The renowned Japanese volunteer's stay in Ukraine has been extended until April 21.

The Migration Service has extended Fuminori Tsuchiko's stay in Ukraine until April 21. The volunteer opened a free café in Kharkiv called FuMi Caffe. Tsuchiko announced this on Facebook.

As shown in the photo, my residence permit has been extended until April 21

Tsuchiko noted that his problem with blocked bank accounts remains unresolved:

A stamp in the passport will not allow me to file a declaration or obtain a bank card. I need a valid residence permit to process documents.

To process the documents, Tsuchiko must contact the Ukrainian Embassy in Poland and submit an application to the Migration Service upon returning to Kharkiv.

Earlier, Tsuchiko reported that he could not obtain a residence permit in Ukraine and had to leave the country. The Migration Service explained that the volunteer's legal stay in Ukraine expired in December 2023, and he had not submitted documents that would ensure legal residence. Tsuchiko contacted the agency after his bank accounts were blocked due to illegal stay in the country.

Fuminori Tsuchiko visited Kyiv at the beginning of 2022, but after a warning from the Japanese government about possible Russian aggression, he moved to Warsaw. After the start of the full-scale war, he returned to Ukraine.

Initially, Tsuchiko helped in medical institutions in Kyiv, and in June he decided to move to Kharkiv. He continued volunteering, sold his property in Tokyo, and collected money sent by concerned Japanese citizens. In early 2023, he opened FuMi Caffe - a free establishment in Saltivka, a district of Kharkiv that suffered the most from Russian attacks, together with a Ukrainian woman, Natalia Grama.

The President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky and First Lady Olena Zelenska awarded Tsuchiko with the state award - 'National Legend of Ukraine'. This award is given to citizens who have made a significant contribution to the development of the country and have active charitable and public activities.