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160th
Mechanized Brigade
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160th Separate Mechanized Brigade

Serving in Ukraine as a foreign national

Foreign nationals can serve under contract in a regular Ukrainian brigade. Five steps in plain language. Never pay anyone for a place.

Contact the recruiter

Before you decide

Check the laws of your own country first

Some countries do not allow their citizens to serve in foreign armed forces, or limit it. Check your own country’s law first. The brigade cannot give legal advice.

The rules for foreign service members are changing. Confirm the current ones with the recruiter before you travel or sign anything.

The path

Five steps, from the law to your first message

Each step shows what you do and what the brigade does. We give a time limit only where Ukrainian law sets one, and the source is next to it. Where the law sets none, we do not invent one.

  1. Step 1. Is it legal?

    No fixed time limit. Depends on you. The brigade cannot give legal advice about the law of your country.

    You
    Read the law of your own country on serving in a foreign armed force, then decide whether to apply. Nobody should rush you.
    The brigade
    Ukrainian law allows it. A foreign national or stateless person may apply directly to the military unit where they want to serve under contract; the candidate is then referred for the special check through the Recruitment Center for Foreign Nationals and Stateless Persons. You serve as a member of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, under Ukrainian law and a written contract.

  2. Step 2. Documents, age and the check

    By lawTime limit. The special check of a foreign candidate takes up to one month and may include a polygraph examination.Law No. 2232-XII, Art. 21-1 (opens in a new tab)

    You
    Tell the recruiter about your experience, specialty and education. If you have none, ask how training works. Expect a military medical commission. Do not send passport photos or other documents in a messenger before you have talked to the recruiter.
    The brigade
    The main conditions for admitting a foreign national to contract service: recognising and following the Constitution and laws of Ukraine, lawful presence in Ukraine, no criminal record, and a valid foreign passport or a stateless person’s identity document. During the special period the maximum age for contract service for enlisted ranks, sergeants, petty officers and junior and senior officers is 60; a brigade may set its own requirements. The recruiter gives you the exact list of documents.

  3. Step 3. The contract

    By lawTime limit. A foreign national’s contract under the law: enlisted ranks serve three years, sergeants and petty officers three to five years, officers one to five years.Law No. 2232-XII, Art. 21-2 (opens in a new tab)

    You
    Read the contract before you sign it and ask about anything that is unclear. Ask the recruiter to explain pay and payments for your position. Pay and payments are set by Ukrainian law, see the terms of service page. The decision is yours.
    The brigade
    A foreign national signing a contract has a probation period of two months. During the special period a foreign national may end the contract at their own request, but not earlier than after six months of continuous service.
    Pay and payments under the law

  4. Step 4. Residence permit

    By lawTime limit. The State Migration Service issues the temporary residence permit within 15 working days of accepting the documents.Cabinet of Ministers Resolution No. 322, para. 5 (opens in a new tab)

    You
    Ask your unit or the State Migration Service what applies to you. The deadline depends on the date of your contract and entry, and the transitional rules are still changing.
    The brigade
    A foreign contract service member’s temporary residence permit is issued for the term of the contract and, as a rule, for a further six months after it ends. To apply, a service member needs a military registration document (service ID), the contract and a commitment from the unit. The commitment says the unit will tell the State Migration Service if the contract ends early. The State Migration Service, the state enterprise “Document” or, where the law allows, an administrative services centre accepts the documents. The unit prepares the package. The service member provides only the documents the unit does not have. The service member must attend in person, for example for the photo, biometrics and signing, and to collect the permit. We do not promise citizenship and we do not give a timeline for it.

  5. Step 5. Where to apply

    No fixed time limit. Depends on the route and on the recruiter’s workload. We do not promise an exact time.

    You
    You can apply directly to a unit, for example through the official channels of this brigade, or through the Recruitment Center for Foreign Nationals and Stateless Persons. The form on this site is not an official application to a unit. It starts a conversation with a recruiter. Do not pay anyone for a place in the army, a permit or citizenship. If someone asks you for money, stop and check first.
    The brigade
    The recruiter will tell you which route fits your case and whether the brigade has a suitable position for you now. We do not promise a place.
    Check that you are talking to us

The “By law” tag means the time limit is written in a legal act, and the source is under it. The order and length of the steps can differ in your case, and the recruiter will explain.

Safety

Check that you are talking to us

Fake accounts and false “agents” target foreign nationals who want to join. These are the channels the brigade itself has published.

Signs of a scammer

  • asks you to pay for enlistment, an invitation, travel, a permit or “fast” documents
  • promises a permit, citizenship or a specific place of service “for sure”
  • writes from a new or personal account that is not in the list above
  • asks for a passport photo, a code or bank details before you have talked to a recruiter
  • pushes you with “today only” or “places are running out”

FAQ

Questions foreign nationals ask

Does the brigade accept foreign nationals?

Yes, the law allows it, and you can apply to a unit directly. After you leave your contact the recruiter tells you whether this brigade has a suitable position. We do not promise a place. Open positions are listed on the vacancies page.

Do I have to pay anyone to join?

Do not pay anyone for a place in the army, a permit or citizenship. If someone asks, stop and check on the official Telegram channel of the brigade.

Will the brigade arrange my travel and entry?

We do not promise this. Ask the recruiter: entry rules and travel depend on the route you use. Do not buy tickets before you have talked to a recruiter.

Do I need to speak Ukrainian?

Ask the recruiter which language your unit uses, and tell the recruiter which languages you speak.

Will I be sent to the front right away?

We cannot promise a place or tasks. If you have no experience, you go through basic training first. Ask the recruiter how long it takes in your case. The terms of service page explains what the law sets.

Can I leave the service if I change my mind?

During the special period a foreign national may end the contract at their own request, but not earlier than after six months of continuous service. Ask the recruiter how the procedure works. See also step 3.

Questions?

Tell the recruiter about yourself

Send your contact details and the messenger you use. A recruiter will write to you in that messenger. We do not promise an exact time. It is a conversation, not a contract.

Contact the recruiter
Talk to a recruiter