2026 Training Voucher for Veterans: who is eligible for 33,280 UAH
The procedure for applying for a voucher is explained by the State Employment Service, the e-Veteran platform and the Ministry of Veterans’ Affairs.
A training voucher is state funding for training, up to a set amount, for those who wish to learn a new profession, undergo retraining, upgrade their qualifications or take the next step in their education. You can study using a voucher at vocational, pre-higher and higher education institutions, as well as at enterprises, institutions and organisations licensed to provide educational services.
In 2026, the maximum value of a voucher is 33,280 UAH. This amount is based on the rule that a voucher cannot exceed ten times the subsistence minimum for able-bodied persons at the time the decision to issue it is made. From 1 January 2026, this minimum subsistence level is 3,328 UAH. If the course costs more, the individual or employer must cover the difference themselves.
There is a separate practical procedure for veterans and defenders to obtain such a voucher. The Ministry of Veterans Affairs explicitly states that vouchers are available to male and female veterans, combatants, and defenders discharged from military service. The basic condition for this category is that the person must have been discharged from service, not yet reached retirement age, and apply within three years of the date of discharge.
Separately, individuals who have been deprived of their personal liberty as a result of armed aggression against Ukraine are entitled to a voucher following their release. The voucher may also be obtained by people with disabilities in the absence of suitable work, and by people who, during martial law, sustained injuries, concussion, disability or illness as a result of military aggression, provided there are relevant recommendations in their rehabilitation documents.
However, there are also general restrictions that are often overlooked. To apply for a voucher, the applicant must have vocational, pre-higher or higher education, must not be registered with the employment centre as unemployed, must not have undergone retraining at the expense of the Unemployment Insurance Fund in the last three years, and must not have received a voucher previously. It is precisely these requirements that the employment service specifically identifies as key.
There are two ways to apply. The first is online via the form on the State Employment Service website. The second is in person at an employment centre. Once the documents have been submitted, the employment centre must make a decision no later than the eighth working day and notify the applicant of the result within three working days.
In its step-by-step guide, the Ministry of Veterans Affairs advises starting by selecting a specialism from the official list, then submitting an application; once approved, bring the voucher to the chosen educational institution and sign the contract there. The individual chooses the educational institution themselves, but it must hold a licence for the relevant programme.
As for documents, the basic package for veterans includes a passport, an employment record book or details from the register of insured persons, an educational qualification, an identification code, and a document confirming their status — for example, a combatant’s certificate. For people with disabilities, relevant medical documents are also required, and for former prisoners of war — confirmation of the established fact of deprivation of personal liberty.
An important practical detail: the voucher does not cover training that has already begun or been completed. The State Employment Service explicitly states that a person must first submit an application and receive a decision to issue the voucher, and only then enter into a contract with the educational institution. Otherwise, payment will not be made.
Thus, in 2026, the training voucher for veterans is not an abstract “opportunity for retraining”, but a concrete mechanism with a fixed amount, clear deadlines and a straightforward set of documents. The most important thing for the applicant is to check whether they meet the programme’s conditions, whether there are any formal restrictions, and whether the chosen specialism is included in the approved list.
As a reminder, the issue of increasing military pay in 2026 is once again stalled in parliament. MP Iryna Friz stated that the Rada is not pushing through the relevant legislative changes, and one of the main reasons is the current link between pay rises for military personnel and the automatic increase in pensions for military pensioners.
