Key Takeaways
- • Ukraine has simplified the confirmation of pensionable service for citizens whose employment record books (labor books) are lost or missing, allowing service periods to be proven through testimony from at least two witnesses who worked with the person.
- • Under Law No. 1217-IX dated 5 February 2021, data from paper labor books may be used to enter employment information into the State Register of Mandatory State Social Insurance only until 10 June 2026, according to Baker McKenzie.
- • Employers are encouraged to submit employees' work history to the Pension Fund of Ukraine's web portal as .xml files and to verify entries in the Register before the deadline.
- • Individuals whose documents were lost due to war or occupation, including internally displaced persons, can still seek confirmation of their work history through the pension authority.
Summary
Ukraine has simplified the process for confirming pensionable service where an employment record book has been lost, damaged, or lacks entries. Multiple publisher and industry sources report that if documents are missing or not preserved, the service period can be confirmed by statements from at least two witnesses who worked with the applicant. Coverage also notes that the rules allow individuals who lost documents due to war or occupation, including internally displaced persons, to verify their work history for pension purposes.
The underlying framework is the electronic recordkeeping of employment. According to a Baker McKenzie legal update, the Pension Fund of Ukraine has been entering employees' work history into the Register of Mandatory State Social Insurance based on labor book records, under Law No. 1217-IX of 5 February 2021, which took effect on 10 June 2021. The firm notes that the insurance period determining pension entitlement and amount is calculated from Register data, so gaps can adversely affect a pension right. Employees can review their personal electronic cards by registering on the Pension Fund's web portal.
The deadline is the key point for employers and employees. Baker McKenzie reports that labor-book data may be used to populate the Register only until 10 June 2026. For periods before 10 June 2021, information may be submitted either as a scanned copy of the labor book or via an electronic cabinet entry with attached scans. Scans must be in color, made from originals, include all pages with entries, be readable at 300 dpi, be in JPG or PDF format, and not exceed 1 MB. The firm recommends that employers inform staff to check their Register entries, upload complete scans before the deadline, and return the original books against signed receipts.
For employees, the electronic work record system and the Pension Fund's .xml submission process are the primary routes for updating records. Where no documentation exists, witness testimony is the fallback. Sources did not provide the full text of the revised procedure, so specific eligibility conditions and documentation requirements should be verified against the official regulation.
The underlying framework is the electronic recordkeeping of employment. According to a Baker McKenzie legal update, the Pension Fund of Ukraine has been entering employees' work history into the Register of Mandatory State Social Insurance based on labor book records, under Law No. 1217-IX of 5 February 2021, which took effect on 10 June 2021. The firm notes that the insurance period determining pension entitlement and amount is calculated from Register data, so gaps can adversely affect a pension right. Employees can review their personal electronic cards by registering on the Pension Fund's web portal.
The deadline is the key point for employers and employees. Baker McKenzie reports that labor-book data may be used to populate the Register only until 10 June 2026. For periods before 10 June 2021, information may be submitted either as a scanned copy of the labor book or via an electronic cabinet entry with attached scans. Scans must be in color, made from originals, include all pages with entries, be readable at 300 dpi, be in JPG or PDF format, and not exceed 1 MB. The firm recommends that employers inform staff to check their Register entries, upload complete scans before the deadline, and return the original books against signed receipts.
For employees, the electronic work record system and the Pension Fund's .xml submission process are the primary routes for updating records. Where no documentation exists, witness testimony is the fallback. Sources did not provide the full text of the revised procedure, so specific eligibility conditions and documentation requirements should be verified against the official regulation.
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