Deferral from Mobilization for Clergy: New Rules for 2025, List of Religious Organizations, and the Procedure for Reservation

In 2025, for the first time in Ukraine’s history, clergy have officially been granted the right to apply for reservation from mobilization.
This is not just a declaration or theoretical provision – it is an effective mechanism approved by orders of the State Service of Ukraine for Ethnic Policy and Freedom of Conscience (SSEFC).

If you are the head of a religious organization, a superior, or planning to protect your community from conscription, it is important to know who has the right to a deferral from mobilization for clergy, which documents are required, and how to act correctly so as not to lose this opportunity.

Lawyers from Case Lviv have prepared a detailed guide to help you avoid mistakes and submit documents on time.

What Has Changed: Official Reservation for Clergy

Until 2025, there were no clear rules on reserving church staff.
Now, thanks to an SSEFC order, an official List of Critically Important Religious Organizations has been formed, which are entitled to submit candidates for deferral.

According to SSEFC, 7,726 legal entities have been included in the list.
These are communities, spiritual centers, missions, brotherhoods, and monasteries that meet strict criteria:

• registered in the Unified State Register,

• have non-profit status,

• have submitted tax reports,

• are not affiliated with banned foreign religious structures,

• are registered in government-controlled territories of Ukraine.

Who Has the Right to a Deferral from Mobilization in 2025

Currently, the procedure is divided into two stages:

First stage – reservation of religious organization leaders.
This includes:

• church superiors,

• heads of spiritual centers and administrations,

• monastery leaders,

• rectors of theological educational institutions.

Each organization can submit one leader, officially listed in the Unified State Register.

Second stage – reservation of regular clergy, such as deputy superiors or parish staff. This procedure is being prepared for launch soon.

Important: if a person already has another deferral under the law, it is prohibited to submit documents for reservation again.

Documents Required for Clergy Reservation

To apply for reservation, you need to prepare a package of documents:

1. An official letter from the religious organization on letterhead, signed by the head and stamped.

2. An electronic form in XLS format (table with data: full name, tax number, passport details, military ID, email).

3. A copy of the document confirming ordination (certificate, seminary diploma, or other official document).

4. A valid military registration document (military ID or temporary certificate).

All documents must be sent by email to info@dess.gov.ua in a single email.
The form must be completed only in the approved Excel template, not Word or scanned formats.

Who Submits the Documents for Reservation

Depending on your organization’s structure, documents are submitted either by:

• the religious center or administration (if the community belongs to a centralized denomination),

• or directly by an independent community, mission, or monastery.

If the organization is part of a large denomination, documents are first transferred to the diocese or metropolitanate, which then submit them to SSEFC centrally.

Independent religious organizations have the right to submit documents themselves.

What to Do if Your Community Is Not Included in the List

The main reasons why a religious organization was not included in the list are:

• no annual tax report submitted,

• no non-profit status,

• discrepancies in the official name,

• registration in occupied territories,

• no official head listed in the register.

Possible solutions:

• check with the tax office whether reports have been submitted,

• submit or correct the reports,

• confirm non-profit status,

• make changes to the register if necessary.

Lawyers will help restore legal status to prepare the organization for the next wave of inclusion in the list.

Duration of Reservation and Renewal

The deferral is granted for 12 months.
For example, if you are reserved in June 2025, the deferral is valid until June 2026.

It must be renewed every year.
If reservation is not renewed on time, the status of a conscript is automatically reinstated.

Why You Should Consult a Lawyer

The procedure for clergy reservation is a complex process with many nuances:

• correct data entry into the register,

• confirmation of the organization's status,

• preparation of documents without errors,

• preventing duplicate deferral grounds.

A mobilization lawyer in Lviv will help you:

• review your situation,

• prepare letters and forms,

• support submission to SSEFC,

• monitor confirmation through the Diia portal.

The mechanism for reserving clergy is already functioning.
This is an opportunity to protect not only yourself but also your community, ensuring the continuity of spiritual service during wartime.

If you plan to apply for a deferral or want to reliably protect your rights, lawyers from Case Lviv are ready to provide professional assistance.

Submit a request for a consultation to start preparing your documents without risk of refusal.