On 20 October 2026 Ukraine’s Ministry for Communities, Territories and Internally Displaced Persons announced that more than UAH 2.5 billion had been received to fund nearly 2,000 housing certificates under the eRecovery (єВідновлення) programme. Booking of funds under these certificates is due to start on 21 October. Priority is given, among others, to combatants and people disabled as a result of the war, families of fallen war veterans and Defenders of Ukraine, mobilised service members who have not been granted combatant status, people with group I–II disabilities and large families.
Who can receive compensation for a destroyed home
- the owner of a home destroyed as a result of Russia’s armed aggression after 24 February 2022, which the commission has found cannot be restored;
- the property must meet the territorial conditions set by law; separate restrictions apply to homes in temporarily occupied territories (a claim to the international Register of Damage is a separate mechanism unrelated to eRecovery);
- ownership must be registered in the State Register of Real Property Rights; co-owners may apply separately.
How it works
- Report the destroyed property in Diia or at an administrative service centre (TsNAP), if you have not done so before.
- Apply for compensation via the Diia app or portal, a TsNAP or a notary, according to the service rules; a commission considers the application and decides.
- A housing certificate is valid for five years from receipt. It can pay for a flat or house on the primary or secondary market, an investment in a building under construction, or the down payment under the eOselya mortgage programme. Owners of destroyed private houses with a land plot can also get a cash payment for construction.
- Once the booking of funds is confirmed, you have 30 days to find a home and sign a notarised sale and purchase agreement; the money goes directly to the seller. The booking period is not the same as the certificate’s validity.
Applying for compensation involves joining an agreement assigning to the state or the local community the right to claim damages from Russia for the destroyed home, to the extent of the compensation received (paragraph 12 of the Procedure approved by Cabinet of Ministers Resolution No. 600). This does not mean waiving other categories of possible reparations.
If you are abroad
Being abroad does not in itself prevent you from filing an electronic application via Diia, provided you have the means to log in. Applications through a TsNAP or a notary can also be filed by a representative, in the cases and manner provided by law and under a properly executed power of attorney; some electronic procedures require the applicant’s personal authorisation. Buying the new home later requires notarial acts, and whether a representative can take part depends on the law and the scope of their authority.
The most common obstacles:
- ownership is not in the register — for example, the home was registered before 2013 only on paper (BTI, notarial archives); the right must first be registered, which means finding the title documents;
- insufficient information about the destruction — additional documents or records of the damage may be needed, depending on the circumstances and the commission’s requirements;
- the application is suspended — this is not a refusal: once the reason is removed, the commission must resume consideration.
A lawyer can obtain the necessary information and copies of documents remotely, within the limits set by law:
- request to confirm the destruction of or damage to property due to hostilities;
- request to the State Emergency Service about recorded damage to property.
A lawyer’s request does not replace the procedure for establishing the destruction of property or the compensation decision and does not guarantee a positive decision, but it helps gather documents without which the application may stall.
In short
- Check that your ownership is registered in the State Register of Real Property Rights.
- You can file electronically via Diia from abroad; through a TsNAP or notary, a representative can also apply where the law allows.
- The certificate is valid for 5 years; after the booking is confirmed you have 30 days to sign the contract.
- If documents are missing, they can be obtained through a lawyer’s request without travelling to Ukraine.
This article is for general information and is not individual legal advice.