Disability Registration Abroad

Since January 1, 2025, medical and social expert commissions (MSEC) have finally ceased their activities in Ukraine. They have been replaced by a fundamentally new, digitalized system of assessment of a person’s daily functioning. This reform eliminated the outdated bureaucratic approach and introduced a transparent mechanism for determining disability status, based on the international standards of the ICF (International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health).

The law company “Prikhodko and Partners” has prepared a detailed expert analysis and step-by-step algorithm for Ukrainians who are forced to or permanently stay abroad, but need to register disability, undergo reassessment or receive state support remotely.

The essence of the reform: what changed after the abolition of MSEC?

The new system has completely changed the philosophy of the process. Previously, MSEC assessed only the formal diagnosis and paper certificates. Modern assessment of daily functioning focuses on the real needs of a person.

• The main goal of the assessment is to determine exactly how pathology or injury affects the patient’s quality of life?
• What limitations exist in mobility (movement) and self-care?
• What physical or social barriers does the person face?
• What specific assistance (technical rehabilitation aids, social services) does the person need from the state?

The right to undergo this procedure extraterritorially — that is, regardless of the actual location of the citizen (in Ukraine or outside it) — is enshrined in a special Law of Ukraine “On Amendments to Certain Legislative Acts of Ukraine Regarding the Reform of MSEC and the Introduction of Assessment of a Person’s Daily Functioning”.

Please note! This guide has been developed as a practical roadmap for Ukrainian emigrants and refugees.

Who can undergo assessment abroad and basic requirements

All citizens who legally stay in EU countries or other countries of the world have the right to undergo the procedure without mandatory return to Ukraine. The foundation for successful case review is a properly formed package of foreign medical documents and their proper legal translation.

For the expert team to make a positive decision without an in-person examination (in absentia), foreign medical extracts must contain:

1. Accurate diagnoses with mandatory indication of ICD-10 codes (International Classification of Diseases).
2. A detailed description of the functional condition — how the disease limits daily activity (ability to work, study, communicate, move independently).

Choose your legal path: two registration options

Before starting the procedure, it is necessary to clearly distinguish where exactly you plan to receive social payments and whether Ukraine has bilateral agreements with the country of your current residence.

Path No. 1: Receiving payments in Ukraine

Applies in two cases:

1. You live in a country with which Ukraine has not signed a social security agreement (for example, the USA, Canada, Great Britain, etc.).
2. There is an agreement, but you want to receive a disability pension/assistance exclusively to your Ukrainian bank account.

Path No. 2: Receiving payments in the country of residence

Applies if you are in a country with which an international agreement has been concluded and you plan to receive local social payments through mutual offset of service record and medical conclusions between states.

Detailed algorithm of Path No. 1: payments from Ukraine

The process is initiated through the healthcare system of Ukraine on the basis of the foreign documents provided by you.

1. Formation of referral by a doctor

Your attending or family doctor in Ukraine (or the head of MMC/MCEC) analyzes the submitted medical documents and determines the patient’s compliance with the criteria approved by Resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine dated 15.11.2024 No. 1338.

Grounds for referral for assessment:

• presence of persistent impairments of body functions lasting more than 12 months;
• arrival of the period for reassessment that was previously established by MSEC;
• primary establishment of disability status or change of group based on medical indications.

Important for primary applications: If you have not consulted Ukrainian doctors for a long time, the doctor will need to conduct several remote consultations or involve specialized Ukrainian experts to verify the foreign medical history and disease dynamics.

2. Checklist of documents for uploading to the system

All documents must be scanned in PDF format. Color format is recommended for clear display of signatures and seals.

• Personal documents: passport of a citizen of Ukraine (all pages with marks) or ID card.
• Medical block: clinical extracts, CT/MRI/ultrasound results, copies of previous MSEC certificates, individual rehabilitation program (IRP), if available.
• Military registration documents: military ID or data from the “Reserve+” application.
• Documents on the cause of disability: acts on occupational injury, MMC conclusions on injury, etc. (if available).

Legal nuance from “Prikhodko and Partners”: Your place of registration or the legal form of the clinic (private individual entrepreneur, LLC or municipal hospital) that submits the referral does not matter. The ESOZ system is unified for the entire country.

3. Specifics of filling out the card for persons abroad

When forming an application in ESOZ, the doctor must mark that the patient is abroad.

• A current E-mail must be indicated. The official invitation and final decision will be sent to this email.
• If necessary, the data of a Trusted Person (for communication) or Authorized Representative may be indicated. It is important to distinguish these statuses: a Trusted Person only transmits information, while an Authorized Representative (for example, a lawyer) has the right to represent interests at the meeting if there is an official application and power of attorney.

4. Form of conducting and selection of the expert team

Two formats are provided for citizens abroad:

1. In absentia (exclusively based on documents) — if the provided package is exhaustive.
2. Through telemedicine (video communication) — if experts need additional clarifications.

The patient has the right to choose any medical institution on the territory of Ukraine where new expert teams operate (the current list is available on the Ministry of Health dashboard). After the case is placed in the electronic queue, the system automatically depersonalizes the data — until the moment of review, neither the commission members nor the patient know the composition of the working group, which completely eliminates corruption risks.

Preferential translation of medical documents through the Consulate

According to Art. 38 of the Law of Ukraine “On Notaries” (as amended by Law No. 4170-IX), citizens of Ukraine have the right to free certification of the accuracy of translation of medical documents in foreign diplomatic institutions (consulates) of Ukraine. The consular fee for this action is not charged.

Detailed algorithm of Path No. 2: countries with international agreements

If you plan to receive payments directly in the country of residence, you do not need to independently look for a doctor in Ukraine. The process takes place through international interdepartmental exchange.

List of states with which the simplified mechanism applies:

• Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Spain, Portugal.

How this mechanism works:

1. You contact the competent authority of the country of stay (for example, ZUS in Poland, ČSSZ in the Czech Republic, etc.).
2. Local doctors fill in special international medical forms (for example, structured electronic documents of the SED system).
3. The foreign authority independently sends these forms to the Pension Fund of Ukraine (PFU).
4. PFU sends the materials to the specialized Center for Assessment of Functional Condition of Persons in Ukraine.
5. The Ukrainian expert team conducts an in absentia assessment according to the criteria of Resolution No. 1338 and the Assessment Procedure, after which it returns the decision back to PFU for further coordination of payments.

Professional legal assistance of LC “Prikhodko and Partners”

The reform of the MSEC system and transition to new rails of assessment of daily functioning is a complex legal process, especially for citizens who are abroad and cannot personally visit Ukrainian institutions. The slightest mistake in formalizing a foreign extract, absence of an ICD-10 code or incorrectly uploaded PDF file in ESOZ may cause the administrator to return the case for revision and loss of time.

The law company “Prikhodko and Partners” provides full support of the procedure:

• comprehensive legal audit of your foreign medical documents for compliance with Resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine No. 1338;
• representation of interests in medical institutions of Ukraine and communication with doctors regarding correct formation of electronic referral;
• protection of your rights as an official authorized representative during the meeting of expert teams.

Do you have additional questions regarding the procedure of MSEC liquidation or disability registration from abroad? Leave a request on our website to receive an individual legal consultation.

If you are abroad and need to undergo assessment of daily functioning, register disability or undergo reassessment remotely — the team of “Prikhodko and Partners” will help prepare documents and support the procedure.