How to Apply for a Pension in Ukraine During the War

How can you apply for a pension in Ukraine during the war? This is one of the most relevant questions for many Ukrainians today. Certain territories of Ukraine remain temporarily occupied, and Ukrainian state authorities, including the Pension Fund of Ukraine, are unable to exercise their powers there. In addition, Pension Fund offices may not operate in territories located close to areas of active hostilities.

At first glance, it may seem that Ukrainians living in or having left such territories are deprived of the traditional way of submitting pension documents – applying in person to a Pension Fund office – and, consequently, cannot obtain a pension. However, these circumstances do not constitute an insurmountable obstacle to exercising the right to a pension. So, how can you apply for a pension during the war in such circumstances?

First. Ukrainians who have been forced to relocate from temporarily occupied territories may obtain an internally displaced person (IDP) certificate indicating their actual place of residence. After obtaining this document, they can personally submit their pension application and supporting documents to a Pension Fund office at their actual place of residence.

Second. People approaching retirement age, regardless of their registered place of residence, can apply for a pension online through the web portal of the Pension Fund of Ukraine. A person can access their personal account on the Pension Fund web portal using a qualified electronic signature, login and password obtained from a Pension Fund office, the integrated electronic identification system (ID.GOV.UA), or the Diia.Signature service. Through the personal account, applicants can upload the required documents, including their passport, taxpayer identification number, employment record book and other supporting documents, and submit an application for a pension.

Applying for a pension online has a number of practical advantages over submitting documents in paper form. In particular, applicants do not need to spend time travelling to territorial offices of the Pension Fund or communicating with Pension Fund employees in person. In practice, the entire pension application can be submitted from home. The legal result of submitting the documents is the same regardless of whether the application is submitted in person or online – the Pension Fund will consider the application and either grant the pension or issue a refusal to grant it.