In 2026, Ukrainians planning to retire at 60 may face stricter conditions. The retirement age will not change, but the requirements for insurance experience will increase, without which it will be impossible to process payments. This is reported by 24 Kanal.
The Pension Fund of Ukraine explains that the changes are part of the pension reform, which involves a gradual increase in the required experience each year until 2028. Therefore, the rules currently in effect will no longer apply from next year.
Retirement at 60 in 2026: new requirements for experience
Currently, Ukrainians can retire depending on the length of insurance experience at 60, 63, or 65 years old. However, starting in 2026, these indicators will change. To qualify for an old-age pension, one will need to have:
at 60 years old – at least 33 years of insurance experience;
at 63 years old – a minimum of 23 years of experience;
at 65 years old – no less than 15 years of experience.
The minimum experience for retirement at 65 will remain unchanged in the following years, while the requirements for other age groups will continue to increase.
Retirement at 60 in 2026 and the problem of unofficial work
The Pension Fund of Ukraine emphasizes that only periods of official work with contributions are counted towards insurance experience. Work without official registration or without payment of the unified social contribution does not count towards the experience.
If a person has less than 15 years of insurance experience, they do not acquire the right to an old-age pension. In this case, the state will only pay social assistance after reaching 65 years old.
The first deputy chairman of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Social Policy, Mykhailo Tsymbaliuk, noted that raising the requirements is a serious challenge for those who have worked unofficially, and at the same time a signal for young people to take care of their future pension provision now.
It should be noted that in 2026, the Ukrainian pension system will undergo significant changes. This means that many future pensioners risk remaining without payments due to a lack of experience.