A school can check military registration: what 17-year-olds need to know

Schools may check students’ military registration documents, but there is an important restriction — they do not have the right to require the paper version.

The Ministry of Defence of Ukraine explained that educational institutions have the right to check whether draft-eligible students have an electronic military registration document (e-VOD).

This right is provided for by Cabinet of Ministers Resolution No. 1487, according to which schools are obliged to keep personal military records. This means that when enrolling in upper grades or before admission, educational institutions may check for the presence of the document and store this data in personal files.

At the same time, the ministry emphasized: demanding the paper military registration document when an electronic one exists is illegal.

The electronic military registration document is available in the Rezerv+ or Diia apps. It has the same legal force as the paper version and contains a QR code for verification.

Schools can verify the document by scanning the QR code through Rezerv+. If there is no technical capability, the use of a printed copy of the electronic document or contacting a territorial recruitment centre is permitted.

It was separately noted that male citizens who turn 17 in 2026 are required to register for military service during the period from January 1 to July 31.

This can be done either through the electronic cabinet or in person at a territorial recruitment centre (TRC). After registration, the data are automatically displayed in digital services.

The Ministry of Defence also warns that ignoring the obligation to register for military service without valid reasons may have legal consequences.

The Ministry of Defence of Ukraine explained the procedure for checking documents in schools:

“Schools have the right to check for the presence of an electronic military registration document in draft-eligible individuals and to store this data in personal files. At the same time, the requirement to provide the paper conscription record when an electronic one is available is illegal.”

Earlier we wrote:

• Not from April 1: Ministry of Defence postponed the launch of the TRC reform; 90% of deferments extended via the Rezerv+ system
• Draft notices on the phone, automatic checks: is mobilization becoming total?
• To prove she had not been registered, a woman was advised by the TRC to register
• Rezerv+ or in person: young men of the Korabelnyi District are officially entered into the military register
• “Rezerv+” will now extend the deferment itself — without queues and TRCs