Years of official work outside Ukraine can now help obtain the right to a pension in Ukraine, even if there is no pension agreement with the country of employment. The main condition is to confirm this period with documents. This is reported by Judicial and Legal Newspaper.
Work experience abroad: who will it help to retire
The new mechanism is based on the Cabinet of Ministers' resolution No. 562. It is applied when a person lacks insurance experience to qualify for a pension due to age, and the period of work abroad is officially credited to their experience under the laws of that state.
In 2026, to retire at 60, one needs to have at least 33 years of insurance experience. For example, if a Ukrainian has accumulated 25 years of service in Ukraine and has worked legally abroad for eight years, these periods can be combined to determine the right to a pension.
An important nuance: foreign work experience affects only the right to retire, not the amount of the Ukrainian payment. It will be calculated based on the contributions paid into the Ukrainian system. Another procedure may apply only under an international agreement between Ukraine and a specific country.
For countries with which such agreements exist, the terms of the respective agreements are applied. The new procedure is particularly important for those who have worked in countries without a bilateral pension agreement.
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How to confirm work experience abroad for the Pension Fund
You need to contact the territorial body of the Pension Fund of Ukraine together with an application for pension appointment. You should attach documents issued by the competent authority of the country where the person worked. They must confirm that this period has been credited to the insurance experience according to local rules.
Depending on the country and circumstances, the following may be required:
- a certificate or extract from the social insurance register;
- proof of contribution payments;
- employment contract;
- a certificate from the employer;
- payroll slips;
- tax returns or other official documents.
Documents may need to be legalized if international agreements do not provide otherwise. The procedure should be clarified at the Ukrainian embassy in the country of issuance.
If a person cannot obtain the necessary papers independently or if the data is insufficient, the territorial body of the Pension Fund of Ukraine will address the Ministry of Foreign Affairs within five working days. The ministry then sends a request to the competent authority of another state through diplomatic channels.
It is advisable not to postpone the collection of certificates until the last moment. If foreign confirmation arrives more than three months after the application has been submitted, the date of acceptance will be considered the day of receipt of documents by the Pension Fund.