ministry of Defense, plans to introduce the ability to update data through consular registration.
To do this, a man will need to:
- register with the consulate if he has not already done so;
- or update their information at a diplomatic mission if they are already registered with the consulate.
A separate mechanism is provided for citizens who cannot update their information independently through “Reserve+” due to the lack of a tax ID number.
In such cases, they may personally contact the nearest Ukrainian embassy or consulate abroad to obtain a tax number through the “e-Consul” system.
Thus, the 72-hour requirement for submitting an e-VOD has been abolished, but men aged 18 to 60 must still have a valid military registration document for most consular procedures abroad, as before.
This was reported by the Consular Service Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine.
Earlier, services related to verifying disability data through state registries became available again in the “Reserve+” app.
The “Reserve+” app experienced a glitch: users temporarily lost access to their documents.
The Ministry of Defense clarified the procedure for automatically extending deferrals in “Reserve+.”
