How to Apply for a Pension in Ukraine from Abroad
Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine by the Russian Federation, millions of Ukrainians have been forced to move abroad. Some of them have reached retirement age while living in another country. This raises an important question: how can you apply for a Ukrainian pension while living abroad, and can you receive a Ukrainian pension outside Ukraine?
The first thing Ukrainians living abroad should know is that being outside Ukraine does not, by itself, prevent a person from applying for a Ukrainian pension if they meet the statutory requirements. Moreover, it is not always necessary to return to Ukraine simply to submit a pension application. The Pension Fund of Ukraine provides electronic services through its web portal, including the possibility of submitting pension-related documents remotely.
Our Pension Center provides comprehensive legal assistance with pension applications for Ukrainians living abroad. Before submitting an application, we analyse the applicant’s documents, insurance record and other circumstances in order to determine whether the person is entitled to a pension and which documents should be submitted to the Pension Fund.
An application for a pension may be submitted electronically through the web portal of the Pension Fund of Ukraine using an available method of electronic identification and signing. Depending on the services available to the applicant, this may include a qualified electronic signature or another electronic identification method supported by the Pension Fund portal.
The next step is to analyse the applicant’s individual pension circumstances and prepare electronic copies of the documents required for the particular type of pension. The principal documents may include:
1. Passport and taxpayer identification number.
2. Employment record book.
3. Military service documents, where applicable.
4. Education documents where the relevant period of study may be taken into account for pension purposes.
5. A salary certificate for any 60 consecutive calendar months before 1 July 2000, where applicable and where submitting such information is permitted and beneficial for the pension calculation.
6. Marriage certificate, where relevant.
7. Children’s birth certificates, where relevant to the pension application.
8. Documents confirming disability, where applicable.
9. Bank account details for receiving pension payments.
This list is not exhaustive. The documents required in a particular case depend on the type of pension, the applicant’s employment history, periods of military service or education, employment abroad, preferential employment record and other individual circumstances.
Once all the necessary documents have been prepared, the pension application and supporting documents can be submitted electronically through the Pension Fund web portal. The Pension Fund then considers the application within the period established by Ukrainian legislation and issues a decision on whether to grant the pension.
Therefore, applying for a Ukrainian pension while living abroad is possible, and many stages of the procedure can be completed remotely. Our Pension Center can analyse your pension rights, prepare the necessary documents, assist with the electronic application and provide legal support if the Pension Fund refuses to grant the pension or excludes certain periods from your insurance record.
