Zelenskyy extended the deadlines for foreign military personnel to obtain residence permits: the law has been signed

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed a law extending the deadline for foreign military personnel to apply for temporary residence permits until May 10, 2027. This was reported by the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, according to UNN.

Details

The law will enter into force on the day following its official publication. Before Law No. 16094 entered into force, foreigners who were serving in Ukraine as of May 10, 2026, had to obtain a residence permit within six months. Due to the performance of combat missions, not all military personnel were able to complete the necessary procedures on time.

According to the explanatory note, the purpose of this law is to extend the period during which foreigners and stateless persons who concluded a military service contract before the Law of Ukraine “On Amendments to Certain Laws of Ukraine Regarding the Legal Status and Medical Care of Military Personnel Who Are Foreigners and Stateless Persons” enters into force are required to apply for a temporary residence permit, as well as to provide extended periods for applying for such permits for foreigners and stateless persons who conclude military service contracts after the said law enters into force.

The transitional provisions of the law also propose establishing a fixed period of legal stay for those foreigners and stateless persons who duly concluded a military service contract but failed to apply for a temporary residence permit on time — until May 10, 2027.

The Ministry of Defense of Ukraine specified the new deadlines for extending temporary residence permits for foreign volunteers:

• for those who concluded a contract before May 10, 2026, the deadline for applying for a residence permit was extended from six months to one year from the date the previous law entered into force, that is, until May 10, 2027;
• for those who concluded a contract after May 10, 2026, but before the new law enters into force. If a service member has not yet managed to obtain a residence permit, they may apply for one until May 10, 2027;
• for those who will conclude a contract after the law enters into force. Their stay in Ukraine will be considered legal from the date the contract is concluded until they receive a residence permit, but for no longer than three months;
• for military personnel who have terminated their contracts. In cases specified by law, if a person does not have a residence permit or another document confirming the legality of their stay, they are given three months to regularize their status.

Until a residence permit is obtained, the legality of stay in Ukraine for all these categories may be confirmed by a military registration document, a service ID, or a certificate in the form established by the Ministry of Defense.

We remind you

The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine supported the establishment, within the National Guard, of a Recruitment Center for Foreigners and Stateless Persons.