In 2027, the minimum length of insurance record required to be granted an old-age pension at age 60 in Ukraine will continue to increase. Women who reach this age during the year will need to have at least 34 years of officially confirmed insurance record.
The retirement age itself is not increasing for most women: under the current rules, the basic threshold remains 60. However, the actual time of retirement depends not only on age but also on the number of years during which insurance contributions were paid on a person's behalf.
UNN has looked into how to understand the requirements of the law and exercise the right to benefits in a timely manner.
The required insurance record increases by one year annually. In 2026, at least 33 years of insurance record will be required to arrange a pension at age 60; in 2027, 34 years; and from 2028, 35 years. These requirements are the same for men and women.
At what age will women retire in 2027
Under the current legislation, an old-age pension may be granted after a woman reaches the age of 60, 63, or 65. The specific age threshold depends on the accumulated insurance record.
The following requirements will apply in 2027:
At the same time, the year of birth is only a reference point. The decisive factors are the date on which a woman reached the relevant age and the length of her insurance record specifically as of that date.
For example, if a Ukrainian woman turned 60 back in 2026, the requirement of 33 years of insurance record applies to her, even if she applies to the Pension Fund later.
Table of insurance record required for retirement
The gradual increase in the insurance record requirements is предусмотрено until 2028. After that, the figures are to be fixed at the level established by law.
Thus, a woman born in 1967 who turns 60 in 2027 will be able to arrange an old-age pension immediately if she has at least 34 years of insurance record.
If her insurance record is shorter, this does not always mean that she will necessarily have to wait until age 63. A woman may continue working or voluntarily pay contributions. As soon as the total length of her insurance record reaches the threshold required for retirement at age 60, she will have the right to apply for a pension.
For example, if she is short of six months when she turns 60, the payment can be arranged after she acquires those six months of insurance record, rather than three years later. In this case, the pension will be granted from the date of application.
What is insurance record
Insurance record is the period during which a person was subject to mandatory state pension insurance and contributions were paid on their behalf each month in an amount no less than the minimum insurance contribution.
The concept of insurance record is not always identical to the total number of years recorded in an employment record book. After January 1, 2004, the record is calculated primarily based on data from the Register of Insured Persons. If an employer did not pay the unified social contribution or paid an insufficient amount, the relevant month may not be counted in full.
Periods of employment before January 1, 2004, are confirmed by entries in the paper employment record book, archival certificates, and other documents. To have such periods taken into account automatically, it is advisable to digitize the employment record book data in advance through the Pension Fund's web portal.
The acquired insurance record can be checked in one's personal account on the PFU portal. In particular, the information is contained in OK-5 and OK-7 certificates. This should be done in advance, since correcting errors in records, searching for archival documents, or confirming employment at a liquidated enterprise may take time.
What happens if there is not enough insurance record in 2027
If a woman turns 60 in 2027 but has less than 34 years of insurance record, several options are possible.
First, she may continue working officially and apply for a pension after acquiring the required 34 years.
Another option is to arrange a pension after reaching age 63, provided that, by the time she turns 63, her insurance record meets the requirement established for that age.
Those who reach age 63 specifically in 2027 will need to have between 24 and 34 years of insurance record. After reaching age 65, the right to a pension will arise provided there are at least 15 years of insurance record.
If by the age of 65 a person has less than 15 years of insurance record, they will not acquire the right to an old-age pension. Instead, state social assistance may be granted to a person who is not entitled to a pension. To receive it, among other things, the person must not be receiving another pension payment and must meet the low-income criteria. It should be noted that this assistance is not an automatic replacement for a pension for everyone who lacks sufficient insurance record.
Can you buy additional insurance record
Ukrainians who lack sufficient insurance record may voluntarily pay contributions. A simplified voluntary participation agreement is concluded remotely through the Pension Fund’s web portal of electronic services using a qualified electronic signature.
This mechanism may be used by persons aged 16 and over whose data are included in the Register of Insured Persons and who do not yet receive a pension. Contributions may be paid both for oneself and for another person.
We draw attention to an important detail: under the simplified agreement, a contribution is credited for the month in which the funds actually reach the Pension Fund. To have a full month credited, the amount must be no less than the minimum insurance contribution, the amount of which depends on the established minimum wage.
Therefore, it is not possible simply to transfer a large sum at once and automatically receive several years of insurance record for past periods. A different voluntary participation mechanism applies to the payment of specific past periods; its terms should be clarified with the tax authority or the Pension Fund.
Will the retirement age be increased after 2027
As of August 6, 2026, the basic retirement age for men and women under the general rules is 60. In 2028, the increase in insurance-record requirements provided for by the reform is expected to be completed: to retire at 60, a person will need to have 35 years of insurance record.
At the same time, the law contains another provision: starting from January 1, 2028, if a person has at least 40 calendar years of insurance record, an old-age pension may be granted regardless of the person’s age.
Further changes to the conditions for retirement are possible only after amendments to the legislation are adopted. Among the areas of the next stage of the reform, the government names the development of funded pension provision, which is intended to supplement the solidarity system and create an additional source of payments in old age.
Which women can retire early
The general age and insurance-record requirements do not apply to all categories of citizens. The law preserves the right to early or preferential pensions for women with special status or special working conditions.
Mothers of many children and mothers of children with disabilities
Women who have given birth to five or more children and raised them until the age of six may retire after reaching the age of 50. To do so, they must have at least 15 years of insurance record.
The same right applies to mothers of persons with disabilities since childhood, as well as of seriously ill children for whom no disability was established, provided that they raised the child until at least the age of six.
Female workers in hazardous and arduous industries
Women who worked full-time in particularly hazardous and particularly arduous jobs may qualify for a pension after reaching the age of 50. They must have at least 20 years of total insurance record, of which at least 7 years and 6 months must be in the relevant jobs.
In addition, such women may be granted a pension after reaching the age of 55. They must have at least 25 years of total insurance record, including at least 10 years in jobs with hazardous or arduous working conditions. The right to the benefit must be confirmed by employment documents and the results of workplace certification.
Women combatants and family members of those killed
Women military personnel and other women who have been granted combatant status, as well as persons with war-related disabilities, may arrange an early pension after reaching the age of 50 if they have at least 20 years of insurance record.
Wives who have not remarried, as well as parents who have officially been granted the status of a family member of a fallen or deceased war veteran, may also be entitled to a pension at 50 if they have 20 years of insurance record.
Women dismissed due to staff reductions
Early retirement may be granted to a woman who was dismissed due to the liquidation, reorganization or bankruptcy of an enterprise, or due to staff or workforce reductions. However, on the date of dismissal, no more than one and a half years must remain before she reaches retirement age. In addition, the woman must have at least 30 years of insurance coverage, register with the state employment service, and there must be no suitable work available for her.
A similar possibility is provided for female employees dismissed because they were deemed unfit for their position due to their health, provided that no more than one and a half years remain before retirement age and they have accumulated at least 30 years of insurance coverage.
Women with certain types of disabilities and rare diseases
Women with pituitary dwarfism or disproportionate dwarfism may apply for a pension after reaching the age of 40, provided they have at least 15 years of insurance coverage.
Women with Group I visual disabilities and persons with Group I disabilities since childhood may retire at the age of 40, provided they have at least 10 years of insurance coverage.
Separate rules providing for a reduction in the retirement age also apply to women who participated in the cleanup of the aftermath of the accident at the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant and those affected by the disaster. The specific retirement age depends on the category of the affected person and the confirmed periods of work or residence in contaminated areas.
How to prepare for applying for a pension
Future female pensioners should check their insurance coverage information in advance in their personal account with the Pension Fund of Ukraine, digitize their employment record book, and make sure that all periods of employment are included in the register.
Particular attention should be paid to records from before 2004, periods of employment at enterprises that have been liquidated, information about education, military service, childcare, and other periods that may be counted toward insurance coverage under certain conditions.
An application for a pension may be submitted to any Pension Fund service center, regardless of the place of registration, or remotely via the Pension Fund of Ukraine web portal. If the register contains all the necessary information, a pension may be granted automatically after a person reaches the age of 60, without a separate application.
Reminder
The number of pensioners in Ukraine has decreased by 190,500 since the beginning of 2026. The average pension is UAH 7,273, while a quarter of pensioners receive approximately UAH 3,500.