Many Ukrainians working in Poland are concerned that their years of work abroad are not reflected in their Ukrainian insurance record. However, working legally in Poland does not mean that this period will be lost when applying for a pension.

There is a social security agreement between Ukraine and Poland that allows insurance periods acquired in both countries to be taken into account.

We break down how this works, which documents you should keep, and what happens to pension contributions.

Where do pension contributions go when working in Poland

If you work officially in Poland and are subject to social insurance, contributions are transferred to the Polish ZUS system.

For example, under a standard employment contract — umowa o pracę — the employer registers the employee in the system and regularly transfers mandatory social contributions.

As a result, the period of official work forms Polish insurance seniority and pension capital.

With an umowa zlecenie, the rules may differ. Most social contributions are usually mandatory, but there are exceptions. For example, students under 26 may not pay social contributions under certain conditions.

Umowa o dzieło, as a rule, does not provide for pension contributions and therefore usually does not form insurance seniority.

Therefore, it is important to look not only at the name of the contract but also to check whether the employer is actually paying social contributions for you.

Why Polish seniority is not displayed in Ukraine

Polish pension contributions remain in the Polish system and are not automatically transferred to Ukraine.

That is why years of work in Poland may not appear in the Ukrainian registry.

This does not mean they have disappeared.

There is a social security agreement between Ukraine and Poland. If a person lacks the insurance seniority to qualify for a pension in one country, periods of insurance acquired in the other may be taken into account under certain conditions.

However, the same period of work cannot be counted twice.

How Ukraine and Poland calculate pensions

It is important to distinguish between the right to a pension and the amount of the pension.

The seniority from both countries can be used to determine the right to payments. However, pension contributions and wages from Poland are not transferred to the Ukrainian pension system.

Each country calculates its own share independently.

For example, if a person worked officially in Ukraine for part of their career and in Poland for another, they can receive pension payments from both countries, provided they meet the necessary conditions.

Ukraine calculates payments for periods related to the Ukrainian system, and Poland does so for Polish ones.

How much seniority is needed for a pension

In Ukraine, requirements depend on the retirement age.

In 2026, to retire at 60, you need at least 33 years of insurance seniority. If you have less seniority, the right to a pension may arise later — at 63 or 65, provided the corresponding requirements are met.

In Poland, the retirement age is:

• 60 years for women;
• 65 years for men.

The Polish system differs from the Ukrainian one. The amount of payment depends primarily on accumulated pension capital and other factors provided by law.

Therefore, even a relatively short period of official work in Poland should not be considered useless.

What documents about work in Poland should you keep

One of the most common problems arises years later when a person needs to verify their work history, but the company has already closed or documents are lost.

Therefore, it is best to keep documents immediately.

First and foremost, the following will be useful:

• employment contracts and any amendments to them;
• świadectwo pracy after the end of the employment relationship, if applicable;
• documents regarding salary and social insurance contributions;
• statements from eZUS;
• tax documents for the corresponding years.

It is helpful to periodically check your personal account on eZUS. This way, you can ensure that your employer has actually registered you and is transferring the necessary contributions.

If a missed period is discovered, it is much easier to resolve it immediately than many years later.

How to confirm Polish seniority for a Ukrainian pension

If you need to include periods of work in Poland when applying for a Ukrainian pension, the pension authorities of the two countries can exchange the necessary information.

Usually, the procedure looks like this:

1. You collect documents confirming work in Poland.
2. You contact the pension authority where you are applying for a pension.
3. The Ukrainian side sends a request to the Polish side.
4. The Polish side confirms the insurance periods.
5. The confirmed periods are taken into account when determining the right to a pension in accordance with the agreement.

Traveling between Ukraine and Poland just to confirm seniority is usually not required.

However, the international exchange of documents can take time, so it is better to address the issue in advance.

If you live in Poland

Ukrainian seniority can also be taken into account when applying for pension rights in Poland.

In this case, the application is submitted through the Polish pension system, after which the necessary information is requested from the Ukrainian side.

Thus, the agreement works in both directions.

What kind of work might not provide insurance seniority

Not every period of work in Poland automatically becomes insured.

Unofficial work. If the employer did not register the employee and did not pay contributions, such a period is much more difficult to confirm.

Umowa o dzieło. In most cases, social contributions are not paid under such a contract, so insurance seniority is not formed. There are specific exceptions.

Certain contracts for students under 26. Under certain conditions, social contributions are not paid, and therefore, pension seniority may not be formed accordingly.

Overlapping periods. If the same insurance period falls simultaneously in two countries, it cannot simply be counted twice.

Therefore, the main guide is not the mere fact of working abroad, but the presence of official social insurance.

What to do if you do not have enough Ukrainian seniority

If you do not have enough insurance seniority for a Ukrainian pension, there are mechanisms for voluntary participation in the pension insurance system.

In certain cases, contributions can be paid independently, including while living abroad.

However, before doing so, it is worth checking the periods already accumulated in Ukraine and Poland. It is possible that after confirming foreign seniority, you will have enough years to qualify for a pension.

What happens if a Polish company sends you to work in another EU country

A common situation: a person is employed by a Polish company but is actually working temporarily in Germany, the Netherlands, or Belgium, for example.

Here it is important to determine in which country the person is insured.

In the EU, a social security coordination system is used for this. One of the key documents for temporary work in another country is the A1 certificate.

It confirms which country's social security legislation applies to the employee.

If social contributions continue to be legally transferred to the Polish system, the corresponding insurance period continues to be formed in Poland.

Therefore, when working abroad, it is important not only to have an employment contract but also to understand exactly where social contributions are being paid for you.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does work in Poland count for a Ukrainian pension?

Polish insurance periods can be taken into account when determining the right to a Ukrainian pension in accordance with the agreement between the two countries.

However, Polish contributions are not transferred to the Ukrainian pension system. Each country calculates its own share of the payment independently.

Do I need to obtain confirmation of seniority in Poland myself?

Pension institutions in Ukraine and Poland can exchange the necessary information directly. However, the employee should still save contracts and documents confirming employment and the payment of contributions.

Is an apostille required on pension documents?

For documents used under the social security agreement between Ukraine and Poland, a simplified procedure is provided.

If I worked in Poland for less than a year, will that period be lost?

No. A short insurance period in itself does not mean that it becomes useless. Its significance depends on the pension legislation of both countries and the rules of the international agreement.

Can I receive a pension from both Ukraine and Poland simultaneously?

Yes, if the corresponding pension rights are met, each country can pay its share for the insurance periods related to its system.

Does an umowa o dzieło provide pension seniority?

As a rule, no, because pension contributions are usually not paid under such a contract. However, there are exceptions.

Key takeaways

Legal work in Poland does not mean the loss of pension seniority.

If social contributions are officially paid for the employee, the corresponding periods are recorded in the Polish pension system.

Ukrainian and Polish seniority are not combined into one general pension account. Instead, the agreement between the countries allows, if necessary, for the insurance periods of both systems to be considered for determining pension rights.

Each country calculates and pays its part of the pension according to its own rules.

The most important thing for the employee is official registration and saving documents. Check your insurance information, keep contracts, and keep proofs of contribution payments. Then, years later, it will be much easier to verify your work in Poland.

Information and requirements are current as of September 2026. Pension rules are subject to change, so it is recommended to clarify current requirements with the competent pension authority before applying for a pension.