IDPs will be protected from eviction, penalties on loans will be canceled, and they will be able to choose housing online: what changes await from autumn

Internally displaced persons will live by new rules this autumn. The President signed Law No. 4924-IX "On Ensuring the Rights and Freedoms of Internally Displaced Persons", which replaces the document that had been in effect since 2014. From now on, the state is transitioning to electronic confirmation of the displaced person’s status, changing the deadlines for notifying about a new place of residence, introducing new housing provision mechanisms, strengthening social guarantees, and separately regulating credit obligations.

The document was officially published on July 22 in the newspaper "Holos Ukrainy" and will come into force in three months – on October 22, 2026. What changes are involved and what displaced persons should prepare for will be discussed further in the material by the "Judicial and Legal Newspaper".

Electronic extract instead of a certificate: what will change

One of the most noticeable innovations will be the refusal to use exclusively a paper certificate of an internally displaced person. A Unified Information Database on IDPs is being created. Thus, the law introduces a new document – an extract from the Unified Information Database on internally displaced persons.

Such an extract will confirm the fact of a person’s registration, contain information about their displacement and place of residence. It can be obtained both in paper and electronic form, with both options having equal legal force.

At the same time, holders of already issued certificates need not worry. The law explicitly states that documents issued before it comes into force remain valid and do not require mandatory replacement. If desired, a person can obtain an electronic extract, but this will be a right, not an obligation.

More time will be given to notify about a new place of residence

Another practical change concerns notifying the state about a change of residence. From now on, a person with IDP status, in case of changing residence or returning to the abandoned home, must notify the executive bodies of local authorities within 30 days.

The notification can be submitted through the district state administration, the executive body of the local council, or the administrative services center.

The extension of the deadline seems quite logical – people who change their place of residence due to hostilities or other consequences of the war often need time to arrange their household, find housing, enroll children in school, or resolve medical issues. The new term should reduce the risk of losing status simply because the person physically did not manage to contact the authorities on time.

Cancellation of IDP status: grounds

The document also details the grounds for deregistration. To deregister, a displaced person must submit an application and indicate one of the following grounds: permanent relocation abroad, return to their home, voluntary deregistration.

At the same time, the law provides cases when a decision can be made without the person’s application. These include cases when a person: did not notify within the legally established period about voluntary return to the abandoned place of residence, permanently relocated abroad, has not been in Ukraine for more than 90 consecutive days or more than 180 days in total during the year, has a legally binding conviction for certain crimes, or it is established that safe conditions for return have been restored, or if the person provided false information to register as an IDP.

At the same time, the law allows re-registration if life circumstances again create grounds for internal displacement.

New housing guarantees: the state will create an electronic system of affordable housing

A separate section of the new law is devoted to housing issues, which have remained among the most painful for internally displaced persons in recent years. The document not only confirms the right of displaced persons to state support but also offers new tools for searching and allocating housing.

It is planned to create an Information-Analytical System of Real Estate Objects to provide housing for internally displaced persons. Essentially, this is a unified digital platform that will accumulate information about state, communal, and, with owners' consent, private properties that can be used for displaced persons' accommodation.

An interactive map of such objects with information about their location, technical condition, availability of free spaces, and possibility of residence will be made publicly available. Through the system, internally displaced persons will be able to submit applications for housing, and the state will plan resource use and attract international funding for repairs or re-equipment of relevant premises.

Special commissions will be created to inspect real estate and assess its suitability for residence. After inspection, all information along with photos and conclusions will be entered into the electronic system.

At the same time, the law separately defines the status of temporary accommodation places. This concerns not only dormitories or modular towns but also other premises suitable for residence. For certain categories of internally displaced persons, the law guarantees that during martial law and for six months after its end, they cannot be evicted solely due to the expiration of the specified temporary residence period.

Social guarantees without additional bureaucratic procedures

The law explicitly states that displaced persons enjoy all constitutional rights and freedoms on an equal basis with other citizens of Ukraine. To exercise these rights, a person is considered permanently residing at the address where they are registered as an internally displaced person.

Also, no separate or more complicated procedures for appointment, payment, or recalculation of pensions can be introduced for internally displaced persons. Thus, the legislator enshrines equal rules for all pensioners regardless of their place of residence.

The law also guarantees displaced persons access to: medical care under the medical guarantees program, social services, rehabilitation aids, vocational training and employment programs, state support during professional, specialized pre-higher, and higher education.

It is separately emphasized that children of internally displaced persons have the right to study in preschool and general secondary education institutions at the place of registration of one of the parents.

New mechanism to protect displaced persons with loans

One of the most practical innovations of the law concerns credit obligations of internally displaced persons who left their homes due to temporary occupation or hostilities. The document stipulates that the total amount of interest on a loan or credit cannot exceed the interest that would be accrued at the minimum rate specified in the contract.

Moreover, such borrowers will not be charged fines, penalties, inflation losses, or other financial sanctions for overdue obligations. After receiving a written request, the creditor must recalculate the debt within seven days.

If this is not done, the law considers the recalculation to have been made automatically.

Another important guarantee is the prohibition to sell the loan claim to another person without the debtor’s consent. The only exception is banks undergoing market withdrawal procedures according to the law. At the same time, the law explicitly states that using these guarantees cannot be grounds for refusing a person a new loan in the future.

State support at all stages

The new law comprehensively describes for the first time what exactly the state must do after a person’s forced displacement. It concerns not only the payment of living assistance. The document defines three major areas of support: adaptation, integration, and reintegration.

During adaptation, the state must facilitate temporary accommodation, provide children with places in kindergartens and schools, access to medicine, psychological assistance, employment, and social services.

At the integration stage, measures are envisaged to help a person actually start a new life: vocational training, employment support, housing provision, and participation in community life. A separate section is devoted to returning to the abandoned place of residence. The law guarantees a person’s right to independently decide on returning after receiving complete information about the security situation.

If the displaced person decides to return, the state must assist, including by paying a one-time allowance.

After returning, reintegration measures are also provided. At the same time, one of the fundamental innovations is the introduction of an assessment of the needs of internally displaced persons. The results of such assessment should form the basis for providing targeted state support, including living assistance. The detailed procedure will be determined by the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine.

What displaced persons should know now

Although most provisions of the new law will take effect only on October 22, 2026, some changes have already come into force after its official publication. In particular, the Cabinet of Ministers must begin preparing the necessary regulatory acts, without which some new mechanisms will not work.

At the same time, current certificates of internally displaced persons remain valid, and their replacement with an electronic extract will be done only at the person’s request.

While previous legislation was largely aimed at rapid crisis response, Law No. 4924-IX already forms a long-term support model. The practical implementation of these norms will show whether the new legislation can become an effective tool to protect the rights of millions of Ukrainians forced to leave their homes due to the war.

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