Can You Receive a Ukrainian Pension While Living Abroad?

The year 2022 brought dramatic changes to the lives of millions of Ukrainians following the full-scale invasion of Ukraine by the Russian Federation. Many people were forced to leave the country and temporarily settle abroad, including women with children and pensioners. Moving to another country required people to reorganise their finances, everyday lives and future plans.

For pensioners, one of the most important questions was whether leaving Ukraine would affect their pension payments. In other words: can a Ukrainian pensioner continue receiving a pension while living abroad?

As a general rule, the mere fact that a Ukrainian pensioner has temporarily moved abroad does not automatically result in the termination of pension payments. Pensioners who receive their pensions through a Ukrainian bank account can generally continue receiving payments to that account while staying outside Ukraine, subject to the requirements established by Ukrainian pension legislation.

The situation may require additional action where the pensioner previously received pension payments through Ukrposhta. In such circumstances, it may be necessary to change the method of payment and arrange for the pension to be transferred to an authorised bank account. Depending on the bank and the services available to the pensioner, a bank account may be opened remotely, subject to the bank’s identification requirements.

The method of receiving a pension can also be changed remotely through the web portal of the Pension Fund of Ukraine. The general procedure may include the following steps:

1.      Obtain a qualified electronic signature (QES) or use another electronic identification method supported by the Pension Fund web portal.

2.      Sign in to your personal account on the web portal of the Pension Fund of Ukraine.

3.      Select the electronic service for changing information in your pension file and choose the option for changing the method of pension payment.

4.      Complete the electronic application and attach the required documents, which may include copies of your passport, taxpayer identification number and a document containing the bank account details for receiving pension payments.

5.      Sign the completed application electronically and submit it to the Pension Fund for consideration.

The status of the application and the Pension Fund’s response can be monitored through the applicant’s personal account on the Pension Fund web portal.

Therefore, moving abroad does not in itself mean that a Ukrainian pensioner loses the right to pension payments. Pension payments can generally continue to be received through a Ukrainian bank account and the funds may be accessed abroad using the payment services supported by the relevant bank.

At the same time, pensioners living abroad should take into account the current requirements of Ukrainian legislation concerning continued pension payments, identification and confirmation of eligibility. If pension payments have been suspended or terminated, it is important to establish the specific reason for the Pension Fund’s decision and determine the appropriate procedure for restoring the payments.