The rules for counting work experience in Poland are changing. Starting from January 1, 2026, periods of professional activity that are not related to employment under a classic labor contract will begin to be included. This includes entrepreneurial activity and work under civil law contracts. InPoland reports on this.
The changes will be implemented gradually. From the beginning of 2026, the new norms will be in effect in the public finance sector, and from May 1, 2026, for all other sectors of the economy. ZUS emphasizes that a key condition for including such periods is the payment of contributions to pension insurance and disability insurance.
Work experience confirmation in Poland: which periods will be counted
According to the updated rules, the following periods will be counted towards work experience:
periods of entrepreneurial activity;
work under a mandate agreement and work with an agency;
periods of childcare, provided that mandatory insurance contributions were paid during this time;
work abroad based on something other than labor relations, with appropriate insurance.
ZUS will issue certificates confirming these periods only in cases where contributions to the social insurance system were actually paid for the individual.
How to obtain a certificate of work experience from ZUS
An application for work experience confirmation can be submitted only electronically through the eZUS personal account using the special form USP. If the necessary data is missing in the insured person's account, the institution will issue a refusal.
In this case, the applicant will have the right to submit a request for verification along with documents confirming periods of work or entrepreneurial activity. At the same time, ZUS emphasized that certificates will not be issued for periods when a person worked, for example, under a mandate contract, but was a student or pupil and was not subject to mandatory insurance.
It is also noted that to confirm periods of work before January 1, 1999, a different form - US-7 must be used, as data for this period are not stored in electronic insurance accounts.
Earlier, we reported on how pensions are calculated in Ukraine: what affects the amount of benefits.