How to Apply for a Pension in Ukraine if Your Documents Were Lost During Relocation

Losing documents during relocation can become a serious problem and may complicate the process of applying for a pension. However, with the right approach, you can restore the necessary documents and successfully obtain your pension benefits. In this article, we explain in detail what to do in such a situation and how to appeal a possible refusal by the Pension Fund of Ukraine (PFU). If you need professional legal assistance, ARES Law Firm is ready to support you at every stage.

Step 1. Gather information about the lost documents

Before contacting public authorities, make a list of the documents you have lost. As a rule, the following documents may be required when applying for a pension:

• Passport of a citizen of Ukraine (or another identity document).
• Taxpayer Identification Number (RNOKPP).
• Employment record book or other documents confirming your employment history (certificates from former employers, archival records).
• Education documents (if the relevant period may be counted towards special pensionable service).
• Certificate of salary for any 60 consecutive months before 2000 (if available).
• Military ID (for men or women who performed military service).
• Marriage or divorce certificate (if your surname has changed).

If you are not sure which documents have been lost, try to recall where you worked and write down the names of the organizations, periods of employment, and their addresses. This information may be useful when restoring your documents.

Step 2. Restore your main identity documents

Without a passport and taxpayer identification number, applying to the Pension Fund may be impossible. If these documents have been lost:

Passport. Contact the nearest Administrative Services Centre (CNAP) or the State Migration Service of Ukraine. To restore your passport, you may need a birth certificate or other documents confirming your identity. If such documents are unavailable, additional procedures for establishing your identity may be required.

Taxpayer Identification Number. Apply to the State Tax Service of Ukraine. You will generally need an identity document to obtain or restore the relevant taxpayer registration document.

Step 3. Restore documents confirming your employment history

An employment record book is one of the main documents traditionally used to confirm periods of employment. If it has been lost:

1. Contact your former employers. If the companies or institutions where you worked still exist, contact their HR departments. They may issue certificates confirming your periods of employment and salary.

2. Contact state archives. If an enterprise has been liquidated, contact the relevant state or regional archive where the organization was located. Archives may hold documents of liquidated enterprises, including information about employment periods and salaries.

3. Submit a request to the Pension Fund. The PFU maintains personalized records containing information on insured persons, including employment and contribution data accumulated within the personalized accounting system. You can request information available in your individual records.

4. Contact trade unions or other organizations. If you were a member of a trade union, it may have retained information or documents that could help confirm your employment history.

If documents cannot be restored because archival records have been lost or destroyed, including as a result of war or other circumstances, other legally permitted methods of confirming periods of employment may be used. Depending on the circumstances, the issue may also require judicial proceedings and the submission of additional evidence, including witness testimony where permitted by law.

Step 4. Apply to the Pension Fund of Ukraine

Once you have collected the available documents, you can apply for a pension to the Pension Fund of Ukraine. Depending on the applicable procedure, documents may be submitted:

• In person through a PFU service centre.
• Online through the PFU electronic services portal, subject to the applicable identification requirements.
• Through an Administrative Services Centre (CNAP), where the relevant service is available.

Attach all available supporting documents to your application. If certain documents are missing, explain the circumstances and indicate what steps you have taken to restore them. The PFU may request additional documents or verify the information provided.

Step 5. What should you do if the Pension Fund refuses to grant your pension?

If the PFU refuses to grant a pension because of insufficient documents, unconfirmed employment periods, or other reasons, you have the right to challenge the decision.

1. Obtain the written decision. The PFU decision should specify the reasons for the refusal and the legal grounds on which it is based.

2. Challenge the decision through the administrative procedure. Depending on the circumstances and the applicable procedure, the PFU decision may be challenged before the competent higher-level authority. The complaint should explain why you consider the refusal unlawful or unfounded and should include any additional supporting documents.

3. Apply to an administrative court. A refusal by the Pension Fund may also be challenged before an administrative court. In your statement of claim, you should describe:

• The circumstances in which the documents were lost.
• The steps taken to restore them.
• The reasons why you believe the PFU's refusal is unlawful or unfounded.

As a general rule, Ukrainian administrative procedural legislation establishes a six-month period for applying to an administrative court, although the calculation of the applicable time limit depends on the circumstances of the particular case and any pre-trial appeal procedure used.

Depending on the circumstances of the case, the court may declare the PFU's decision unlawful, require the Pension Fund to reconsider the application, take certain periods of employment into account, or take other actions necessary to restore the applicant's pension rights. Professional legal assistance can be particularly useful when preparing a claim and determining which evidence should be submitted to the court.

Step 6. Seek professional legal assistance

Applying for a pension after losing important documents can be a complicated process requiring knowledge of Ukrainian pension legislation and experience in dealing with public authorities. ARES Law Firm and its Pension Center project provide comprehensive legal assistance, including:

• Legal consultations. We will determine which documents need to be restored, what alternative evidence can be used, and how to properly apply to the Pension Fund of Ukraine.

• Restoration of documents. We assist with requests to archives, former employers, public authorities, and other institutions.

• Appealing PFU refusals. We prepare complaints, statements of claim, and other procedural documents and represent our clients in disputes with the Pension Fund.

• Individual legal strategy. Every pension case is different, so we develop a strategy based on the client's employment history, available documents, and the reasons for the Pension Fund's decision.

We understand how important it is to obtain pension benefits without unnecessary delays. Our lawyers can handle the legal aspects of the process, from restoring documents and communicating with public authorities to challenging an unlawful refusal by the Pension Fund.

Losing documents during relocation does not necessarily prevent you from obtaining a pension in Ukraine. By following a clear course of action, you may be able to restore the necessary documents, confirm your pensionable service, apply to the Pension Fund, and, if necessary, challenge its refusal. However, the process can become complicated, particularly when archives have been lost, an employer has been liquidated, or certain periods of employment cannot be confirmed in the usual way.

Contact ARES Law Firm and its Pension Center project by phone or through our website. Our pension lawyers will assess your situation and help protect your right to pension benefits in Ukraine.