The Ministry of Internal Affairs has regulated a new procedure for obtaining passports for men abroad
Obtaining passports by Ukrainians abroad is an issue that causes significant resonance in society, especially among men of military age. After changes in the legislation, which limited the possibility of issuing documents for men aged 18 to 60 outside the country, many found themselves in a difficult situation. The lack of a valid passport meant problems with legal stay abroad, the impossibility of traveling or receiving administrative services. That is why the decision of the Ministry of Internal Affairs to streamline the procedure for issuing passports became an important step.
Minister of Internal Affairs Ihor Klymenko on February 14 reported, that the government settled the issue of issuing passports to Ukrainians living abroad. Men between the ages of 18 and 60 who submitted documents by April 25, 2024 through the State Enterprise “Dokument” will be able to receive their manufactured passports as early as next week.
The issuing process will be carried out according to the specified procedure: applicants will receive relevant messages indicating the date, time and place of receipt of documents. An important point remains the requirement to have military registration documents, without which it is impossible to issue a passport.
This decision was the result of a long process of adapting the rules to legislative changes. In April 2024, the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine adopted a resolution that limited the possibility of obtaining foreign passports and internal documents by Ukrainian men of conscription age outside the country. At the same time, in June, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyi signed a law regulating the provision of certain administrative services to Ukrainian citizens abroad, which to some extent eased previous restrictions.
Despite this, the new order raises questions among citizens. First of all, many are interested in how exactly the mechanism of issuing passports will work in the future and whether there will be difficulties in its implementation again. In addition, it is important to understand what further steps the government will take to ensure the rights of Ukrainians abroad and whether additional changes will be made to the rules of mobilization and passport control.
The situation with issuing passports abroad is complex and multifaceted. It reflects the state’s general policy of mobilizing and controlling citizens during martial law, while also creating challenges for those already abroad. The settlement of this issue is important not only for individual citizens, but also for diplomatic services, which must ensure that the rights of Ukrainians who find themselves in difficult circumstances are respected.
