The law on mobilisation has officially entered into force. This means that now the rules of conscription into the army have completely changed. Find out exactly what you need to know about the new law

Legal advice for Ukrainians

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On Tuesday, 16 April, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed the draft law on mobilisation, and on 17 April, the law was published in the parliamentary newspaper Holos Ukrainy. 

According to the norms, the document comes into force one month after the day following the day of its publication. Thus, it became fully effective on 18 May.

Mobilisation law: what do you need to know about it?

Changes for the military

As you already know, the law does not have clear deadlines for demobilisation. However, you can be discharged from military service for the following reasons:

- pregnancy (for servicewomen)

- independent upbringing of a minor child or adoption

- raising a minor child with a disability

- maintenance of an adult child with a disability of group 1 or 2

- the need to constantly care for a wife (husband) with a disability of group 1 or 2, as well as group 3, established as a result of cancer or the absence of limbs, etc. 

Those military personnel who have been released from captivity receive an additional 90 days of leave with pay if they choose to extend their service.

The following cash payments are provided to military personnel and/or their families:

- From 4 to 300 times the subsistence minimum (from UAH 12,000 to UAH 908,000) for destroyed or captured enemy equipment.

- Compensation in the amount of 50% of the down payment on a mortgage, as well as an additional UAH 100,000 after the first and second years of service, subject to the conclusion of the first contract.

- A certificate for the purchase of a car in the amount of UAH 150 thousand within three months from the date of the first contract.

In addition, servicemen and their spouses are not charged any penalties, fines or interest for using a loan, except for loans for housing or a car.

With regard to leave, there are no changes for servicemen - up to 30 days plus 10 days for family reasons or other important reasons. The minimum period of leave must be at least 15 days. The military is also granted additional leave for destroyed enemy equipment, but not more than 15 days per year.

Read more about the updated salaries and additional payments for destroyed enemy equipment in this article.

Changes for persons liable for military service

The age of mobilisation has now been reduced from 27 to 25 years. Citizens will continue to be issued with paper calls.

All persons liable for military service must update their credentials within 60 days. This can be done at the territorial selection centre (TSC), the Administrative Services Centre or using the Reserve+ application. At the same time, registration in the electronic cabinet for conscripts, persons liable for military duty and reservists is completely voluntary.

During mobilisation, men between the ages of 18 and 60 must have a military registration document and present it at the request of a representative of the CCC or a police officer.

Military conscripts can now obtain an internal or foreign passport only if they have military registration documents with them.

Read about the rules for changing your place of residence during martial law here.

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Changes for men abroad

Ukrainians abroad must register for military service. Without military registration documents, men liable for military service may be restricted from receiving consular services. 

In addition, consular services in foreign diplomatic missions of Ukraine can be provided to men subject to military duty only if they have updated their military registration data. This can be done by sending information to the TSC by e-mail, calling the TSC or registering in "Reserve+".

Read here how men abroad can update their data and what happens if they don't.

There will be no more restricted service 

Ukraine has cancelled the concept of "limitedly fit for military service". 

After the cancellation of the status of "limited fitness", two possible options remain: fit and unfit. This means that all citizens of Ukraine, who were previously recognised by the military medical commission as restricted fitness for service, must undergo a repeated medical examination to determine fitness for service. Nine months are allocated for the procedure of repeated medical commission.

Read more about the categories of Ukrainians eligible for mobilization in this article.

Particular attention will be paid to those liable for military service who received a disability of group II or III after 24 February 2022, except for servicemen who received a disability as a result of injury.

What diseases can't be mobilized? Find the full list here.

Who is exempt from mobilisation?

🔻Unfit for service for health reasons (according to the conclusion of the Medical Qualification Commission) or age.

🔻Temporarily unfit for a period of 6-12 months (according to the conclusion of the Medical Qualification Commission). After this period, they are obliged to undergo a second pre-employment medical examination.

🔻Employees with a reservation.

🔻Parents with many children raising three or more minor children (except for divorced parents and those who have not paid alimony for more than three months). 

🔻Women and men who are raising at least one child under the age of 18 on their own.

🔻Parents, guardians, foster parents, adoptive parents raising a minor child with a disability or a seriously ill child.

🔻Parents who are dependent on an adult child with a disability of group 1 or 2.

🔻 Adoptive parents, guardians, foster parents, foster carers, foster carers who support a minor child.

🔻Citizens engaged in permanent care of a sick wife (husband), child, or parent.

🔻Guardians of a person declared incapacitated by a court.

🔻People who have a spouse with a disability of group 1 or 2, as well as a disability of group 3, established as a result of cancer, lack of limbs, mental disorder, cerebral palsy or other paralysis syndromes.

🔻Citizens who support one of their parents or one of the parents of their spouse with a group 1 or 2 disability.

🔻People who are raising a minor child and have a spouse who is on military service.

🔻Citizens whose close relatives were killed or went missing during the ATO, JFO, or full-scale war.

🔻Family members of the Heroes of Ukraine who died during the Revolution of Dignity.

🔻Students of vocational, professional higher and higher education who study full-time or dual form and obtain a level of education that is higher than the previously obtained one. Read more about the new rules for male students leaving Ukraine in this article.

🔻Doctoral students and interns.

The deferral may also be granted to research and teaching staff, provided that they work in educational institutions at least 0.75 time.

This article describes to whom and for how long the deferral from mobilization was automatically extended.

What is the penalty for evading mobilisation?

The main innovation is that people who evade mobilisation will be able to be deprived of their driving licences.

At the same time, Ukraine introduced other restrictions for such persons. In particular, lawmakers have established large fines.

Mobilisation: other regulations

There is no mobilisation of women in Ukraine, but women who have a medical or pharmaceutical education and are fit for military service for health reasons and age are required to register for military service. They can be called up for military service only with their consent.

In addition, the concept of "mobilisation of vehicles" was introduced. Citizens can mobilise their vehicles if they own more than one car. That is, if you own one vehicle, your car will not be taken away for the needs of the army.

Who needs to update military registration data in the TCC and how to do it, read here. Procedure for updating data for conscripts who are abroad at the link.

About new fines for violation of mobilization measures in this article.

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