Ukraine prepares to ease residency rules for foreign fighters

Ukraine's government has approved a draft law aimed at providing foreign and stateless nationals who served in the Ukrainian military with more time to formalize their residency status after their contract ends, Prime Minister Serhiy Korytskyi announced on August 28 via Telegram. The proposed amendment seeks to extend the temporary residency period from three to six months following military service.

Korytskyi stated that the time spent in the military will count towards the five-year residency requirement for obtaining an immigration permit. In June 2025, Ukraine's Parliament passed a law reducing the mandatory service duration for foreign fighters applying for citizenship from three years to one. A special certificate will also be issued for foreigners unable to leave their home countries to obtain or exchange passports due to threats or political reasons, primarily affecting volunteers from Belarus and Russia who face prosecution in their home nations.

Decree No. 110/2026, introduced on February 11, enables applicants for Ukrainian citizenship to renounce their previous citizenship without leaving their home country, an option that some might consider without returning to their countries. This new law now requires approval from Ukraine's Parliament, which has not yet been registered.

President Volodymyr Zelensky announced a renewed recruitment drive for foreign fighters in June 2025, with the goal of integrating 30-50% of infantry and assault troops from foreign nationals into the Ukrainian army. Foreign fighters, particularly those from Latin America, are increasingly significant in the Ukrainian military, often engaging in perilous infantry and assault missions.

These changes come amid a long-standing manpower crisis in Ukraine, with many personnel exhausted after years of conflict without demobilization options, and recently mobilized soldiers exhibiting decreased motivation, especially in infantry units.