Pensions Abroad: Which Ukrainians Need to Undergo In-Person Verification in 2026?

Ukrainian pensioners living abroad must comply with in-person verification requirements to continue receiving their benefits. Find out who needs to undergo the procedure, by when it must be completed, and when verification is not required

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Ukrainians who are temporarily residing abroad and receiving a pension must undergo in-person verification every year. The Pension Fund of Ukraine has reminded that this procedure is mandatory under the Law on Compulsory State Pension Insurance.

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Who needs to undergo in-person verification?

Annual in-person verification applies to pensioners who have been outside Ukraine for an extended period. If a person resides abroad and has obtained temporary protection or refugee status, they must verify their identity to continue receiving pension payments.

The Pension Fund explains: if a pensioner has already completed the procedure in 2025, this information is stored in the system, and payments continue without interruption.

At the same time, Ukrainians returning home after a stay abroad are advised to contact a PFU service center to confirm their place of residence. This is necessary to update their records and ensure they continue receiving their pension without delays.

For many Ukrainians living in or planning a long-term stay in another country, it is also important to check the requirements for documents and medical coverage in advance. On Visit Ukraine, you can purchase health insurance for travel abroad and get up-to-date information on the rules for Ukrainians staying in various European countries.

Read also: Poverty levels in the EU in 2026 — which countries are leading and which are lagging?

In which cases is physical identification not required?

The Pension Fund clarified that not all pensioners traveling abroad are required to undergo this procedure. Identification is not mandatory if the trip is short-term—up to 183 days per year—and the person has not applied for refugee status or temporary protection in another country.

In other words, temporary travel, medical treatment, vacations, or stays with relatives abroad do not require additional identity verification for pension payments if the duration of the stay does not exceed the period established by law.

By what deadline must the procedure be completed?

The Pension Fund of Ukraine (PFU) emphasized that physical identification is not tied to a specific month or the date the pension was granted. The procedure must be completed by December 31 of each calendar year. This means that a pensioner can independently choose a convenient time to confirm their identity. If the requirement is met on time, the person automatically meets the conditions for continued pension receipt in the following year.

At the same time, in the case of long-term residence abroad, physical identification must be completed every year. This is a mandatory condition for the uninterrupted calculation of pension payments.

Why does the Pension Fund conduct identification?

The in-person identification procedure was introduced to verify the accuracy of pension recipients’ data and prevent fraudulent payments.

This applies particularly to Ukrainians who have been living abroad for an extended period. In this way, the state confirms that the pensioner is indeed entitled to receive the funds and personally manages their account.

For Ukrainians living in EU countries, issues of legal residence, obtaining protected status, and access to medical services are often interconnected. That is why, before traveling or planning a long-term stay abroad, it is important to take care of the necessary documents in advance, including health insurance, which can be arranged online through Visit Ukraine.

We remind you! The procedure for applying for pensions in Ukraine has become much simpler! Forget about collecting paper documents: if your employment information has already been digitized, the Pension Fund will automatically retrieve the data from government registries. Read how to confirm your insurance record under the new rules.

Photo: pressfoto / Freepik

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