From October 22, 2026, a fundamental change will take effect in Ukraine regarding the procedure for confirming the status of an internally displaced person (IDP). Instead of the familiar paper certificate of registration, the primary document will become an extract from the Unified Information Database on Internally Displaced Persons. This is reported by RBC-Ukraine, citing Ukrainian Law No. 4924-IX "On Ensuring the Rights and Freedoms of Displaced Persons." Until the specified date, the existing IDP document retains full legal force, and in practice nothing changes for displaced persons.
From a paper certificate to a digital extract
The key innovation is that IDP status will no longer be confirmed by the familiar paper certificate, but by an extract from the Unified Information Database on Internally Displaced Persons. At the same time, the legislator has explicitly established that the paper and electronic versions of the extract will have equal legal force. This means that a displaced person will be able to obtain the document either in a standard printed form or in digital format — at their own choice and depending on the situation. This approach is intended to simplify citizens' interactions with state authorities and reduce bureaucratic barriers.
What happens before October 22
In the period before October 22, 2026, the practical situation for internally displaced persons remains unchanged. The existing certificate of registration continues to be valid, and all issues regarding the assignment of housing assistance and other social guarantees are regulated by the current legislation. In particular, the Pension Fund of Ukraine has already announced the payment dates for IDPs for September 2026: the amounts remain unchanged, however the state has strengthened control over the currency of recipients' data. Thus, the transition period does not create a "legal vacuum" for displaced persons.
By-laws: the implementation mechanism is not yet defined
At present, the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine needs to bring its own regulatory legal acts into compliance with the new law and determine the practical mechanism for its implementation. Only after the adoption of the corresponding by-laws will the exact procedure for obtaining an extract from the Unified Database, the list of authorized bodies, and the algorithm of actions for displaced persons become known. Until that moment, experts recommend taking no additional steps and continuing to use the existing certificate.
Broader context: IDP protection from autumn 2026
The change in the document format is part of a broader package of legislative initiatives aimed at protecting the rights of internally displaced persons. According to the publication Minfin, from autumn 2026 Ukraine is also discussing measures to protect IDPs from unlawful eviction, as well as the cancellation of penalties on loans for displaced persons. The combination of these changes forms an updated legal framework for the IDP category, which, by the legislators' design, is intended to become more flexible and digital.
Contradictory data
No significant contradictions in dates or figures were identified in the provided sources. However, it should be noted that the exact procedure for obtaining an extract from the Unified Database, as of the publication date (September 13, 2026), has not been officially defined, since the by-laws of the Cabinet of Ministers have not yet been adopted. Thus, specific practical details — issuance deadlines, the list of documents required for a request, the list of issuance points — remain unknown until the publication of the corresponding regulatory acts.
