President Volodymyr Zelensky has told the government and military command to consider simplifying border crossing for Ukrainian men under the age of 22.
“Currently, there is an age restriction at the border for those over the age of 18,” Zelensky said in a speech during a meeting with participants of the Ukrainian Youth Forum on Tuesday.
“I propose raising the age limit to 22 so that there are no restrictions on crossing the border,” he added.
The president said that this will “help many young Ukrainians maintain ties with Ukraine and realize their potential, primarily in Ukraine, in education.”
Since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022, martial law has been imposed in Ukraine along with general mobilization.
Men between the ages of 18 and 60 are generally prohibited from traveling abroad unless the circumstances are exceptional, although only those aged 25 and above can be drafted at present.
One such exceptional circumstance is for students of Ukrainian higher education institutions, who can sometimes travel abroad for one semester under academic mobility programs.
Concerns have been growing, however, over the increasing number of underage boys leaving the country in time to sidestep the restrictions.
With travel restrictions imposed after the age of 18, many families are sending their sons abroad before they reach adulthood.
According to the European Commission, minors represented almost one third of those who had fled Ukraine and were under temporary protection in the EU at the end of June 2025.
Amid concerns that this could lead to a demographic crisis and long-term brain drain, there has been much discussion on how to resolve the issue.
In mid-July, Ukraine’s Verkhovna Rada discussed the possibility of allowing men aged 18 to 24 to travel outside Ukraine.
Ruslan Stefanchuk, the speaker of the Rada, said: “People between the ages of 18 and 25 are those who are not subject to mobilization, but are not able to exercise one of their rights. Therefore, we must find a mechanism to enable them to realize all these rights.”
At the forum on Tuesday, Zelensky also announced an increase in the number of scholarships for students from next year.
“We are already expanding our support for those who demonstrate high educational results,” he said.
“We will continue the current programs and encourage students to strive for even better achievements.”