Ukrainians temporarily or permanently residing in Poland may be eligible for a pension, subject to certain requirements. Pensions are governed by the agreement between Ukraine and Poland on social security, which entered into force on 1 January 2014. This agreement allows for the consideration of insurance periods acquired in both countries, which is especially important for those who have work experience in both Ukraine and Poland.

Is it possible to receive a pension in both Poland and Ukraine?

Yes, the two countries have a bilateral agreement on social security. This allows those Ukrainians who moved to Poland but were previously employed in Ukraine to receive a pension for their work in both countries. It is important to note that you will receive payments from Poland for your work experience here, and from Ukraine for your work experience in that country, respectively.

In order to summarize your Polish work experience with the Ukrainian one, you need to take a certificate from your place of work and submit it to the Social Insurance Office at your place of residence in Poland. By the way, both pensions can be paid to the same account.

Basic requirements for receiving a pension in Poland: who can count on payments?

1. Retirement age: To receive a pension in Poland, you need to reach the retirement age, which is 60 years for women and 65 years for men. This applies to both Polish citizens and Ukrainians.

2. Pensionableservice: In order to receive a full pension in Poland, you need to have at least 20 years of pensionable service for women and 25 years for men. If the insurance period is shorter, the pension can be granted, but its amount will be proportionally reduced.

3. Taking into account Ukrainian pensionable service: If the insurance period in Poland is insufficient, periods of work in Ukraine can be added to it. This allows you to be eligible for a pension even if you have a shorter period of work in Poland.

4. Calculation of the pension: The pension amount is calculated proportionally to the periods of insurance in Poland and Ukraine. For example, if a Ukrainian worked in Poland for 10 years and in Ukraine for 15 years, the pension will be calculated according to the ratio of 10/25.

5. Special conditions: If a Ukrainian worked in Poland under special conditions (e.g. as a miner or a sailor), he/she can retire earlier than the retirement age. In this case, the insurance period in Ukraine can also be taken into account if the work was performed in similar conditions.

The procedure for calculating pensions for Ukrainians in Poland

It should be borne in mind that all pensioners in Poland are divided into three age groups, each of which has its own pension calculation procedure:

The first group includes people born before 1949. If you belong to this category, you can claim the minimum pension in Poland. To receive a pension, women need to have 20 years of work experience, and men need to have 25 years of work experience. But not all of them have to be in Poland. For example, if you worked in Poland for only a year or two, but in Ukraine for 30-40 years, this experience will also be counted.

The second group is people born between 1949 and 1969. If you belong to this category, the amount of your pension will depend on how much you and your employer have paid in taxes to the Pension Fund and the Social Insurance Administration. In this case, the amount of pension payments can be any amount. There is no minimum pension amount in this case, so the pension can be very small.

The third group is people born after 1969. If you belong to this category, the amount of your pension will also depend on the taxes you paid. However, while in the case of the second group, the employer must pay taxes either to the Social Insurance Administration or the Pension Fund, in the third group, the employer must pay taxes to both organizations.

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What if the length of service in Ukraine and Poland is not enough?

If, after summing up the Polish and Ukrainian insurance periods, the insurance period is too short to receive a pension in Poland, the periods of insurance in other countries where the citizen worked may be added to the length of service.

ZUS may add insurance periods from countries with which Poland and Ukraine have concluded a social security agreement, namely:

– Bulgaria,

– Latvia,

– Czech Republic,

– Spain,

– Estonia,

–  Portugal,

– Lithuania,

– Slovakia.

Important! The ZUS memo states that if your insurance period in Poland is sufficient to qualify for a pension from the Social Insurance Institution (ZUS), there is no need to add foreign periods of work. In addition, it is important to take into account the year of birth, as the rules for additional pensionable service may differ for different categories of citizens.

How do I apply for a pension?

You can apply for a pension in both Poland and Ukraine. The Polish Social Insurance Institution (ZUS) will review the documents and, if necessary, transfer them to the Ukrainian authorities for the purpose of taking into account the length of service.

At the same time, the Social Insurance Institution (ZUS) will accept your application together with other documents, even if they are in Ukrainian.

You can submit an application for a pension (EMP) in person at the nearest branch of the Social Insurance Institution (ZUS) or via the ZUS Electronic Services Platform (PUE ZUS), provided that the documents for the application are submitted to the Institution in paper form in person or by mail.

What documents should be attached to the application?

The application for a pension must be accompanied by documents that substantiate the provision of this benefit and will be required to calculate the amount of the pension, in particular

– certificates from employers or certificates from the place of work confirming the periods of payment and non-payment of insurance contributions in Poland,

– certificates from employers or certificates from the place of work confirming the performance of work in special conditions (in Poland and Ukraine),

– certificates from employers confirming the periods of employment and the amount of salary that constituted the basis for calculating social security or pension and rent insurance contributions in Poland (may be issued on the ZUS Rp-7 form),

– an insurance card containing records relating to periods of employment and salary in Poland,

– a certificate from a higher education institution stating the period of study and the planned duration of studies,

– a military ID card or a certificate from the military commissariat about the periods of active military service,

– copies of birth certificates of children.

We remind you! Ukrainians who temporarily reside abroad can receive pension payments to a card and by mail. Read how to apply for a pension abroad and what you need to do in our previous article.

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