Can you travel abroad with a Ukrainian temporary residence permit during martial law?

Foreigners leave on general terms

Martial law in Ukraine is extended every few months, and the exit restrictions everyone has heard about apply to Ukrainian citizens. For a foreigner holding a valid посвідка (temporary residence permit, TRP), leaving and returning work on general terms. At the border you show your passport and the permit, which confirms that you live in Ukraine lawfully.

The permit lets you cross the border for as long as it is valid. A holder of a valid permit does not need a separate visa to return. The general rules for obtaining the card are described in our guide to the TRP.

Document checklist

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The key change of 2026

Until May 2026, Cabinet of Ministers Resolution No. 1202 protected all permit holders. An expired permit, temporary or permanent, was treated as valid for the period of martial law, and you could return to Ukraine with it. Resolution No. 141 narrowed that guarantee.

From 7 May 2026 the protection remains only for permanent residence permits, and even then not for citizens of the Russian Federation. An expired permanent residence permit confirms the right to reside in and enter Ukraine for the period of martial law and 30 calendar days after it ends. An expired temporary residence permit no longer gives that right. Holders of temporary permits were given a limited window to exchange them, and that window closed in summer 2026.

How to plan a trip

Before you leave, look at your permit's expiry date and compare it with your return date. If the card expires during the trip or shortly after it, the exchange has to be done before you go. Exchange documents are filed in person in Ukraine, and the procedure cannot be completed from abroad. How the exchange works is covered in the article on exchanging a residence permit.

Check your basis as well. For a work-based permit, look at the expiry of the work permit, because the residence permit lasts only as long as the work permit does. If the work permit extension falls during your trip, the window for applying may close while you are away. Details are in the article on renewing a residence permit.

Allow for how ДМС (State Migration Service, DMS) offices operate, too. Administrative services are suspended in DMS units during an air raid alert, so do not plan to file documents on the last day before your trip.

Travelling with your family

Family members' permits issued for family reunification with you depend on yours. Check their expiry dates as carefully as your own. If a child's or spouse's permit expires earlier than yours, their exchange also has to be done before the trip, or you will not be able to return together.

Long absences

Procedure No. 322 does not set how much time a permit holder must spend in Ukraine. Absence by itself is not a ground for revoking the card. Among the grounds for revocation, however, are the end of the basis for staying and a request from the host party, such as an employer after dismissal.

That is where long trips become risky. An employee who does not turn up for work for six months risks dismissal, and with it the residence permit. Discuss a long absence with your employer or other host party in advance.

Leaving Ukraine for good

When you do not plan to come back, it is better to surrender the permit by your own application. The application asks the DMS to accept and revoke the permit under subparagraph 7 of paragraph 63 of Procedure No. 322. You keep a copy of the application stamped by the DMS, and it explains your status at the border. How to draft it is described in the article on revoking a residence permit.

Lawyer's experience

Since the 2026 changes, the riskiest situation looks like this. Someone travels for a few weeks, the permit expires while they are abroad, and they can no longer return on it. Restoring the status is hard in that situation, because an exchange is possible only in Ukraine. Before every trip I therefore ask clients to send a photo of the permit and their return date, and we check the dates together.

I also want to say a word about Russian citizens. Wartime relief does not apply to them, and a visa is issued only after an interview and approvals. We plan any trip for these clients only after a detailed consultation. You can book a migration law consultation in advance, so that your trip does not turn into a problem with getting back.

Official sources

Frequently asked questions

Can a foreigner be stopped from leaving Ukraine because of martial law?+

The exit restrictions under martial law apply to Ukrainian citizens, in particular men of conscription age. A foreigner leaves on general terms by showing a passport and a document confirming lawful stay.

Will the border guard turn me back if my permit expired while I was abroad?+

That risk is real. Since 7 May 2026 an expired temporary residence permit does not confirm the right to enter, so you may need a visa or another basis for entry to come back.

Can I exchange my residence permit while I am abroad?+

Exchange documents are filed in person in Ukraine, at a DMS office, a TsNAP or the DMS state enterprise. You therefore need to complete the exchange before you leave or come back before the card expires.

Will my permit be cancelled if I spend a long time abroad?+

Procedure No. 322 sets no minimum time you must spend in Ukraine. A permit is revoked, however, when its basis ends, for example when an employer files a request after dismissal. Long absences often go hand in hand with exactly that.

Do these rules apply to Russian citizens?+

Citizens of the Russian Federation are excluded from the relief under Resolution No. 1202, and separate, stricter visa rules apply to them. Trips for such clients should be planned only after a consultation.

This article is general guidance, not individual legal advice.