Ukraine prepares to ease residency rules for foreign fighters

Ukraine's government approved a draft law that aims to give foreign and stateless nationals who served in the Ukrainian military more time to formalize their residency status after the end of their contract, Prime Minister Serhii Koretskyi announced on Aug. 28 on Telegram.

The draft law aims to extend the legal temporary residence period in Ukraine after completion of military service from three to six months, according to the Prime Minister.

Time spent serving in the armed forces will count toward the five year residency requirement for the immigration permit, Koretskyi said.

A law passed by Ukraine's Parliament on June 18, 2025, reduced the necessary contract service time for foreign fighters to apply for citizenship from three years to one.

A special certificate will also be introduced for those foreigners who cannot travel abroad to obtain or exchange a passport in their country of origin due to threats or political circumstances, Koretskyi announced.

This is especially relevant to volunteers from Belarus and Russia, who face criminal prosecution in their countries of origin.

Many fighters from the Freedom for Russia Legion or the Kastus Kalinowski regiment have received awards from the state, while their legal status in the country remains under question.

Decree No. 110/2026, introduced on Feb. 11, allows applicants for Ukrainian citizenship to file an application to renounce their previous citizenship instead of having them formally exit it, which for some would require returning to their countries of origin. The decree also allowed to apply for citizenship on an expired passport.

Currently, the law only allows for the application of citizenship and sets no obligation on the state to decide within an official time frame.

Since even before the full-scale invasion, Ukraine's State Migration Service has had a reputation for taking a long time to decide on the naturalization of foreigners.

The new draft law now needs approval from Ukraine's Parliament. The bill has not yet been registered.

On June 12, President Volodymyr Zelensky announced a fresh drive to recruit foreign fighters, with then-Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov saying that Kyiv aimed for 30-50% of the army's infantry and assault troops to be made up of foreigners.

Foreign fighters, especially those from Latin America, continue to play an increasing role in the Ukrainian army, often carrying out the very same unenviable infantry and assault missions.

The changes come amid Ukraine's chronic manpower crisis, with many personnel exhausted after years of full-scale war without a path for demobilization and discharge, while newly-mobilized soldiers tend to be increasingly unmotivated, especially in the infantry.