The Pension Fund clarified the procedure for crediting insurance periods acquired abroad under Resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine (CMU) No. 562 of 16.05.2025. The new rules allow foreign insurance periods to be taken into account for determining pension entitlement even in the absence of international agreements on mutual recognition of insurance periods.
Who it applies to and how foreign insurance periods are counted
Foreign insurance periods are credited only for determining entitlement to a pension, i.e. for reaching the required number of years of insurance, but do not affect the size of the pension, unless otherwise provided by international agreements with specific countries. Example: to retire at 60 you need 33 years of insurance; 25 years in Ukraine plus 8 years abroad give the right to a pension.
The term “insurance period” here denotes periods of work that are credited as employment record for pension entitlement. If an international agreement with a country provides different rules, the provisions of that agreement apply.
What documents are required to credit foreign insurance periods
Documents confirming periods of work issued by another state that confirm the inclusion of those periods in the insurance record in accordance with that state’s legislation must be attached to the pension application. Appropriate evidence may include employment contracts, payroll slips, employer certificates or declarations of income.
Documents are recognised as valid in Ukraine provided they are legalised, unless otherwise provided by current international agreements. Information on the procedure for legalising documents should be sought on the official page of the Ukrainian embassy in the country of issue.
Submission procedure and deadlines
Supporting documents are attached to the pension application or sent after its submission in case they are not available at the time of application. If supporting documents arrive later than 3 months after the application was submitted, the date of acceptance of the application is considered the day the documents were received.
If confirmation is obtained before submitting the application, the Pension Fund authority is obliged to inform the person of the need to apply for pension assignment. By “declaration of income” is meant a written confirmation of income issued by the person themselves or by a competent authority in the country where the income was received.
