Military personnel who have lost their passports will be able to restore the document with the community covering the fee

The Office of the Military Ombudsman of Ukraine has developed a mechanism allowing service members who have lost or damaged their passports to receive financial assistance from local self-government bodies to pay the administrative fee for document restoration. This was reported by RBC-Ukraine, citing representatives of the Military Ombudsman's Office. The initiative aims to resolve a systemic problem faced by thousands of defenders who found themselves without a primary identity document under combat conditions.

Problem identified during visits to military units

According to the Military Ombudsman's Office, the issue became evident during regular visits by agency representatives to military units and training centers. During these trips, ombudsman staff recorded cases where military personnel did not have their passports with them. Some of them lost their documents directly in the combat zone, while others arrived at training centers already without a valid ID. As a result, such service members find themselves in a difficult situation: without a passport, it is impossible to use bank accounts, reissue a bank card, or open a new account. This, in turn, creates real obstacles to receiving financial allowances, affecting the basic financial guarantees of military personnel.

Why full exemption from the fee failed

The Military Ombudsman's Office tried to achieve a complete exemption of defenders from the administrative fee for passport restoration. However, this requires appropriate legislative amendments, which have not been adopted at this time. Therefore, the agency proposed an alternative mechanism: local self-government bodies can pay the administrative fee instead of the service member. This approach does not require changing the regulatory framework and can be implemented within the existing powers of communities.

Support at the presidential and government levels

The proposal of the Military Ombudsman's Office received support from the Office of the President of Ukraine. In addition, the Cabinet of Ministers issued a recommendation stating that regional military administrations, together with communities, should provide assistance to those service members who are unable to independently pay for the passport restoration service. Thus, the mechanism receives institutional reinforcement at several levels of public administration.

How a service member can get help: a step-by-step algorithm

To receive support, a service member must contact the local self-government body of their community. Current contact information is posted on the official website of the respective body. In a written or oral appeal, one should indicate that the passport is lost or damaged and request assistance in paying the administrative fee for its restoration. After reviewing the application, the community can transfer funds directly to the settlement account of the ASC (TSS) or the State Migration Service unit where the new document will be issued.

Standard passport restoration procedure

A reminder of the basic procedure for restoring a lost passport remains relevant: for this, you need to apply to the State Migration Service, an ASC, or a passport service and submit an application for the loss of the document along with the necessary supporting materials. If the passport was stolen, an extract from the Unified Register of Pre-trial Investigations will also be required. The standard processing time for the application and issuance of a new document is up to 20 calendar days. It is at this stage that the administrative fee arises, the payment of which can now be undertaken by the community.