Main points
- Mobilization is ongoing in Ukraine, but certain categories of citizens may receive a deferral, including students, parents with many children, and people with disabilities.
- The process of applying for a deferral involves submitting an application to the CCC with documents confirming the right to a deferral, as well as the possibility of applying online through the Reserve+ system.
- The deferral is valid for a certain period of time, depending on the grounds, and may require re-registration after the expiration of this period.
Who is entitled to a deferment from mobilization in February 2025 / Photo of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine
Martial law and general mobilization of conscripted men continue in Ukraine. Certain categories of citizens can obtain a deferment from service in the ranks of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
At the end of December, the conditions for applying for a deferment from mobilization changed. Who can apply for a deferment and what has changed in the rules for applying for it – read the material of Channel 24 .
Who can get a deferment from mobilization?
According to the Law of Ukraine “On Mobilization Training and Mobilization”, the following are not subject to conscription for military service during mobilization:
- persons with disabilities of any group and temporarily unfit for service according to the opinion of the VLK;
- men and women who support three or more children under the age of 18;
- men and women who are raising a child under the age of 18 on their own;
- guardians, custodians, adoptive parents, foster parents raising a child with a disability under the age of 18;
- guardians, custodians, adoptive parents, foster parents who are raising a child with serious nervous system damage, complex congenital malformations, cancer, cerebral palsy, severe mental disorders, type I diabetes, acute kidney disease;
- guardians, custodians, adoptive parents, foster parents who are raising a child who has suffered a serious injury, needs an organ transplant, or palliative care, if the child does not have a disability;
- men and women who support an adult child with a disability of group I or II;
- adoptive parents, guardians, custodians, foster parents, foster parents who support orphans, children deprived of parental care under the age of 18;
- those who care for a sick spouse, child, their parents or the spouse's parents, who, according to the conclusion of a medical and social expert commission or medical advisory commission, require constant care and have no other relatives able to provide it;
- those who have a spouse (husband) with a disability or his (her) parents or the spouse's (husband's) parents with group I or II disability, provided that there are no other persons not subject to military service who can support them;
- those who have a wife (husband) with a group III disability, if it arose due to cancer, the absence of limbs, hands, feet, one of the paired organs, as well as in the case of a diagnosed mental disorder, cerebral palsy or other paralytic syndromes;
- those who care for a person with a disability of group I or II of the second degree of kinship, if there are no first-degree relatives who can care for them, or for a person with a disability of the third degree of kinship, if there are no second-degree relatives capable of providing care;
- guardians of an incapacitated person;
- men and women who have a minor child(ren) and a spouse who is serving in the military;
- people's deputies;
- individual civil servants;
- individual judges;
- diplomatic servants;
- reserved employees;
- students of universities, colleges, vocational and technical institutions and postgraduate students who study full-time;
- university and college lecturers, teachers and vocational teachers who work in educational institutions at least at a rate of 0.75, as well as employees of scientific institutions and organizations who have an academic title or a scientific degree;
- men and women whose close relatives died or went missing during the ATO;
- men and women whose close relatives died or went missing during the war with Russia;
- relatives (husband, wife, son, daughter, mother, full or half brother or sister) of a person who was posthumously awarded the title of Hero of Ukraine;
- released from Russian captivity.
What is the process for applying for a deferment?
According to Cabinet Resolution No. 560, if a conscript is entitled to a deferment, he must submit an application to the head of the commission of the district or city CCC, contacting the recruiting center where he is on military registration.
The application must be accompanied by documents confirming the right to a deferral, or their certified copies, and a military registration document must be presented – either paper or electronic. After submitting the application, it must be registered immediately.
The issuance of a deferral for reserved employees is carried out by state bodies, local governments, enterprises, institutions or organizations where they work.
The decision to postpone service is made by a commission established at the CCC. It considers the application, checks the submitted documents, assesses the legality of the grounds for the postponement, and, if necessary, sends requests to the relevant state bodies or uses data from registers to confirm the applicant's rights.
The commission is obliged to make a decision within seven calendar days from the date of submission of the application. If additional requests are sent, the period may be extended to 15 days. During this period, the conscript is not entitled to be mobilized.
The commission's decision is recorded in the minutes, after which the applicant is called or sent a letter with a notification of the refusal or granting of a deferment. In the case of a positive decision, the conscript is issued a certificate with the specified deferment period.
If a person disagrees with the commission's conclusion, they can appeal it in court.
Students, people with disabilities, and parents with many children can now apply for a deferral online through Reserve+, without the need to upload supporting documents. The information is checked through other registries and databases that interact with the “Oberig” registry.
If the grounds for the postponement disappear or its term expires, the postponement is automatically canceled.
How long is the deferment from service in the Armed Forces of Ukraine valid?
The term of the deferment from conscription depends on the grounds for it. For example, it expires when a student completes his studies or when one of the conscript's three children reaches the age of majority.
In practice, the deferral often ends earlier and cannot exceed the mobilization period. It is set for 90 days from the start of a full-scale invasion, after which the president extends mobilization and martial law by decree. Accordingly, after this period, the deferral will have to be issued again.
To renew, you must resubmit your application to the CCC with the appropriate documents. Some procurement centers allow you to send them by mail or submit only the application without duplicating the documents.
Certain categories of military conscripts have clearly established deferral periods:
- people with disabilities are granted deferrals for the entire period of their disability;
- students and postgraduates receive a deferment for one academic semester (but not longer than 6 months);
- lecturers and teachers are granted deferrals for the entire academic year;
- for those who have been declared temporarily unfit for service by a military medical commission, the deferment is valid for the period specified in its conclusion, but not longer than 12 months;
- Civil servants and officials are granted a deferral for the entire period of their work in the relevant position.
Conscripts who have applied for a deferment through Reserve+ do not need to periodically renew it in the CCC and SP. After all, the grounds for the deferment will be checked automatically through the “Oberig” registry.