Ukrainian women applying for temporary protection in some European Union countries have reportedly been asked to provide information from Ukraine’s Reserve+ mobile application. Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has confirmed that it is aware of such cases but stressed that the practice is not widespread.
The issue emerged following changes to the EU rules governing temporary protection for Ukrainians. Under Council Implementing Decision (EU) 2026/1912 of July 30, 2026, temporary protection was extended until March 4, 2028, while additional requirements were introduced for new applicants.
In particular, people applying for temporary protection after July 31, 2026 may be required to demonstrate compliance with military obligations under Ukrainian law or prove that they legally left Ukraine.
The new requirements may also affect Ukrainians who move from one EU country to another and have to undergo a new legalization procedure. Ukrainians who already hold valid temporary protection and remain in the same country are currently not affected by these changes.
One of the key issues is that the EU decision uses gender-neutral wording, referring to “persons” rather than establishing separate rules for men and women.
In the absence of a unified EU-wide verification mechanism, individual migration authorities have begun determining which documents applicants should provide. As a result, some Ukrainian women have reportedly been asked to present information from Reserve+, including to verify whether they are subject to military registration requirements in Ukraine.
Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry said such cases primarily arise when applicants cannot provide sufficient evidence that they legally crossed the Ukrainian border — for example, when their passports do not contain a border-crossing stamp.
According to the ministry, if an applicant can prove that they legally left Ukraine, there should normally be no need to provide information from Reserve+.
The practical application of the new rules may currently differ between EU member states. Ukraine expects the European Union to establish a more unified approach to their implementation.
