Temporary Residence Permit for Foreign Service Members: Deadline November 10, 2026

Are you a foreigner or stateless person serving in the Ukrainian military and staying in Ukraine on the basis of a signed service contract? You may have a military registration document or service ID—and until recently, that was entirely sufficient to confirm the lawfulness of your stay in Ukraine.

But since May 10, 2026, this is no longer the case. The law changed the rules: proof of military service alone is no longer sufficient—a separate temporary residence permit is now required. If your contract was signed before that date, you have a transitional period of six months, until November 10, 2026, to obtain the new document.

Military service, assignments, possible deployments, or medical treatment can all push immigration matters to “later”—until “later” becomes a missed deadline.

What Documents Are Required?

You will need:

• an application from the foreigner or stateless person;
• a military registration document or a service member’s official ID;
• a contract for military service in the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the State Special Transport Service, or the National Guard of Ukraine;
• an undertaking from the military unit with which the contract was concluded to notify the State Migration Service of Ukraine if the contract is terminated early or canceled.

Documents identifying the foreigner or stateless person must also be taken into account—a passport with a Ukrainian translation notarized in accordance with the applicable requirements. These documents are submitted as part of the established residence permit procedure.

In practice, particular attention should be paid to consistency across all documents. The first and last name, date of birth, citizenship, and other personal details must match the passport document. If, for example, the name in the contract or military registration document differs from the passport, the reasons for that discrepancy may need to be clarified.

Before filing, the contract itself should also be reviewed: it must confirm military service specifically in one of the formations designated by law—the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the State Special Transport Service, or the National Guard of Ukraine.

Accordingly, preparing the documents in this situation involves more than assembling a standard residence permit package. The documents confirming the service member’s status and the legal basis for staying in Ukraine must also be reviewed separately.

You may also find this useful: Apostille or Consular Legalization: Which One Is Required for Your Documents?

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How to Obtain the Permit by November 10, 2026

If the transitional period established by Law No. 4730-IX applies to you, it is important to consider not only the deadline itself but also the time the State Migration Service needs to review the submitted documents.

As a general rule, a decision on issuing a temporary residence permit is made within 15 business days from the date the documents are accepted.

Waiting until early November to apply is therefore risky. To allow 15 business days to expire before November 10, 2026, the documents should be filed no later than October 27, 2026.

It is better not to rely on the last possible filing date. Before filing, the complete document package should be ready, personal details should be checked, and the military unit’s documents should be properly completed. If questions arise or deficiencies are identified when the documents are accepted, having additional time will allow them to be corrected promptly.

November 10 is the end of the transitional period, not the date by which you merely need to begin the process. The documents should therefore be prepared in advance.

How Can We Help?

We provide comprehensive assistance with obtaining a temporary residence permit for foreign service members—from identifying the legal basis to preparing the documents for filing.

In particular, we:

• analyze the date the contract was signed and determine whether the transitional period until November 10, 2026 applies to the service member;
• review the complete set of documents required to obtain the permit;
• compare the personal data against the military registration document, service ID, and contract;
• verify the spelling of personal details, dates, citizenship, and other information across the documents;
• analyze the documents issued by the military unit and verify that they meet the applicable requirements;
• determine which documents or information are missing for filing;
• help prepare the documents for submission to the State Migration Service of Ukraine;
• assist throughout the residence permit procedure and communications with the State Migration Service.

We pay particular attention to consistency between the documents. The passport translation must match the data stated in the military registration document and contract, while the military unit’s documents must confirm the circumstances required by law. This preliminary review helps identify potential issues before filing.

If you want to review your documents in advance and start the residence permit process now, contact us. Do not postpone the procedure until the transitional period is about to expire.

Residence permit service pricing is available here.

Contact our specialists to prepare a personalized document package for your situation.