Ukraine’s State Migration Service suspends passport processing until September 30

Ukraine’s State Migration Service (SMS) has announced a temporary suspension of passport document processing from September 28 to 30, 2026, due to problems with communication channels.

The agency announced this on Facebook.

According to the SMS, access to certain information and telecommunications systems of the agency has been restricted due to problems with the functioning of communication channels. The official website of the State Migration Service has also been suspended for the duration of the operator’s restoration work.

Ukrainians had previously been warned about internet and communications disruptions following shelling. Prime Minister Serhiy Koretsky stated on the same day that preparations were underway for the “worst-case scenario” for internet operations in Ukraine.

Problems with passport processing in Ukraine are not new. The state enterprise “Document” warned as far back as the summer about delays in the production of foreign passports and recommended ordering the expedited option from the outset. An expedited foreign passport costs around €48, a standard one — around €35. The stated processing time for an expedited document is seven business days, but in practice, according to administrators, it can stretch to two or three weeks. Standard passports, which previously took up to 20 business days, may now take up to two months.