Changes to international passports for Ukrainian citizens
Reference information: rules, amounts and deadlines change. Check the date of the material and the official sources.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine (MFA) announces that from 29 October 2025 Ukraine has abolished the temporary arrangement for extending the validity of the international passports Ukrainian citizens use to cross the border.
What has changed:
- For citizens aged 16 and over, the passport is valid for up to 10 years.
- For children under 16, the passport is valid for up to 4 years.
- Every Ukrainian citizen, children included, must have their own international passport; children’s details may no longer be entered in a parent’s passport.
Why it matters:
- According to the MFA, most countries and airlines follow the standards of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and recognise neither passports valid for more than 10 years nor “extensions”.
- If you try to travel abroad with an old “extended” passport, there is a risk that border guards will not let you through.
What citizens need to do:
- Check your international passport: is it valid, and was it extended under the temporary procedure?
- If you have an “extended” passport, apply for a new biometric international passport.
- If you are abroad and cannot return or cross a border (for example into EU countries, or on a flight) because of an “extended” document, contact the nearest Ukrainian consulate or embassy. They can issue an identity certificate for return to Ukraine.
Ukrainian citizens whose international passport is about to expire can contact the embassy/consulate or one of the branches of the state enterprise “Document” to apply for a new biometric international passport for themselves and their children.
