Military registration for men abroad and consular services: what you need to know

Ukrainian men aged 18 to 60 who are abroad must submit a military registration document in electronic form (e-MRD) to obtain most consular services. This rule applies under martial law and directly links access to the services of foreign diplomatic institutions with the currency of military registration data. Below is what exactly is required and what changed at the end of 2025.

Who must submit an e-MRD and when

According to the clarifications of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, to perform consular actions, applicants — male citizens of Ukraine aged 18 to 60 — apply to a foreign diplomatic institution with the documents required for the chosen service and a military registration document in electronic form (e-MRD).

The e-MRD is an electronic document that is displayed in the "Reserve+" app and contains verified data from the Unified State Register of Conscripts, Persons Liable for Military Service and Reservists. For a consular service, the document must be authentic and current: generated no earlier than 3 days before the request to the institution. If the e-MRD is older than 3 days, it must be generated anew in the electronic cabinet before the visit.

When an e-MRD is not required

The MFA defines cases when a military registration document does not need to be submitted. In particular, this concerns the following situations:

• obtaining an identity certificate for returning to Ukraine (the so-called "white" certificate);
• the consular action is performed in the interests of a child whose other parent is a foreigner or a stateless person;
• the service is requested by an arrested or imprisoned person.

This is not an exhaustive list: separately, the MFA exempts, for example, the provision of consular assistance in emergency situations. For the exact conditions for a specific service, check the MFA clarifications.

The consulate does not register you — TCCs and SS do

It is important to understand: foreign diplomatic and consular institutions are not bodies authorised to maintain military registration. You cannot enter registration directly "at the consulate" — registration is maintained by district territorial recruitment and social support centres (TCCs and SS). The applicant's data is checked in the state register "Oberih". If the extract states the status "not registered", a consular service may be refused until the registration issue is settled.

What changed in 2025: obtaining passports abroad

Under Cabinet of Ministers Resolution No. 370 of 1 April 2025 (amendments to the experimental project introduced by Resolution No. 932 of 16 August 2024), from 5 April 2025 men aged 18–60 can collect passport documents prepared at the SE "Dokument" abroad provided their military registration document is valid — without physically presenting it. That is, a valid MRD must exist, but you do not need to show its paper or electronic version: a unit employee verifies its validity remotely using register data. If there is no record of the person, the information may be transferred for entry into the register.

The December 2025 innovation: automatic registration from the age of 18

On 13 December 2025, the Cabinet of Ministers announced automatic entry into military registration from the age of 18 — based on Resolution No. 1632 of 5 December 2025, which introduced a two-year experimental project. According to the Ministry of Defence's explanation, men automatically acquire conscript status upon reaching the age of 18, and citizens aged 18–60 abroad are automatically entered into the military register when obtaining or exchanging passport documents at State Migration Service units. Under this project, a man who is not yet registered can apply for a passport without submitting a military registration document and be entered into registration automatically. The system integrates data from the Ministry of Defence, the migration service, the demographic register and the civil status acts register, so there is no need to visit a TCC or undergo a military medical commission for the registration itself.

What this means in practice

• Before requesting a consular service, update your data in "Reserve+" and generate a fresh e-MRD (no older than 3 days).
• Check your status: if the extract says "not registered", first settle the registration issue, otherwise the service may be refused.
• To collect an already prepared passport at the SE "Dokument", you do not need to physically show the MRD — its validity is verified against the registers; for those not yet registered, under Resolution No. 1632 the passport is processed with automatic entry into registration.
• Follow the official clarifications of the MFA and foreign institutions: procedures under martial law are periodically updated.

This is informational material. For the final requirements regarding a specific service, contact the website of the MFA of Ukraine and the foreign institution at your place of residence.