During the period of martial law, men between the ages of 18 and 60 have limited rights to travel outside of Ukraine.
However, exceptions are provided for certain categories of citizens, in particular, this concerns reserved workers. When crossing the border, they must have the appropriate package of documents with them, and staying outside the country is only permitted for a certain period.
What are the conditions for travel abroad for reserved men, how long can they stay outside the country and is it allowed to go on vacation – read in the ICTV Fakty material.
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Who has the right to travel abroad among the reserved men
In 2025, according to the current rules, those Ukrainian citizens liable for military service who are not subject to mobilization will be allowed to cross the border. We are talking about reserved persons who are not subject to conscription during martial law.
We remind you that reservation is a deferment from conscription into military service during mobilization.
In accordance with the first part of Article 23 of the Law of Ukraine On mobilization preparation and mobilization, citizens who have the status of reserved during mobilization or in wartime are not subject to conscription.
Reserved employees of enterprises, institutions and organizations have the right to cross the border under martial law for the purpose of a business trip for a specified period.
They are on a special register, but the current regulations only define the procedure for such persons to travel on business trips.
As for going on vacation, there is no legislative regulation on this issue yet, so border guards have the right to make decisions individually.
It is worth noting that certain categories of officials, in particular: ministers and their deputies, judges, prosecutors, heads of state authorities, local council members and other persons listed in Articles 2–14 of the relevant Rules, are prohibited from crossing the state border of Ukraine for the purpose of personal leave.
That is, persons holding high government positions may only travel on business trips (in accordance with paragraph 2.14).
A vacation booked abroad is only possible with permission from the employer indicating the country and dates, as well as the relevant package of documents.
Travelling abroad booked: what documents are required
To cross the border on vacation or business trip, the booked person must have:
- foreign passport;
- military registration document (paper or electronic in the Reserve+ application) with a reservation period mark entered into the Oberig system;
- an extract from the order on vacation or business trip, indicating the country, duration of stay and position of the employee;
- permission from the employer (written statement about going on vacation or business trip);
- a certificate or reference from the place of work, as confirmation of official employment.
You may also need other documents confirming the purpose of your trip, such as tickets, invitations, etc.
An employee who plans to go on vacation abroad must not have any restrictions that would prevent travel outside the country or violate military registration rules.
However, even if all the documents are available, the final decision is made on the spot by a border service officer.
The State Border Service of Ukraine can provide detailed explanations of what a particular detained man needs to travel abroad.
Source: Ministry of Justice of Ukraine
Photo: State Border Service
