Will it be necessary to change the passport-booklet? Ukrainians with Russian language in the document have been warned
Ukrainian citizens who still use internal passports in booklet format should be prepared for changes to these documents. A bill has been registered in the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, which aims to remove Russian language entries from all official documents.
On June 13, 2025, a draft resolution No. 13369 was presented to the parliament. The primary objective of this document is to streamline the passport system, eliminate outdated norms, adapt to the current requirements of language legislation, and, importantly, remove foreign languages from Ukrainian documents.
What changes are planned?
Why are these changes relevant?
The legislation on language policy, which served as the basis for passport norms in the 1990s, lost its force in 2018.
The new language law No. 2704 obliges all documents to be issued in the state language.
Since 2016, ID cards and biometric documents have been in circulation, and booklet passports are no longer produced.
What about old passport booklets?
Although they remain valid, there are several important points:
New passports of this format have not been produced since 2014.
They can only be obtained by court decision and only on the remnants of the forms.
If the law is passed, the entries must be in Ukrainian only, even in exceptional cases.
What do you need to know about international passports?
Starting in 2015, Ukraine has been issuing new biometric passports for international use.
The old rules, which have been in effect since 1992, have been canceled and are now officially canceled.
In conclusion:
If you have a passport booklet, it remains valid; however, no further updates are planned.
If you apply to the court to obtain a passport, please note that the entries will be in Ukrainian only.
To travel abroad, you will need a new biometric passport.
We remind you that failure to update the document may result in the loss of benefits associated with pension certificates in 2025.
It was also previously reported that in 2025, there will be limited opportunities to secure a job in certain specialties, so it is worth considering them in advance.
