The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has published an official clarification regarding the suspension of consular services to men conscripted abroad.
From April 23, the acceptance of new applications for consular actions from conscripts will be suspended. The exception is applications for registration of identity cards for return to Ukraine.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs explained that such a decision was made even before the law on mobilization came into force, as the period for considering applications may exceed the time left before the law comes into effect.
When does the restriction not apply?
If a person submitted an application before April 23, the consulate will consider and process it in full.
The introduced restrictions do not apply if the actual recipient of the service is not the applicant himself, but his minor child or ward. That is, conscripts will be able to apply for a passport for a child/ward to travel abroad, to register a childʼs acquisition of Ukrainian citizenship by birth, to register a childʼs birth, etc.
The restrictions also do not apply to the provision of consular assistance in case of emergency situations: traffic accidents, detention, natural disasters, etc. In this case, the employees of the consular service will provide all necessary consular assistance.
When will the restrictions be cancelled?
After the mobilization law enters into force on May 18, 2024, the process of accepting and considering applications at consulates will continue, provided that the conscript has valid military registration documents.
Currently, the mechanism for checking military records before the law enters into force is still being defined and agreed upon. As soon as this work is completed, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will publish additional detailed explanations.