Kyiv, 13 December 2022 – Two new services for internally displaced persons (IDPs) have just been added to the Diia state services application, allowing IDPs to change their place of residence if they have moved to another city in Ukraine, or to cancel their registration as an IDP if they have returned to their place of permanent residence. The Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine introduced the new services with the Ministry of Social Policy of Ukraine and with the support of the DIA Support Project, which the United Nations Development Programme implements in Ukraine with funding from the Government of Sweden.

Previously, to receive these services, IDPs had to go in person to the social protection authorities where they were temporarily staying and do so every time they moved. Now, these same services can be obtained with just a few clicks online with the use of an app. To use the service, a person clicks on the IDP help menu in Diia and selects the required service – “Change Address of Actual Residence” or “Cancel IDP Status.” The service is provided automatically, accelerating the provision of the service and reducing the probability of refusal.

Ukrainians who have an IDP certificate in Diia can use the services. To change the place of registration of an IDP, it is necessary to physically be at the new location of temporary residence, which the app confirms via geolocation of the user’s phone.

Commenting on the new services, Maria Lindgren-Saltanova, Deputy Head of Mission at the Embassy of Sweden in Ukraine, emphasized that Sweden is steadfastly committed to supporting the citizens of Ukraine in times of war. “The launch of two new services for IDPs makes it possible to create a whole range of public services needed by people who were forced to move because of the war,” she said. “Most importantly, they can get them quickly, conveniently and safely.”

Jaco Cilliers, acting UNDP Ukraine Resident Representative, said the Government of Ukraine has been constantly developing new electronic services to support internally displaced Ukrainians to ensure no one is left behind during or after the war. “The introduction of electronic state services makes it easier to provide the necessary services to people who are in a difficult situation and need support from the state,” he said. “The development of these two services for IDPs was the logical continuation of the cooperation between UNDP with the Ministry of Digital Transformation, with support from the Government of Sweden, to ensure those who have been forced to move because of the war can access public services. Our priority is to support Ukraine’s priority to provide the displaced with safe and convenient tools to access critical public services online.” 

Earlier, in April 2022, a suite of services for registering as internally displaced persons (IDPs) and receiving targeted cash assistance from the state was launched in the Diia mobile application. The service was developed with the support of UNDP in Ukraine and Sweden. More than 1.4 million people have used the service since its launch.

Media inquiries

Yuliia Samus, Communications Team Leader, UNDP in Ukraine, Yuliia.Samus@undp.org