Ukrainians can independently “buy” insurance experience for pension: how it works in 2026

Ukrainians who are temporarily unemployed or do not have official employment may not lose the opportunity to accumulate insurance experience for a future pension. The legislation allows them to pay voluntary pension contributions independently, which makes it possible to count months of experience even without official income.

The Pension Fund of Ukraine reminded about the mechanism of voluntary participation in the system of mandatory state pension insurance.

Who can take advantage of this opportunity

The right to voluntary payment of contributions is granted to citizens who meet several conditions:

— have reached the age of 16;

— are included in the register of insured persons;

— do not yet receive pension payments.

At the same time, the law allows paying contributions not only for themselves, but also for other persons.

To do this, it is necessary to conclude an agreement on voluntary participation through the official web portal of electronic services of the Pension Fund. Identification is possible using a qualified electronic signature, Action.Signature or the GOV.ID system.

How much does one month of insurance experience cost

The insurance experience is credited for the month in which the funds were actually received into the Pension Fund account. That is, even one payment allows you to “close” one month.

In order for the month to be credited in full, the contribution amount must be no less than the minimum insurance payment.

As of 2026, it is 1902.34 UAH, which corresponds to 22% of the minimum wage of 8647 UAH.

Why is this important

The insurance experience directly affects the right to retire at age and the amount of future payments. In case of a lack of the required experience, citizens can either work longer or compensate for the gaps with voluntary contributions.

The Pension Fund emphasizes that such a mechanism is especially relevant for people who work unofficially, are abroad, or have temporarily lost their jobs.