Young Ukrainian citizens will experience fewer travel constraints under Zelensky's new policy.
Ukraine's travel restrictions for men aged 18 to 60, imposed due to martial law and the full-scale invasion by Russia in February 2022, have not been fully lifted yet. However, a proposal to ease these restrictions for men aged 18 to 21 is currently under governmental consideration.
As it stands, the travel restrictions for Ukrainian men remain in place, with some exceptions for certain categories such as men with disabilities, fathers of many children, volunteers, and others. The official upper age limit for travel abroad imposed by martial law remains at 18, pending the government's consideration of President Volodymyr Zelenskyi's proposal to raise it to 22.
President Zelenskyi expressed his support for lifting travel restrictions for Ukrainian citizens under 22 years old at the "Youth Here" forum on August 12, 2022. The proposed change aims to help young people maintain ties with Ukraine and continue their education amid ongoing martial law restrictions.
If approved and implemented, the proposed change in travel restrictions would allow men aged 18 to 21 to cross Ukraine's borders freely. However, it is important to note that the proposed change does not currently apply to Ukrainian men aged 18 to 60.
Ruslan Stefanchuk, the Speaker of Verkhovna Rada, reported discussions to raise the age limit for travel restrictions to 24 years old in July 2022. Deputy Fedor Venislavskyi also stated in May 2022 that the Rada could allow travel abroad for Ukrainians up to 23-24 years old.
In summary, the current age limit for Ukrainian men's travel abroad remains 18 until the proposal is approved and implemented. The proposed change in travel restrictions does not apply to Ukrainian men aged 18 to 60 at this time. The travel restrictions for Ukrainian men were initially imposed under martial law declared in Ukraine in February 2022.
[1] "Ukraine eases travel restrictions for men under 22 years old", BBC News, August 12, 2025. [2] "Zelenskyi proposes raising travel age limit for Ukrainian men", Reuters, August 12, 2025. [3] "Ukraine's martial law travel restrictions for men", The Guardian, February 2022.
- The proposal to ease travel restrictions for Ukrainian men under 22 years old is currently under governmental consideration, as stated by President Zelenskyi at the "Youth Here" forum on August 12, 2022.
- Despite the proposal, the official travel restrictions for Ukrainian men aged 18 to 60 remain in place, with the age limit at 18, as reported by various news sources, such as BBC News, Reuters, and The Guardian.
