Unofficial translation of the information provided by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine in Q&A format

Attention Citizens of Ukraine!

Regarding temporary restrictions on accepting new applications for consular services.

What is this decision of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine related to right now?

Recently, the Law of Ukraine "On Amendments to Certain Legislative Acts of Ukraine on Specific Issues of Military Service, Mobilization, and Military Registration" was adopted and signed, which will come into force on May 18, 2024.

The work of the Ukrainian consular service is regulated by a considerable number of subordinate regulatory acts, which, after the approval of the bill, require updating to bring them into compliance with its requirements.

Furthermore, these circumstances have necessitated the introduction of technical changes to the algorithms of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' information and communication systems used to perform corresponding consular functions.

What specific activities has the Ministry of Foreign Affairs temporarily suspended, and for how long will this last?

 Given the above and considering the need for additional procedures in interministerial information interaction, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has announced the temporary suspension, effective April 23 of this year, of accepting new applications for consular actions from the mentioned category of Ukrainian citizens (with the exception of applications for the issuance of identity documents for return to Ukraine).

We emphasize that the decision to suspend the provision of consular services to the category of Ukrainian citizens specified by law is a temporary measure. The decision is prompted by the necessity to solve issues related to the military registration of citizens of mobilization age who are residing abroad and resolving technical issues that determined during the implementation of the provisions of the mentioned law in cooperation with other relevant government bodies.

 We kindly ask you to closely monitor the updates on the official resources of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ukrainian diplomatic missions abroad to obtain the latest information regarding the further implementation of the Law of Ukraine "On Amendments to Certain Legislative Acts of Ukraine on Specific Issues of Military Service, Mobilization, and Military Registration".

If a person has already submitted an application before April 23, does this mean that they will not receive the service now?

 No, it does not. It's important to note that all applications for consular services submitted before the specified date will be reviewed and processed by the consular offices in full.

Why were temporary restrictions were introduced prior to the entry into force of the new mobilization law?

 New applications from the category of citizens specified in the new law will temporarily not be accepted, as the processing time for such applications may exceed the time remaining before the law takes effect. We aim to protect citizens from situations where the ordered service cannot ultimately be provided.

What if a man needs to submit an application for consular services not for himself, but for a child or a person under his guardianship?

 The imposed restrictions do not apply in cases where the actual recipient of the service is not the applicant themselves, but their minor child or a person under their guardianship (e.g., obtaining a passport for a child/person under their guardianship to travel abroad, acquiring Ukrainian citizenship by birth for a child, registering the birth of a child, etc.).

If the restrictions are temporary, when will they be lifted?

After the entry into force of the Law of Ukraine "On Amendments to Certain Legislative Acts of Ukraine on Specific Issues of Military Service, Mobilization, and Military Registration" on May 18, 2024, the process of accepting and reviewing applications for consular actions will continue taking into account the new requirements arising from the provisions of the law.

If a man of conscription age residing abroad has updated his data in the Territorial Centre of Recruitment and Social Support, will he be able to access consular services?

The Law of Ukraine "On Amendments to Certain Legislative Acts of Ukraine on Specific Issues of Military Service, Mobilization, and Military Registration" which will come into force on May 18, 2024, stipulates that after updating the military registration data at the Territorial Center for Recruitment and Social Support (TCRSS), male citizens of Ukraine aged 18 to 60 with valid military registration documents will have full access to consular services in accordance with the law.

The mechanism for updating and verifying the military registration data of men aged 18-60 who are temporarily residing abroad is currently being determined from among the available options and is being coordinated with relevant state authorities. Once this interministerial work is completed, diplomatic missions and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will provide additional detailed explanations.

And if a Ukrainian citizen who is subject to this law finds themselves in an emergency situation abroad, will they be able to receive assistance from consuls?

The temporary restrictions do not affect the provision of consular assistance in case of emergency situations involving Ukrainian citizens abroad. They only apply to the submission of applications for certain consular services by specific categories of citizens within a defined period.

If any Ukrainian citizen finds themselves in an emergency situation abroad (such as a car accident, detention, natural disasters, etc.), consuls will provide the necessary consular assistance in full compliance with the law.

 Why did the Ministry of Foreign Affairs decide to temporarily restrict the acceptance of new applications for consular services from one of the categories of citizens?

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has been entrusted with the responsibility of military registration for quite some time now. The corresponding functions of diplomatic missions abroad were defined by a Cabinet of Ministers resolution dated December 7, 2016.

However, at that time, the legislation was being developed taking into account the prevailing circumstances. Following the migration wave of 2022 triggered by the escalation of russian aggression, the mechanisms of military registration work laid down by the legislation required fundamental changes, which were only partially addressed by the Cabinet of Ministers resolution dated December 30, 2022. The relevant legal documents also required updating.

Now, following the extensive package of changes to mobilization regulatory documents, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other government bodies have to undertake a colossal amount of work to ensure their proper implementation.