Can you keep your old foreign passport after receiving a new one: what does the law say?

Ukrainian law allows you to hold no more than two valid foreign passports at the same time, but you can also keep a canceled passport. Find out under what conditions an old passport is canceled, how the process works, and when you can keep it

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Under current law, a Ukrainian citizen may hold no more than two valid foreign passports at the same time. This is important to know, for example, if you are applying for a new passport before the previous one expires — such as due to a change in personal information or because the old passport is running out of pages.

See also: What should men do if their Ukrainian passport expires while they are abroad?

When is an old passport canceled upon receiving a new one?

When applying for a new foreign passport, the previous document is subject to cancellation in four cases:

● its validity period has expired;

● personal information has changed — for example, a surname change due to marriage or divorce;

● the passport is unsuitable for further use due to damage;

an error has been found in the document.

Cancellation is carried out physically: at least two holes are punched in the machine-readable zone of the passport. After that, the document loses its legal validity as proof of identity for crossing the border.

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Can you keep a canceled passport?

Yes, and this is a key point. Despite the cancellation, the holder has the right to keep the old passport—but only under one condition: if the document contains valid visas or a residence stamp from another country.

This is particularly relevant for those who have valid Schengen, British, U.S., or other visas affixed to their old passport: most countries accept such visas in conjunction with a new passport — meaning you must present both documents at the border. Giving up a canceled passport with a visa would mean losing the right to travel without having to reapply at the consulate.

If you have questions about the validity of a visa in a canceled passport, the recognition of documents abroad, or any other immigration and legal nuances — Visit Ukraine’s immigration lawyers are ready to advise you individually.

We remind you! The Cabinet of Ministers has abolished the emergency procedure for extending foreign passports, which had been in effect since 2022. Now, documents whose validity was extended under the simplified procedure are no longer valid for international travel. Read more about who is affected by these changes and where to apply for a new foreign passport.

Photo: mehaniq / Freepik

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