Applies to men, women and children: Ukrainians are advised to get a stamp when leaving the country

The German Embassy advises Ukrainians to obtain proof of lawful departure themselves

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20 Aug 2026

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The Embassy of Ukraine in the FRG recommends that Ukrainian citizens, when leaving the country, ask Ukrainian border guards to place a stamp in their passport confirming crossing the state border. The recommendation applies to all Ukrainians regardless of sex and age and is related to new rules for obtaining temporary protection in European Union countries. The diplomatic mission reported this on 20 August 2026.

Important clarification: this is specifically a recommendation, not a new obligation for every citizen. The wording that “all Ukrainians must get a stamp” is too categorical. The Embassy advises doing this to minimize possible problems when applying for status in the EU. The cause was the new rules provided for by Council Implementing Decision of the EU 2026/1912 of 30 July 2026. The document was published on 4 August, and the new provisions came into effect on 5 August 2026. They allow EU authorities to check whether a person lawfully left the territory of Ukraine, and for those to whom it applies – whether military duties have been observed in accordance with Ukrainian legislation.

The Council decision itself states that confirmation of lawful departure may be either a recorded lawful crossing of the Ukrainian border or an exit stamp in the passport. Thus, a stamp is one way to quickly confirm the legality of border crossing, but it is not the only possible proof.

If an EU country cannot confirm the lawfulness of a person’s departure, the new applicant may be asked for another official document – in paper or electronic form. The EU decision explicitly mentions information from the “Reserve+” application as one example. Therefore, Ukrainians who are planning to travel to EU countries in the near future and intend to apply for temporary protection there for the first time are advised by the Embassy not to rely solely on electronic recording of border crossing, but to ask the border guard to place the appropriate stamp in the passport.

If a person is already outside Ukraine, official information about crossing the state border can be obtained from the Main Center for Processing Special Information of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine. The Embassy also said that additional detailed clarifications should appear soon on the official resources of the MFA and Ukrainian diplomatic missions.

At the same time, the new rules do not mean an automatic refusal to all men of mobilization age. The EU decision does not divide solely by sex or age – it assesses the lawfulness of departure and whether a specific person has fulfilled military duties.

The changes also do not automatically strip protection from Ukrainians who had already been continuously using it in a particular EU country before the new rules came into force.