Ukraine and Belarus have signed a mutual agreement with Poland regarding social security. This means that the contributions you save in your Polish retirement account can be added to the amount of your pension in your country of origin (if you choose to reside there in your old age as a retiree). They will be counted just the same as other contributions. Of course, having the appropriate work history and reaching the retirement age are conditions for this to apply.
Pensions in Poland for Ukrainian and Belarusian citizens
Ukrainians and Belarusians who have worked in Poland and settle there for their retirement can receive a supplement to the minimum pension. This will happen if they meet several conditions:
- They are of retirement age (60 years for women, 65 years for men).
- They have the required work history.
- They are residing legally in Poland.
- The contributions they have accumulated both in Poland and in their country of origin result in a pension lower than the minimum pension amount (1588 PLN in 2023).
In that case, the Polish Social Insurance Institution (ZUS) adds to the funds from contributions gathered in the Polish fund and sent through the Ukrainian equivalent. In April 2023, 1170 Ukrainians in Poland benefited from this additional payment to the minimum pension.
If your total contributions give you a pension higher than the minimum, ZUS will simply pay you the owed benefits.
Remember that determining the pension amount for a foreigner might take some time, as the Polish ZUS needs to receive documents certifying your contribution periods and the total amount of contributions from its foreign counterpart.
Sources:
https://www.zus.pl/-/emerytury-dla-obywateli-ukrainy-w-oparciu-o-umowe-polska-ukraina
https://www.money.pl/gospodarka/zus-prostuje-falszywe-informacje-wyjasnia-sprawe-swiadczen-dla-ukraincow-6891812659808864a.html
https://www.instytutpm.eu/ukrainscy-pracownicy-a-polska-emerytura/