MFA: Men of military age who update their data under law to be able to apply for consular services
Men of military age who have updated their data in accordance with the requirements of the law will be able to submit applications for consular services, get their slot in the electronic queue and get an appointment at the consulate, according to an explanation from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine (MFA).
The department said the decision to suspend consular services for male citizens of Ukraine abroad applies only to men of military age. The Foreign Ministry said the decision temporarily suspends the acceptance of new applications from this category of citizens for a limited period of time.
"After this period ends, applications will continue to be accepted," the ministry said.
In addition, the ministry said the technical pause in accepting new applications from men of military age is due to the need to prepare for the entry into force of new rules for the provision of consular services for this category of citizens in connection with the entry into force of the new law on mobilization.
"This is not about stopping the provision of services as such, but only about temporarily suspending the acceptance of new applications for consular services. This decision was forced, since the period for their consideration may exceed the period for the entry into force of the new legislation. The goal is to ensure an effective and organized provision of services to all categories of citizens in the context of changes in the legislative framework," the MFA said.
It is noted that the suspension period for accepting new applications is dictated by the time necessary to make technical changes to the algorithms of information and communication systems used to perform relevant consular functions, as well as updating by-laws after the adoption of the new law.
The department also said this decision only temporarily suspends the acceptance of new applications for consular services until the mechanisms for clarifying military registration data are finalized in accordance with the requirements of the law.
"After the new mechanisms come into force, every man of military age who is temporarily abroad will have the opportunity to clarify his credentials, in particular remotely through an electronic account. If a man has clarified his data and has legal grounds to receive, in accordance with the requirements legislation, consular services, he will have this opportunity. These are equal conditions and the attitude of the government towards men in Ukraine and abroad," the Foreign Ministry said.
In addition, the MFA is working on a package for modernizing the provision of consular services for Ukrainian citizens, which will generally simplify access for all categories of citizens to consular services, reduce the time of procedures and solve a number of problems associated with increased demand as a result of an increase in the number of citizens abroad since 2022.