Requirements for insurance work experience needed to retire at 60 are becoming stricter in Ukraine. For those who have not managed to accumulate enough years of work, the state has provided a mechanism for "buying" the missing time. We look at how this system works and who can use it.
Increasing work experience requirements
According to the Pension Fund of Ukraine, the threshold for required work experience is constantly rising. Thus, to receive an old-age pension at 60 in 2026, citizens will need to have at least 33 years of insurance work experience. This trend will continue in the future: starting from 2028, the minimum threshold for retirement will rise to 35 years.
Who can buy work experience?
Legislation provides for the possibility of voluntary participation in pension insurance. This service can be used by both insured and uninsured persons who have reached the age of 16. There is also a provision for paying contributions on behalf of other people.
This option is particularly relevant for those who are not officially employed and do not have pensioner status. Such citizens can conclude a contract for voluntary participation in the system of mandatory state social insurance.
Filling gaps in work experience
If there is very little time left until retirement age, and there are periods of unemployment or informal employment in your work history, you can "buy" work experience for past periods. This refers to periods since 2004 when a person did not work and contributions were not paid.
Problems with work experience often arise due to nuances in the formalization of labor relations. For example, if a person worked on a part-time basis, resigned, or was hired not on the first day of the month, work experience is credited in days proportionally to the contributions paid. In such cases, only a few days may be credited for a full month of work.
Difficulties also arise for those who worked under civil law contracts (CPC). In such situations, it is important to carefully monitor accruals to avoid losses in the future.
