How to Apply for a Pension in Ukraine: Documents and Application Procedure

Our Pension Center is frequently contacted by people seeking assistance with applying for a pension in Ukraine. Today, a pension application can generally be submitted in two ways: in person to the Pension Fund of Ukraine or online through the Pension Fund's web portal.

What documents are required to apply for a pension in Ukraine?

Depending on the circumstances, the following documents may be required:

1. passport or another identity document;
2. document confirming the registration number of the taxpayer's identification card;
3. diploma or other documents confirming periods of full-time education, where such periods are relevant to the pension calculation;
4. employment record book and/or other documents confirming periods of employment;
5. marriage certificate or another document confirming a change of surname;
6. child's birth certificate where the relevant period of childcare is important for calculating pensionable service;
7. salary certificate for periods before 1 July 2000, where such a certificate is required or may be taken into account under pension legislation;
8. certificates and other documents confirming preferential pensionable service, where the applicant claims entitlement to a preferential pension.

This list is not exhaustive. The documents required for applying for a pension in Ukraine depend on the type of pension, the applicant's employment history, the availability of information in state registers and other individual circumstances.

Documents may be submitted personally to the Pension Fund of Ukraine or electronically through the Pension Fund web portal. When submitting an online application, the applicant should upload high-quality scanned copies of the required documents in accordance with the technical requirements of the portal.

Particular attention should be paid to employment documents. Errors in an employment record book, missing periods of employment, differences in surnames or occupational titles and the absence of archival documents may result in certain periods not being included in the applicant's insurance record. Therefore, it is advisable to review pension documents before submitting an application.

An application for an old-age pension may be submitted not earlier than one month before reaching retirement age. If the application is submitted within three months after reaching retirement age, the pension is generally granted from the day following the date on which the person reached retirement age. If the application is submitted later, the pension will generally be granted from the date of application.

The Pension Fund reviews the application and submitted documents in accordance with the procedure and within the time limits established by Ukrainian pension legislation. If additional documents are required, the applicant may need to provide them to confirm insurance coverage, earnings or entitlement to a particular type of pension.

If the Pension Fund refuses to grant a pension or does not include certain periods in the insurance or preferential pensionable service, such a decision should be analysed separately. If the refusal is unlawful, it may be challenged before an administrative court.