How to Apply for a Pension in Ukraine

Applying for a pension is an important stage in the life of every person who has reached retirement age. The procedure for obtaining a pension in Ukraine may seem complicated, but following certain steps and understanding the key requirements can make the process much easier. Below, we explain the main stages of applying for a pension in Ukraine.

First, determining eligibility for a pension.

The first step is to determine whether you are eligible for a pension. To qualify, you must reach the statutory retirement age, which is currently 60 years in Ukraine for both men and women, provided that the required insurance record has been accumulated. In addition to age, it is important to have a sufficient insurance record. From 1 January 2024, the minimum insurance record required to retire at the age of 60 is 31 years. This requirement increases each year and will reach 35 years by 2028.

Second, preparing the required documents.

To apply for a pension, you need to prepare a specific set of documents. The main documents include:

1. A passport of a citizen of Ukraine or another identity document.
2. Taxpayer Identification Number (RNOKPP).
3. Documents confirming the insurance record, such as an employment record book, employment certificates, and other supporting documents.
4. Documents confirming periods of education, such as a diploma or a certificate issued by an educational institution.
5. Documents confirming periods of military service, such as a military ID, a certificate issued by a Territorial Recruitment and Social Support Center (TCC and SSC), or other relevant documents.
6. Documents confirming salary for any 60 consecutive months before 1 July 2000, if available.
7. A certificate containing bank account details if you wish to receive your pension payments into a bank account.
8. Other documents that may be required depending on the individual circumstances, such as children's birth certificates, disability-related documents, etc.

Third, submitting the documents to the Pension Fund of Ukraine.

Once all the required documents have been collected, an application must be submitted to the Pension Fund of Ukraine. This can be done in several ways:

1. In person at a Pension Fund service center.

2. Online through the Pension Fund of Ukraine's electronic services web portal. To submit an application online, an electronic signature is generally required.

Fourth, consideration of the application and granting of the pension.

After the documents have been submitted, the Pension Fund reviews the application and makes a decision on granting the pension. Under Ukrainian law, the application is generally considered within 10 days after all the documents necessary for granting the pension have been received. If certain documents are missing or contain errors, the applicant is informed accordingly and may submit the missing documents within the prescribed period, including within three months where applicable.

Fifth, obtaining a pension certificate.

After a decision granting the pension has been made, the applicant may obtain a pension certificate. The pension certificate confirms the person's pensioner status and may also be used to confirm eligibility for certain benefits provided by law. It can be obtained through the Pension Fund of Ukraine in accordance with the applicable procedure.

The lawyers of our Pension Center can help you arrange your pension without unnecessary difficulties. You do not need to collect numerous documents yourself, request certificates from former employers, visit Pension Fund offices, or deal with other administrative procedures, as we can handle these matters on your behalf. You only need to provide us with the basic documents, and we will take care of the rest.

Our pension application service includes:

• Reviewing documents before they are submitted to the Pension Fund in order to identify errors, corrections, discrepancies, or inaccuracies.
• Preliminary calculation of the pension amount.
• Sending requests and obtaining additional certificates confirming the insurance record and salary earned before 1 July 2000, where necessary.
• Submitting an application for a pension.
• Analyzing the decision issued by the Pension Fund and verifying whether the pension amount has been calculated correctly.
• Taking steps to increase the pension amount where this can be achieved through pre-trial procedures.
• Applying for a pension certificate.

In addition, our lawyers understand all the legal and procedural aspects of applying not only for an old-age pension but also for other types of pensions, including disability pensions, survivor's pensions, pensions for years of service, and preferential pensions for persons who have worked in particularly harmful or difficult working conditions, including pensions under List No. 1 and List No. 2.

If you do not know where to start or simply do not have the time to deal with pension-related matters yourself, contact the specialists of our Pension Center for professional legal advice. We know how to properly arrange a pension, protect your pension rights, and take the necessary steps to secure the highest pension amount available to you under Ukrainian law.