To know how many years of experience you need to have to retire at 60 in 2026 , you need to calculate on the calculator whether you have exactly or more than 33 years of insurance experience . If in the sum of all years and months of “official work experience” you have accumulated fewer years , retirement will have to be postponed until 63 or 65 years . The requirements for the minimum official experience for a pension in Ukraine are not constant – they increase by 12 months every year in accordance with current legislation .
In this article, we will analyze in detail, from a legal point of view, but in simple language, how much experience is required to retire now and in 2027, how to check your data in the Pension Fund of Ukraine, and what to do if you do not have enough experience.
Why seniority requirements are increasing: Pension reform in action
Back in 2017, a large-scale pension reform was launched in Ukraine with the adoption of:
Law of Ukraine “On Amendments to Certain Legislative Acts of Ukraine Regarding Pension Increases ”.
The government decided not to raise the general retirement age directly (immediately to 65 years from the previous 60), but instead introduced a gradual increase of 12 months, each year, from the requirements for the length of insurance experience.
The main goal of the reform is to encourage Ukrainians to work legally and pay taxes, because the old-age pension is now not just an unconditional guarantee upon reaching a certain age, but rather an insurance payment that must be “earned throughout life.”
According to the Law of Ukraine “On Mandatory State Pension Insurance” , the requirements will increase until 2028, until they reach 35 years of work experience (officially only). For a clear understanding, we at the Ukrainian Information editorial office, together with the author of the publication, have prepared a clear table for your reference below.
| Retirement year | Required insurance experience (to retire at age 60) |
| 2024 | 31 years old |
| 2025 | 32 years old |
| 2026 (Current) | 33 years old |
| 2027 | 34 years old |
| 2028 and beyond | 35 years old |
For convenience, you can save the photo below, showing how many years of experience you will need to have in 2027 to retire and in 2028.
How much experience is required if you want to retire before the age of 60?
If it so happens that by your 60th birthday you have not had time to accumulate the required 33 years (as of 2026 or 34 years as of 2027, or 35 years in 2028, respectively), the law provides for the possibility of retiring at an older age with more lenient requirements for length of service.
Retirement at 63: what are the requirements?
To be eligible for pension payments at age 63 in 2026, your insurance period must be between 23 and 33 years . This “corridor” also shifts by one year each year. That is, for those with a retirement date in 2027, there will be another +1 year, and for those with a retirement date in 2028, there will be another +1 year to the previous one for 2027.
Retirement at 65: minimum requirements
If the experience is short, i.e. from 15 to 23 years, retirement is possible at 65 years of age.
Accordingly, if as of 2026 you do not have a minimum number of years of official employment with contributions to the Pension Fund of Ukraine for 15-23 years of experience, you will not be entitled to a classic pension at all, that is, under the new changes, pensions will not be paid to those who do not have a minimum number of years of experience.
What is “insurance experience” and how does it differ from “employment experience”?
This is a fundamental legal concept that many people confuse, leading to unpleasant surprises in the Pension Fund.
- Work experience (until January 1, 2004): This is the period of your work, which is confirmed by entries in a paper work book. Before this date, work experience and insurance experience were actually synonymous.
- Insurance period (after January 1, 2004): This is the period for which you (or your employer) paid the Unified Social Contribution (USC) every month in an amount not less than the minimum; it is not constant and increases year by year.
Important: Even if after 2004 you were officially employed, but your employer evaded the Social Security Contribution for you as an employee or paid it in a smaller amount than that provided for by the minimum threshold, or you worked part-time and the contribution was less than the minimum – this month will not be fully credited to your insurance period for a pension in Ukraine and in the calculator we do not fully count it to assess the acquired pension period.
What to do if you don’t have enough experience: 3 legal options
If you reach retirement age in 2026 or are approaching it in 2027, and you do not have the required years of experience with mandatory social security contributions, you have three legal ways to solve the problem.
1. Continue working and gain experience
You can conclude an agreement on voluntary participation in the system of mandatory state social insurance. In simple words, “buy additional service time.”
You will pay contributions for current periods (if you are not currently officially employed) or you will have to pay a one-time fee for previous years (since 2004) when you were not eligible for insurance or when your employer underpaid.
Please note that purchasing “past” months costs twice as much as the current minimum SSC contribution.
2. Postpone retirement without buying experience
As I described above, you can wait until you are 63 or 65 years old to avoid buying “years” at a double price tag. When you turn 63 or 65, the requirements for service are significantly reduced and you can then apply for retirement. I would like to remind you separately about the minimum 15 years of service that must be mandatory.
3. Registration of social assistance
What should those who have not even accumulated 15 years of experience by the age of 65 do? The state will not leave you without a means of livelihood. Instead of a pension, you will have the right to apply to the social protection authorities for the appointment of state social assistance to persons who are not entitled to a pension. Its amount is tied to the subsistence minimum for disabled persons.
How to check your seniority: Instructions with an online seniority calculator
Don’t wait until you reach 60 to find out about your retirement years. Check your years of service now, you can do it in 5 minutes without leaving your home:
- Go to the Web portal of electronic services of the Pension Fund of Ukraine ( portal.pfu.gov.ua ).
- Log in in the upper right corner. The most convenient way to do this is using an electronic signature (CES), Action.Signature, or through the BankID system (using your bank).
- In the left menu, select the “My insurance experience” section or generate an OK-5 or OK-7 certificate . These documents will clearly state by month how much experience you have accrued and whether contributions have been paid for you.
FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions
Does studying at a university count towards experience?
Full-time studies at higher educational institutions, colleges, etc. are counted towards the length of service only until January 1, 2004 (provided they are confirmed by a diploma). After 2004, students are not subject to mandatory pension insurance, so these years do not count towards the length of service unless the student paid the Social Security Contribution voluntarily.
Does military service count towards seniority?
Yes. Military service is counted. In addition, during martial law, the state pays insurance contributions (ESV) for mobilized military personnel, so the service time is fully included in the pensionable service.
Does caring for a child under 3 years of age count towards retirement?
Thus, the period of parental leave until the child reaches the age of 3 is included in the insurance period. During this period, insurance contributions for the mother (or father) are paid from the state budget.
Conclusion: The pension legislation of Ukraine has been significantly strengthened, and now it has become stricter for those who do not have at least 15 years of experience. So every year the requirements for experience are constantly increasing. The main advice from lawyers is not to let this issue go by itself. Spend 10 minutes today: go to the PFU portal, download your OK-5 certificate and check whether your employer pays taxes honestly. Knowing your real experience in advance, you will have time to buy it up or adjust your career plans.
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