Can you get a pension in Poland with just one day of work: ZUS's response

In Poland, there is a widespread assertion that Ukrainian citizens can receive the minimum Polish pension after working only one day. Such statements have appeared in the speeches of some politicians and have been picked up by parts of the media, but official data does not support this. This is reported by inPoland.

Pension in Poland for Ukrainians: ZUS's official position

The Zakład Ubezpieczeń Społecznych emphasized that Ukrainian citizens working in Poland fall under the same pension system rules as Poles. To receive the minimum pension, it is necessary to:

• reach retirement age — 60 years for women and 65 years for men
• have an insurance record of at least 20 years for women and 25 years for men

The insurance record may take into account periods of work in Ukraine according to the bilateral agreement between the countries, but this does not negate other mandatory conditions.

One day of work and pension in Poland: why this is impossible

ZUS explains that Poland does not pay the full minimum pension to individuals who are already receiving pension payments from another country. In such cases, only a top-up to the level of the minimum pension is possible.

Moreover, one of the key requirements is actual residence in Poland, which is subject to verification. This condition makes the scenario of receiving a pension after one day of work practically unreal.

Statistics also refute claims regarding excessive burden on the system. In Poland, over 1.06 million foreigners are insured, of which about 746 thousand are Ukrainian citizens. At the same time, pension payments to foreigners constitute only 0.068% of ZUS's total expenses.

Earlier we wrote that the highest pension in Poland amounts to 51,400 zlotys gross, while the lowest pension reaches only 2 grosz.