On June 26, 2026, the Cabinet of Ministers adopted Resolution No. 981, which changes the rules for consulate operations and document verification procedures. The new regulations take effect six months after the official publication, and the main change concerns men of draft age from 18 to 60 years old: when obtaining certain consular services, their military registration status will be verified automatically.

What Resolution No. 981 changes

The document changes the rules for consulate operations and document verification procedures. The new regulations take effect six months after the official publication of the resolution.

First and foremost, the changes affect men of draft age from 18 to 60 years old. For them, verification of military registration status will become mandatory when obtaining certain consular services. This will be done automatically through the «Konsul» system, which will receive information from the state register «Obereh». Previously, some information was verified separately, but now the system will do this automatically.

This does not mean that men will stop receiving passports or other documents. Rather, when applying for certain consular services, the system will immediately check whether military registration is in order. If documents are in good standing, there should be no problems.

What to do if a debt is discovered

If the system detects a problem with military registration, there is no need to panic — the issue is resolved on the spot. Simply open the «Diia» or «Reserve+» application and immediately pay the fine online with a card. As soon as the payment goes through, the status in the «Obereh» register is updated automatically, the «Konsul» system immediately sees there are no debts, the block is removed, and the consulate immediately opens access and accepts documents for a new passport.

The choice of where to apply for documents — at a regular consulate or at State Enterprise «Dokument» — remains personal. State Enterprise «Dokument» has a much larger network of offices throughout Europe, so it’s more realistic to avoid long queues, and everything is simpler and faster.

Old rules still apply for now, but in a few months the verification will become automatic. Men aged 18 to 60 should make sure in advance that their military registration is in order.

How many men could leave after borders reopen

During the years of war, approximately 10 million people left Ukraine unofficially — women, children, and men. This process is still ongoing.

Ella Libanova, director of the Institute of Demography of Ukraine, made a forecast: immediately after the borders reopen and martial law is lifted, an additional 500 to 600 thousand men could leave Ukraine. The reason is family reunification: families have been in evacuation for the third or fourth year, women have found work and housing abroad, children are attending local schools and kindergartens. When men gain the legal right to leave, a significant portion of families will decide to reunite in Europe rather than in Ukraine.

Without clear guarantees of safety and normal employment in Ukraine, at best about 30% of citizens currently abroad will return. These will mostly be retirees or people who never managed to establish themselves on the European labor market.

Germany simplifies diploma recognition for medical professionals

Germany is officially simplifying the procedure for recognizing diplomas of medical professionals educated outside the European Union. This applies not only to doctors, but also to dentists, pharmacists, midwives, and midwives.

Previously, specialists spent years going through German government offices, collecting numerous certificates and waiting for documents. Now the main path to diploma recognition is a professional examination: take the exam, confirm your knowledge in practice — and your diploma is officially recognized. In many cases, it will be possible to take the professional examination immediately, which is a significant relief for those who, due to the war, are unable to gather a complete package of documents or educational programs from Ukrainian universities.

This does not mean automatic diploma recognition: as before, you must confirm professional knowledge, German language proficiency, and meet other requirements. The law was published on July 28, 2026, and most of its provisions take effect on November 1, 2026.