How to Restore a Ukrainian Pension While Living in Denmark
The war forced millions of Ukrainians to seek safety across Europe, and the Kingdom of Denmark has become home to many Ukrainian citizens, including pensioners. However, after moving abroad, many retirees encountered an unpleasant surprise: the Pension Fund of Ukraine (PFU) suspended the payment of the pension benefits they had lawfully earned.
The primary reason why Ukrainian pension payments abroad (including in Denmark) are suspended is the outdated application of Ukrainian pension legislation. The Pension Fund frequently relies on Article 49 of the Law of Ukraine "On Mandatory State Pension Insurance", which provides for the suspension of pension payments during a pensioner's permanent residence abroad unless otherwise provided by an international agreement.
Since Ukraine and Denmark have not concluded a bilateral social security agreement, Pension Fund officials often automatically suspend pension payments.
Important: This position of the Pension Fund is unlawful. In 2009, the Constitutional Court of Ukraine declared these legislative restrictions unconstitutional. Every Ukrainian citizen has an unconditional constitutional right to social protection regardless of where they currently reside.
Attempting to challenge the Pension Fund while living in Copenhagen, Aarhus, or any other city in Denmark can be extremely difficult. That is why our law firm provides professional legal assistance. We specialize in protecting the rights of Ukrainians living abroad and know how to successfully restore Ukrainian pension payments in Denmark.
Court proceedings are often the only reliable and effective way to require the Pension Fund to comply with the law. Because the Pension Fund frequently refuses to restore pension payments through administrative procedures, we handle the entire legal process on behalf of our clients.
Our legal services include:
- Comprehensive legal assessment. We review your documents, determine the legal grounds for the suspension of your pension, and calculate the amount of pension arrears owed to you for the period during which your payments were suspended.
- Communication with the Pension Fund without your personal presence. We prepare and submit all necessary applications, requests, and legal correspondence. There is no need for you to travel to Ukraine.
- Representation before the administrative courts. We protect your interests throughout the judicial process. Your personal attendance at court hearings is generally not required.
- Enforcement of the court judgment. Our work does not end with obtaining a favorable court decision. We continue representing your interests during enforcement proceedings until your Ukrainian pension payments are restored and all outstanding pension arrears have been paid.
For many Ukrainians living in Denmark, their Ukrainian pension is more than an additional source of income—it is a legally protected property right and an important source of financial security. Living costs in Scandinavia are high, and although Denmark provides social assistance to individuals under temporary protection, Ukrainian pension benefits remain your private property earned through years of employment and payment of social security contributions in Ukraine.
Many people mistakenly believe that receiving a Ukrainian pension while living in Denmark is impossible because they have temporary protection or refugee status. This is a misconception. Neither temporary protection nor refugee status deprives Ukrainian citizens of their citizenship or their constitutional right to receive a Ukrainian pension.
Ukrainian pensioners residing in Denmark remain entitled to receive their pension payments into their Ukrainian bank accounts and freely use those funds abroad by converting Ukrainian hryvnias into Danish kroner. If your pension—or the pension of your parents—has been suspended after moving to Denmark, there is no need to wait for legislative changes. Your rights can and should be protected today.
Contact us for an initial legal consultation. We will carefully review your case, answer your questions, and help you recover the pension payments that are rightfully yours under Ukrainian law.
