On October 15, 2026, the government of Montenegro made a decision to amend the procedure for granting temporary protection to Ukrainians who fall under military conscription. From now on, to obtain temporary protection status, Ukrainians must provide proof of completion of service or exemption from it.
New Requirements for Protection
According to the new rules, conscript-age Ukrainians arriving in Montenegro must confirm that they indeed resided in Ukraine before their arrival and fulfilled their military obligations or were exempted from them. These changes only apply to new applicants for temporary protection.
Exemptions for Existing Protected Individuals
It is important to note that the new requirements will not affect those Ukrainians who have already received temporary protection status in Montenegro. This means their situation will remain unchanged, and they are not required to provide additional documentation.
Context of the Changes
These changes in Montenegro's policy follow similar decisions in the European Union, where restrictions for military conscripts from Ukraine have also been introduced. Such measures are driven by the need to control migration flows in the context of military conflicts.