Ukrainians who have worked in the Czech Republic can use their verified insurance experience from there when applying for a pension in Ukraine. The rules depend on when the person worked and where they permanently resided as of April 1, 2003. Documents can be submitted through the Pension Fund of Ukraine, as reported by PFU.
How work experience in the Czech Republic is credited before and after April 1, 2003
The pension rights of Ukrainians who worked in the Czech Republic are regulated by a bilateral social security agreement. It applies to pensions for old age, disability, and in the event of loss of the breadwinner.
Experience acquired before April 1, 2003, is credited by the country where the person permanently resided on that date. After the agreement came into effect, Ukraine and the Czech Republic assign and pay pensions separately, each for the insurance periods on their territory.
If a person worked in the Czech Republic for less than a year, the period confirmed by Czech authorities can be added to the insurance experience for determining the right to a Ukrainian pension. Foreign experience can help if the individual's own Ukrainian period is insufficient, but it does not automatically mean entitlement to payment. More about the general rules can be found in the article about foreign work experience for pensions.
How to submit pension documents without traveling to the Czech Republic
To confirm work experience, it is not necessary to go to the Czech Republic: requests can be submitted through the offices of the Pension Fund of Ukraine. The PFU will send a request to the competent authorities for verification of work periods. How to apply for a pension while abroad is explained in a separate Inkorr article.
The application should include a passport, identification code, if available - an international passport, social security number in the Czech Republic, documents confirming Ukrainian and Czech work experience, and bank account details. Czech periods must be confirmed by the competent authorities of that country.
The exact list of documents depends on the circumstances and type of pension. Therefore, it is advisable to clarify this with the PFU before submitting the application and to check whether the documents are sufficient to confirm foreign work experience. Other cases of pension rights acquisition abroad are described in the article about Ukrainians' pensions in Poland.