Ukrainians who are applying for pensions in Poland or wish to receive Ukrainian payments abroad may wait for confirmation of their work experience from several months to two years. The Helsinki Human Rights Foundation has not received a plan from the Pension Fund of Ukraine on how to expedite these procedures. This has been reported by In Poland.
Why pension matters for Ukrainians in Poland take years to consider
The Foundation has appealed to the Pension Fund of Ukraine with a request regarding the transfer of payments and the confirmation of payment periods in Ukraine. Such data is needed, in particular, by ZUS to process the cases of individuals who have worked in both countries.
In response, the Pension Fund of Ukraine explained that the agreement between Ukraine and Poland does not provide for partial or full digitization of these proceedings. Institutions still exchange documents via traditional mail.
Delays are also associated with the need to obtain information from the Polish side and the increase in the number of Ukrainians who left for abroad after February 24, 2022. The Pension Fund of Ukraine did not specify concrete new solutions to shorten the timelines.
Pension from Ukraine and ZUS: how the system works for Ukrainians
This is not about the transfer of the Ukrainian pension to ZUS. If a person has insurance experience in both Ukraine and Poland, they can receive two separate payments: Polish, for the periods of insurance in Poland, and Ukrainian, for the work experience in Ukraine.
As explained by ZUS, the Ukrainian pension does not cancel or reduce the right to the Polish one. At the same time, each institution pays out funds only for the insurance period in its own system.
In May 2026, almost 75,000 Ukrainian citizens over 58 years old were under temporary protection in Poland. According to ZUS, in 2024, 13,200 Ukrainians with various grounds for residence received Polish pensions.
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What the delays in confirming experience mean
Without a response from the Ukrainian authority, ZUS cannot complete part of the pension cases where it is necessary to take into account the periods of insurance in Ukraine. For elderly people, this means not just a long wait for documents, but a delay in access to payments and related rights.
The problem is particularly acute after the changes in medical care rules for Ukrainians in Poland. Recipients of Polish pensions with UKR status have the right to medical services on general terms, but lengthy procedures can leave people without a defined payment status for months.
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