Ukraine is determined to get back its men of legal age living abroad

The Ukrainian government, further tightening regulations as it seeks to deal with troop shortages, approved rules that temporarily barring men of military age from applying for passports abroadreports Reuters.

The regulations and subsequent clarification from Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry were announced on Wednesday, a day after Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba suspended consular services for men aged 18 to 60 until May 18. He criticized Ukrainian men abroad for not joining in the defense of their country in the 26-month war with Russia.

The Ministry of External Affairs said that applicants who want a special certificate that they wish to return to Ukraine will be able to get help at embassies and consulates.

Regular services, he said, would resume on May 18 and then applications received after April 23 would be processed.

That’s when the new mobilization law, which aims to boost troop numbers through incentives for volunteers and penalties for draft dodgers, is due to come into force.

Hundreds of thousands of Ukrainian men of mobilization age live abroad, including about 860,000 in the European Unionand the country faces troop shortages in the campaign against Russia’s better-equipped and larger army.

The Foreign Office said private agencies would no longer be able to process passport applications, only government missions.

It said the new restrictions do not apply to citizens who are now allowed to cross state lines while martial law is in effect, including people with disabilities.

In his comments on the suspension of consular services on Tuesday, Kuleba said he was inappropriate for men subject to military service to live abroad but still want to receive government services.

“Staying abroad does not release citizens from their obligations to their homeland,” he wrote on the X social network.

The main task of the mobilization law is to register all conscripts and update their data. This will simplify the mobilization process for the authorities, since the military registration and recruitment services (now in Ukraine they are called TCC – “territorial recruitment centers”) will have up-to-date information on potential recruits.

• Citizens of Ukraine must contact the military registration and enlistment services themselves to obtain military registration documents. That is, TCC employees will not have to “catch” them on the streets, as often happens now.

• Males ages 18-60 are required to update their credentials within 60 days at the Military Registration and Enrollment Office, Administrative Services Center (ASC) or online recruiter account.

• Also, men must have and carry military registration documents and present them when requested by police or TCC officials.

• Without these documents, Ukrainians abroad will not be able to obtain a passport or receive consular services.

• Citizens registered in the military can voluntarily register their electronic account.

• Instead of conscription, the law introduced “basic military training” for citizens. It can be completed during training at universities or at training centers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Such preparation will begin on September 1, 2025.

• Those who avoid mobilization will be in trouble with the law. In particular, the draft law proposes to allow the TCC to revoke the driving licenses of absconders through the courts. They will also face a significant increase in fines.

• The Military Registration and Enrollment Service will be able to contact the police with a request to detain the draft absconder. If this is not possible, then the TCC sends the citizen a registered letter with a request to report to the military service for registration and entry. The letter is considered delivered even if the person has not received it.
• Persons who have not completed military service or basic military training will not be able to work in the civil service, the prosecutor’s office and the police.