Foreign soldiers in ZSU no longer need to submit clean criminal record certificates
The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine has simplified the procedure for acquiring combatant status for foreigners and stateless persons serving in the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The requirement to submit an extract of no criminal record has been removed from the mandatory documents. This is reported by the portal PromPolitInform, citing information from the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine.
The government adopted the corresponding decision following an initiative by the defence ministry. The previous procedure required unit commanders to submit a clean criminal record extract for the applicant to the interdepartmental commission, which created extra hurdles during combat missions.
Obtaining such an extract required personal actions via MIA service centres, administrative service centres, or the Diia portal. As the process demanded individual participation, frontline fighters often lacked the opportunity to request the document in time.
New list of documents for foreigners
Due to this requirement, obtaining combatant status for foreign soldiers became unnecessarily complicated. Under the revised rules, the mandatory clean record extract is no longer requested from foreign defenders.
The changes eliminate the legal inequality between Ukrainian citizens and foreign service members. They also streamline bureaucracy between commanders and the interdepartmental commission, which must receive papers within five days of a combat order execution start.
Requirements for the document package
To register combatant status, unit commanders will continue submitting a copy of the foreigner’s passport translated into Ukrainian. A copy of the tax registration document from the State Register of Individual Taxpayers must also be included.
Additionally, the package contains a Form No. 6 certificate confirming direct participation in combat actions under Procedure No. 413. The changes aim to provide proper social protection for foreign military personnel defending Ukraine’s sovereignty.
Photo: Ministry of Defence of Ukraine
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