Travel abroad on vacation for booked employees: what you need to know

During martial law in Ukraine, there are strict restrictions on men aged 18 to 60 traveling abroad. However, the law provides for exceptions for certain categories of citizens, including employees who are officially reserved for the period of mobilization. The Ministry of Justice has provided clarification on who exactly can exercise this right and what documents are required to do so.

Who is eligible to travel?

The Rules for Crossing the State Border state that conscripts who are not subject to conscription during mobilization may cross the border. This category includes those who are reserved in accordance with Article 23 of the Law “On Mobilization Preparation and Mobilization.” Such employees remain on special military registration and are officially exempt from conscription.

However, there is a nuance: regulatory acts clearly regulate only the procedure for the departure of those reserved for business trips. The issue of going on vacation remains unregulated. That is why the final decision in such cases is made by the State Border Service employees during the control procedure.

At the same time, there is a list of categories of civil servants who are prohibited from going on vacation. These include members of the Cabinet of Ministers, their deputies, heads of central government bodies, judges, prosecutors, and local council deputies.

What documents are required?

To travel abroad on vacation, booked employees must prepare a package of documents:

• Ukrainian passport;
• military registration document (paper or electronic in the Reserve+ app) with a booking mark and entry in the Oberig system;
• an extract or copy of the vacation order, which must indicate the country of travel, the duration of stay, and the employee’s position;
• additional documents confirming the purpose of the trip (e.g., hotel reservations or tickets).

It is important that the person has no valid travel bans or violations of military registration rules.

The Ministry of Justice emphasizes that due to the lack of clear legal norms, the issue of going on vacation always remains at the discretion of border guards. Therefore, in order to avoid misunderstandings, employees are advised to clarify the procedure for crossing the border in advance with the State Border Service by calling the hotline 1598 or through other official channels.

Thus, booked employees have the right to cross the border, but only if they have all the necessary documents and there are no restrictions. Since the procedure for going on vacation is not regulated by law, each case is considered individually. Therefore, before planning a trip, it is worth consulting with border guards and making sure that all documents are in order.

If you have any questions, please contact the lawyers of Strategic Advocacy JSC for clarification.