On October 27, 2025, the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine submitted to the Verkhovna Rada a draft law No. 14160 to the Verkhovna Rada, aimed at clarifying the legal status of foreigners and stateless persons who participate in the defense of Ukraine’s territorial integrity and inviolability. 

This applies not only to foreign military personnel but also to their family members, for whom predictable and stable conditions for residence in Ukraine are being established. The draft law was developed by the Ministry of Veterans Affairs of Ukraine and is a logical continuation of Law No. 4502-IX (which takes effect on January 16, 2026), which launched the first stage of establishing a special status for foreign defenders. However, it is already evident that the previous law requires further expansion and the elimination of gaps, as confirmed by the public demand articulated in the Explanatory Note.

The purpose of Bill No. 14160 is to create a comprehensive system of legal guarantees for foreigners who:

• have served or are serving in the ranks of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the National Guard of Ukraine, the State Special Transport Service, the State Border Guard Service, the Security Service of Ukraine, the Presidential Guard, the State Service for Special Communications and Information Protection, or other law enforcement and intelligence agencies;
• provided combat, medical, radio-technical, explosive ordnance disposal, or other assistance to units in combat zones;
• were held captive;
• have been granted the status of a person with a war-related disability or a person with a disability resulting from the war.

The bill addresses three key issues explicitly mentioned in the Explanatory Note:

• The need to extend the period of legal stay after the end of a contract from 3 to 6 months to prevent cases of forced departure or illegal stay by individuals who actually defended Ukraine.
   
• Recognition of a war veteran’s documents as grounds for obtaining a residence permit, which eliminates numerous practical conflicts.
   
• The introduction of a new document—a foreigner’s certificate for travel abroad—in cases where a person cannot contact the consular offices of their home country due to aggression or the non-recognition of Ukraine’s territorial integrity.

The
draft encompasses simultaneous amendments to four key laws: the Law “On Citizenship of Ukraine,” the Law “On Immigration,” the Law “On the Legal Status of Foreigners and Stateless Persons,” the Law “On the Unified State Demographic Register and Documents Confirming Ukrainian Citizenship, Identifying a Person, or Certifying Their Special Status.”

Amendments to the Law of Ukraine “On Citizenship of Ukraine”

First, the grounds for submitting a declaration of renunciation of foreign citizenship are being expanded. The existing declaration mechanism is a tool that allows individuals to be granted Ukrainian citizenship without actually renouncing their foreign citizenship. Prior to the adoption of the bill, not all military personnel could submit such a declaration, as this was tied to a narrow list of grounds for discharge from military service. Foreign nationals discharged due to downsizing or the expiration of their contract could not take advantage of the simplified procedure.

The bill significantly expands the list of grounds for discharge, covering virtually all major categories (due to health, age, family circumstances, expiration of a contract, etc.). This means that any foreign national who has served honestly will be entitled to simplified naturalization, regardless of the formal wording of the grounds for discharge.

Second, the right to submit a declaration of renunciation of foreign citizenship is extended to family members of military personnel. The bill also provides for the right to submit a declaration of renunciation of foreign citizenship for the following persons: the spouse of a military servicemember, children (including the children of one spouse), and the spouses’ parents, in the event that the foreign military personnel was killed in action (died) or was discharged from military service.

The state recognizes that the family has also made a sacrifice and, therefore, should not be left in the status of an undocumented migrant or face the threat of deportation. This guarantees the family a stable legal status—the acquisition of citizenship through a simplified procedure.

Amendments to the Law of Ukraine “On the Legal Status of Foreigners and Stateless Persons”

The current deadline for processing documents after the end of a contract (3 months) was deemed insufficient, as individuals physically could not obtain UBD documents or complete immigration procedures and receive a temporary residence permit within that timeframe.

The bill extends this period to 6 months. This allows a foreign national to avoid losing their legal status or facing deportation while they are going through immigration procedures and obtaining the necessary documents.

The bill also provides a separate basis for obtaining a temporary residence permit for foreigners who, for at least 4 months, assisted in carrying out tasks during martial law in the technical, medical, engineering, or intelligence fields, but were not part of a military unit. 

Amendments to the Law of Ukraine “On Immigration”

The bill changes the procedures for obtaining an Immigration Permit and a Permanent Residence Permit. The key idea behind the reform is that service in the Armed Forces of Ukraine is equated with residence in Ukraine, and the status of “Participant in Anti-Terrorist Operations” (UB) becomes an independent basis for immigration.

1. Counting the duration of military service and recognition of UBD status for permanent residence.

The bill recognizes the entire period of military service as counting toward the 5-year residency requirement (necessary for subsequent naturalization), limiting the permissible break after discharge to 180 days.

 In addition, the bill introduces a new ground under which individuals who have acquired the status of a person with a war-related disability or individuals with a war-related disability are eligible for an immigration permit. Thus, a foreign national may obtain a permanent residence permit virtually immediately after completing military service and obtaining UBD status.

2. Right to immigration for the families of deceased Ukrainian military personnel. 

The foreign spouse or children of a deceased Ukrainian citizen are granted the right to immigration regardless of the length of cohabitation or the duration of the marriage. An application may be filed during martial law or within 6 months after its lifting.

Amendments to the Law of Ukraine “On the Unified State Demographic Register and Documents Confirming Ukrainian Citizenship, Identifying a Person, or Certifying Their Special Status”

First, a new document is being introduced: the “foreigner’s certificate for travel abroad.” A new document is being introduced, which is issued when a foreigner’s passport has expired, is damaged, or the country of origin cannot renew it (which is typical for citizens of the Russian Federation, Belarus, as well as individuals who have been taken prisoner). This document allows a foreigner to legally leave Ukraine, replace their travel document, and confirm their identity. This marks the first time a fully-fledged alternative mechanism has been created that is not tied to the country of origin.

Second, there is a simplified procedure for obtaining documents in cases where they have been lost due to captivity or combat operations. The draft law provides for a special procedure for restoring lost documents without the mandatory requirement to contact the diplomatic missions of the country of origin and without the need to present a previous passport. The process is carried out based on information available in the Unified State Demographic Register and/or documents issued by military units or other authorized bodies.

For individuals who have lost their documents as a result of shelling, injury, captivity, or forced displacement from areas of active hostilities, this procedure effectively eliminates the risk of finding themselves in a situation of legal uncertainty that could previously have lasted for years.

Conclusion

Draft Law of Ukraine No. 14160 of October 27, 2025, is a comprehensive and systematic legal mechanism aimed at creating a complete system of legal guarantees for foreigners and stateless persons who have participated inparticipate in the defense of Ukraine’s territorial integrity and sovereignty by introducing coordinated amendments to four key laws simultaneously.

In this way, the state officially recognizes the contribution of foreigners to the defense of Ukraine and enshrines this in the form of clear and predictable legal guarantees that comply with the principles of humanism, justice, and legal certainty. This approach ensures proper legal recognition and protection for those who, risking their own lives, have come to Ukraine’s defense.