Ukrainians living in Poland temporarily or permanently can apply for pension payments if certain requirements are met. The pension provision of Ukrainians in Poland is regulated by the agreement between Ukraine and Poland on social security, which entered into force on January 1, 2014. This agreement allows you to take into account the insurance experience acquired in both countries, which is especially useful for those who worked in both Ukraine and Poland.
Is it possible to receive a pension from both countries?
The agreement between Ukraine and Poland allows to receive pensions from both countries for those Ukrainians who moved to Poland, but have work experience in Ukraine. Payments from Poland cover seniority acquired in Poland, and payments from Ukraine cover seniority acquired in Ukraine. Thus, it is possible to receive a pension for two periods of work. It is important that both pensions can be transferred to one bank account, which simplifies the process of receiving payments.
To combine insurance experience from both countries, you need to get a certificate from your place of work and submit it to the Polish Social Insurance Office (ZUS).
Who is entitled to a pension in Poland
- Retirement age
To receive a pension in Poland, it is necessary to reach the retirement age — 60 years for women and 65 years for men. This requirement applies to everyone, including Ukrainians living in Poland. - Insurance experience
To receive a full pension in Poland, you must have at least 20 years of insurance experience for women and 25 years for men. If the insurance period is less, the pension can still be awarded, but its amount will be reduced according to the proportion. - Consideration of Ukrainian seniority
If the insurance experience in Poland is not enough, periods of work in Ukraine can be added to it. This allows you to receive a pension even with a shorter experience in Poland. - Pension calculation
The size of the pension is determined in proportion to the insurance experience in Poland and Ukraine. For example, if a person worked in Poland for 10 years and in Ukraine for 15 years, the pension will be calculated according to the ratio 10/25. - Special conditions
Ukrainians who worked in Poland in conditions considered special (for example, as miners or sailors) can retire earlier. In this case, the seniority acquired in Ukraine can also be taken into account if the work in Ukraine took place under similar conditions.
How pensions are calculated for Ukrainians in Poland
There are three age categories of pensioners in Poland, each of which has its own procedure for calculating pensions:
The first group — people who were born before 1949. For this category, pensions are determined on the basis of a minimum length of service: women must have 20 years of service, and men – 25 years. The internship can be partially acquired in Poland, and partially in Ukraine.
Another group — persons born in the period from 1949 to 1969. The size of the pension for this group depends on the amount of contributions paid to the Pension Fund and the Social Insurance Office. There is no minimum pension amount, so the pension can be quite small.
The third group — people born after 1969. For this category, the amount of the pension also depends on the contributions, but you need to pay taxes to both the Social Insurance Office and the Pension Fund.
Therefore, Ukrainians in Poland have the opportunity to receive a pension for work experience acquired both in Ukraine and in Poland. Compliance with these conditions allows you to ensure financial support in retirement and avoid possible problems with social security.
