How to Restore a Ukrainian Pension While Living in Poland
Thousands of Ukrainian pensioners who have moved to Poland have faced the suspension or termination of their Ukrainian pension payments. Although Ukrainian law guarantees the right to receive a pension regardless of a person's place of residence, in practice the Pension Fund of Ukraine (PFU) often refuses to restore pension payments or requires applicants to submit additional documents and complete various verification procedures. In such cases, the most effective way to protect one's rights is to seek the restoration of a Ukrainian pension in Poland through court proceedings.
One of the most common questions is whether it is possible to receive a Ukrainian pension while living in Poland. The answer is yes. Ukrainian citizens who temporarily or permanently reside in Poland remain entitled to receive their Ukrainian pension. Simply living in Poland is not a lawful ground for suspending or terminating pension payments.
In practice, however, many Ukrainian pensioners living abroad receive notices that their pension payments have been suspended because they allegedly failed to complete identity verification, submit additional documents, or satisfy certain formal requirements imposed by the Pension Fund regarding proof of identity.
For this reason, the restoration of Ukrainian pension payments in Poland remains one of the most pressing legal issues for Ukrainian citizens residing abroad.
Why does the Pension Fund suspend pension payments?
The most common reasons for suspending a Ukrainian pension while residing in Poland include:
- failure to complete in-person or remote identity verification;
- problems with the recipient's bank account;
- outdated or incomplete personal information in the Pension Fund's records;
- errors in government information systems;
- the Pension Fund's doubts regarding the pensioner's actual place of residence;
- failure to complete the required video identification procedure for pensioners living abroad.
In many cases, such decisions are unlawful and may be successfully challenged before the administrative courts.
A notable example is a judgment of the Vinnytsia District Administrative Court, which considered the case of a pensioner residing in Poland whose pension payments had not been restored because she allegedly lacked a valid internally displaced person (IDP) certificate and had failed to appear in person before the Pension Fund. The court established that the claimant had successfully completed the required identification procedure, submitted documents confirming her residence abroad, and provided sufficient evidence that she was alive.
The court concluded that neither the absence of IDP status nor permanent residence outside Ukraine constitutes a lawful basis for suspending or refusing to restore pension payments. Consequently, the Pension Fund's decision was declared unlawful and annulled, and the Pension Fund was ordered to restore the claimant's pension payments from the date of her application.
This case once again demonstrates that a refusal by the Pension Fund is not final and that pensioners' rights can be effectively protected before the administrative courts.
How can you restore your Ukrainian pension while living abroad?
If your pension payments have been suspended, it is advisable to proceed step by step:
- Obtain official information explaining why the pension payments were suspended.
- Review the Pension Fund's decision and the supporting documents.
- Prepare and submit an application requesting restoration of your pension payments.
- If required, complete the video identification procedure for pensioners residing abroad.
- If the Pension Fund refuses to restore the payments, file a claim with the court.
Many pensioners attempt to resolve these issues independently through correspondence with the Pension Fund. However, this often results only in unnecessary delays. Professional legal assistance can significantly speed up the restoration of pension payments and help protect your legal rights more effectively.
If your Ukrainian pension has been suspended while you are living abroad, or if you have received a refusal from the Pension Fund, you do not have to accept this decision. Ukrainian court practice demonstrates that pensioners have a genuine opportunity to defend their rights and successfully restore their pension payments.
If the Pension Fund has refused to restore your pension, if you have been waiting months or even years for a response, or if you simply do not know where to begin while living in Poland, our legal team is ready to help you protect your rights and restore your Ukrainian pension.
