Summary of the information meeting for Belarusian citizens in Poland on pensions and social benefits
- Admin of the NAM
- Dec 3
- 23 min read
On November 28, 2025, an information meeting was held in Warsaw for Belarusians living in Poland, dedicated to issues of pension provision and social benefits. During the meeting, dozens of questions were asked, which were answered by Tomasz Szabliński, Head of the Department of Supervision and Customer Service at the Department of International Payments and Insurance of ZUS, and other ZUS specialists, who explained in detail the rights of Belarusians to pensions and social benefits in Poland. Below you can read in detail the answers to questions from ZUS representatives.
Clarification: this material was prepared by the NAM team based on answers from ZUS specialists. However, it is important in case of any questions to clarify all the details of your personal situation directly with the Polish Social Insurance Institution: www.zus.pl, and also to rely on information published on official Polish government websites.
Who is covered by the 2019 bilateral Belarusian-Polish social security agreement?
It applies to all persons engaged in activities related to social insurance in Belarus and Poland. The main feature of this agreement is that its application does not depend on citizenship. Citizens of third countries can also claim benefits under the terms of this agreement if they have insurance periods in Poland and Belarus. The group of persons entitled to benefits under this agreement is essentially determined by whether they were covered by the social security systems of Poland and Belarus; citizenship itself is not taken into account when applying this agreement. Anyone who has insurance periods in Poland and Belarus and wishes to apply for any of the benefits covered by this agreement can use the provisions of the social security agreement.
What types of benefits are covered by the 2019 Belarusian-Polish bilateral social security agreement?
This list covers the benefits provided by the legislation of each country. From the Polish side, there is a certain group of benefits that can be obtained taking into account the provisions of the agreement. The same applies to the Belarusian side. In Poland, this refers to old-age pensions, disability pensions, that is, benefits for people who have not reached retirement age but are unable to work due to reasons beyond their control. Survivor pensions are benefits provided to family members of deceased insured persons or deceased pensioners. Pensions for accidents at work and occupational diseases are a special type of disability pension related to risks of accidents and diseases. Funeral benefits are a special type of benefit provided to persons who covered funeral expenses for a pensioner or a person insured in the social security system of one country.
This agreement covers benefits administered by the Social Insurance Institution (ZUS), that is, the general social security system for employees, as well as persons covered by the system administered by the Agricultural Social Insurance Fund (KRUS). This insurance applies to persons who are farmers in Poland and engaged in agricultural activity. From the Belarusian side, the agreement covers workers' pensions, the full list of pensions, including old-age pensions, disability pensions, survivor pensions, and a special pension whose amount depends on work experience. Benefits for accidents at work and occupational diseases also include one-time and periodic payments, as well as funeral benefits.
What is the social insurance system in Poland?
Poland, so to speak, forms its social security system with special laws. There is a general law on the social security system in Poland, which contains provisions regulating the organization and financing of the social security system. It also contains provisions regarding the principles of social security in Poland. It should also be noted that these provisions, arising from this law and pension legislation, do not contain a citizenship criterion. Therefore, regardless of citizenship, a person can be covered by the Polish social security system if certain conditions are met.
Thus, if a foreigner is employed in Poland, regardless of whether Poland has a social security agreement with their country or not, by being hired, they naturally use employment forms in accordance with the current legislation. Such a person is included in the Polish social insurance system because participation in it for employees or self-employed persons is mandatory, and regardless of whether they are citizens of Poland or another country, they can join this system, of course, under the conditions established by specific Polish insurance rules. However, when it comes to determining benefits, it is precisely these rules that define both the list of benefits and the conditions for obtaining them.
There are two fundamental laws in Poland: the law on old-age pensions and disability pensions from social insurance funds, and the law on social security in case of accidents at work and occupational diseases. Old-age and disability pensions are regulated by these laws, and the conditions for receiving them are described therein.
How is the pension system in Poland organized?
In 1999, Poland carried out a large-scale reform of the pension system, which primarily consisted of creating individual insurance accounts for insured persons. Since 1999, all contributions paid by Polish employers to ZUS for social insurance are recorded on the individual insurance account of the employee registered in the system. From that moment, a full review of contributions recorded in the account has been maintained so that each insured worker can check the balance of their insurance account. At the same time, the reform introduced pensions based on insurance contributions for persons born after December 31, 1948. Persons born before January 1, 1949, remained in the so-called old pension system. However, persons born on or after January 1, 1949, moved to the new, reformed pension system. This is a very significant difference for these persons in terms of pension rights. This group of persons born before January 1, 1949, can receive a pension upon reaching retirement age and confirming a certain work experience.
What is the minimum length of insurance required to receive a minimum pension in Poland?
For women, this period is 20 years; for men, 25 years. Pensions can also be received at an earlier age, that is, with 15 years of experience for women and 20 years for men, but the minimum pension guarantee does not apply to such pensions. Anyone who has worked 20 years (women) and 25 years (men) can receive the minimum pension, even if the calculation is lower than the paid pension contributions. The amount of this pension will be lower. However, pensions for shorter work experience, i.e., 15 and 20 years, are not increased to the minimum pension amount.
As you can see, this benefit is paid for work experience, but it can fall under the Polish-Belarusian social security agreement. That is, if someone does not have such an insurance period in Poland, the Polish-Belarusian agreement can be applied to include Belarusian insurance periods to reach the minimum insurance period, i.e., 20–25 years. But in general, in Poland, there is no requirement for work experience to receive a pension. One month of work — you have the right to a pension; one year of work — you have the right to a pension. Of course, provided contributions to the social insurance fund are paid, because the benefit amount depends on the sum of contributions recorded in the account, not on work experience.
How is the pension amount determined in Poland?
The amount of the pension is determined by contributions — the sum of contributions credited to the individual insurance account, which has been created in Poland for each insured person since January 1999. Of course, in Poland, for those who worked before 1999, foreigners arriving now rarely have contributions from before 1999. However, for reconstructing these contributions for the period before 1999, an initial capital is established. This is a hypothetical pension to which these persons would have been entitled at the end of 1998, and this capital is recorded in the individual insurance account. This capital also serves as the basis for calculating the new, reformed pension.
Thus, today, a person who worked in Poland for one month, one year, or five years will receive a pension for this period. Of course, the amount of this pension will directly depend on the contributions credited to the individual insurance account. These contributions are indexed in special indexation cycles at the time of receiving or establishing the pension right, to reflect actual value. Then, using a mathematical algorithm, the monthly payment is calculated by dividing the sum of invested capital and contributions by the average life expectancy of the pensioner — the so-called GUS index. This index provides values established by the Central Statistical Office (GUS), which determines these life expectancy indicators for different age groups of insured persons. Through this mathematical operation, the pension amount is determined.
Old-age pensions in Poland can be received after reaching a certain age. What is this age?In Poland, the retirement age is 60 for women and 65 for men. This differs from Belarus. Today in Belarus it is 58 and 63 years. In any case, this is also a reality determined by the specifics of the insurance systems of both countries, but if a person reaches Belarusian retirement age and works in Poland, then under this agreement, there is no obstacle to receiving the Belarusian pension at this age. Thus, one can apply for the transfer of a Belarusian pension to Poland if living in Poland under the bilateral agreement, and receive this pension in a Polish bank account.
However, even if someone already receives a Belarusian pension, they can receive the Polish one only after reaching Polish retirement age, i.e., 60 for women and 65 for men. In Poland, there are certain professional groups that can receive pensions at a lower age. Mainly, these are pensions for work in special conditions or of a special nature. Thus, for some professional groups, retirement age may be reduced, for example, by 5 years, i.e., 60 for men and 55 for women. But these are special cases. In addition, work in these special conditions requires appropriate experience. Usually, this is 15 years of work in special conditions. Special documents are also required to confirm these periods, as these are generally individual cases. A work certificate with appropriate content allows qualifying this experience in special conditions for pension assignment according to Polish law.
Is there a disability pension in Poland and how to get it?
The disability pension is an important benefit, as it is intended for economically active people insured in Poland who have lost their ability to work due to health reasons. The main condition for receiving a Polish disability pension is incapacity to work, i.e., a certain health condition. Incapacity to perform work to a certain degree is essential. However, it is not about the degree of disability or a percentage of deterioration. We always talk about health status that affects the ability to perform work. Incapacity is assessed by medical experts from ZUS. Based on medical documentation and examination results, they issue disability certificates for pension assignment.
The second condition is insurance experience. This benefit can be obtained under the Polish-Belarusian agreement with the principle of summing insurance periods. For this pension, experience is required. It concerns people already working in a specialty and over 30 years old. However, age 30 does not mean that five years of insurance can only be obtained after reaching 30. For younger persons, a shorter period is required — from one to five years. Each of these insurance period requirements can be met with the principle of summing insurance periods. This means the five-year experience must be completed within the last ten years before applying for a disability pension or before the onset of incapacity. If there is no five-year period in Poland, but there is Belarusian coverage, this period can be supplemented by Belarusian experience. Incapacity must also occur during employment or no later than 18 months after dismissal, which should be considered when applying for benefits. And, of course, this pension is available only to those who do not have the right to an old-age pension or do not meet its conditions. That is, those who have not yet reached retirement age but did not apply for a pension. When reaching, for example, 60, they cannot claim a disability pension.
Is there a survivor’s pension in Poland and how to get it?
This is also a fairly important benefit, as it is intended to support family members of a deceased insured person or deceased pensioner. According to Polish law, the survivor’s pension is assigned to family members of a person who, at the time of death, already had an established right to an old-age or disability pension, or met the conditions for such a pension. And of course, if the person had already reached retirement age but had not yet applied for a pension, the basis for its calculation will be the pension they would have been entitled to. However, if the person has not yet reached retirement age, the basis for determining the survivor’s pension will be the disability pension, since it is assumed that the deceased, who had not reached retirement age, was incapacitated at the time of death.
Which family members can claim this benefit?
Primarily, children: both biological and adopted. Applications can be submitted by spouses. In some cases, the parents of the deceased pensioner, pension recipient, or deceased insured person may also apply. Children are entitled to the survivor’s pension until they reach 16 years old, and if they are still studying, until 25 years old. However, if they continue studying and finish at 26, they can receive this benefit until the completion of education. Children who are fully disabled, and if this disability arose before age 16, can apply even if they continue education past 25.
As for spouses, there are several conditions. The most important is age. The survivor’s pension is available to spouses who reached 50 at the time of the death of their husband/wife, are incapacitated, or are raising children under 16, or if children are still studying, are incapacitated until 18. A widow who has reached 50 or lost her ability to work after the death of her husband, but no later than five years after his death or after the cessation of raising children under 16 or 18, may also apply.
Polish law has a rule that the survivor’s pension is assigned to one person regardless of the number of family members. This means that if both a widow and a child are entitled to a pension, the pension is divided equally between them. If there are two children, the pension is divided equally between the widow and the two children. If there are only children, the pension is divided equally among the children entitled to it, and this division is always equal.
However, the pension amount varies depending on the number of family members entitled to it. If only one person is entitled, the payment is 85% of the pension the deceased had or would have been entitled to. If there are two entitled persons, it is 90%, and if three or more, 95% of the deceased’s pension.
Is there a funeral benefit in Poland?
The funeral benefit is intended for people who covered funeral expenses for a deceased pensioner or insured person. Those who covered the funeral costs of a Polish pensioner, even if the pensioner is a Belarusian living in Poland, will receive this payment. If such a person lives, for example, in Belarus, this payment can be transferred to their bank account in Belarus.
How does the principle of summing insurance periods work under the bilateral Belarusian-Polish social security agreement?
This is perhaps the most important principle of bilateral coordination in Polish-Belarusian relations, as it allows foreign insurance periods to be considered when determining entitlement to Polish benefits. Of course, the agreement provides that only non-overlapping periods can be summed. If someone was insured in Poland and Belarus simultaneously, for example, if they were working in Belarus and running a business in Poland before the agreement came into force, overlapping periods are not summed. Only periods not included in the insurance periods recorded in the other country’s system may be taken into account.
For example, a person has 5 years of insurance in Poland, but this does not give the right to a minimum Polish pension, because 25 years of experience are required for such a pension. But they also have 20 years of experience in Belarus, so in total 25 years of insurance experience, and they now have the right to a minimum Polish pension. This pension will be assigned.
If disability occurred in Belarus, can one claim a disability benefit in Poland and under what circumstances?
In this case, the principle of recognizing insurance events applies. A disability pension can be assigned if the disability occurred during employment or no later than 18 months after dismissal. If the last place of work was in Belarus and this work was within the 18 months required by Polish law, we will consider this event as having occurred in Poland and consider the requirement of continuing work within 18 months fulfilled.
Can I be assigned a pension in Poland if I continue working?Polish law contains a provision in Article 103a of the Pensions Act, which states that the right to a Polish pension is suspended if the employee continues working and does not resign at the moment the right arises. In other words, to receive a pension, a person must resign on the day the right arises. After receiving the pension, they may resume work and continue regardless of working hours and salary. However, upon retirement, the person must terminate the employment contract, and this also applies to the principle of recognition of employment events abroad. Whether in Belarus or another country, such as Germany or Spain, the employment termination condition must be observed.
Can I receive a Belarusian pension in Poland?
The 2019 bilateral agreement allows Belarusian pensions to be paid in Poland, and Polish pensions — in Belarus. Of course, the recipient’s will is decisive in determining whether they want the transfer. If they decide they want it, in the application for the Polish pension they indicate that they want it transferred to Belarus, provide a bank account, and the benefit is transferred, converted. However, if someone wants to receive a Belarusian pension in Poland, they can also submit such an application. If the recipient has a bank account in Poland, we inform the Belarusian institution of the Polish account number, and this pension will be transferred there. The basis for transferring benefits to the country of residence is permanent residence in that country. This means that people permanently residing in Poland can use this transfer principle. The same applies to transferring Polish benefits to Belarus.
Where can I submit an application for transferring a Belarusian pension to Poland?
ZUS has a special department dealing with persons who have insurance periods in Poland and Belarus, as well as persons with Polish insurance periods but living in Belarus. This is the first department of ZUS in Łódź — the Department for Implementation of International Agreements. All applications from persons wishing to use benefits under this agreement are processed by this department, regardless of the place of application.
Can I receive the minimum Polish pension after working in Poland for just a few months and paying ZUS contributions?
The Belarusian-Polish agreement provides the possibility of receiving a subsidy up to the minimum pension for persons with a short insurance period in Poland but who have worked in Belarus, because, according to Polish law, such an increase of the new reformed pension up to the minimum can be granted to a person who has the necessary insurance period. This period is 20 years for women and 25 years for men. A person residing in Poland with permanent resident status but without sufficient Polish insurance period of this length can use the principle of summing insurance periods. If this period totals 20 or 25 years, ZUS will provide such a subsidy (allowance) up to the minimum Polish pension. The only requirement is that these insurance periods must be confirmed by the Belarusian side (FSSN) according to the provisions of the social security agreement. Here, when calculating this allowance, the difference is between the current minimum Polish pension, which is currently almost 1900 zlotys, and the amount of the assigned Belarusian pension.
Where and how can I submit an application for a pension in Poland?
To apply for a pension in Poland, you need to contact a ZUS branch or subdivision at your place of residence, using one of the following forms: pension application, disability pension application, or survivor’s pension application. ZUS has a special form for each of these benefits, and of course, you also need to document your employment history in the ERP-6 ZUS form, indicating periods of work in Poland and periods of work in Belarus. Until the applicant decides whether to apply in Belarus, no information provided to ZUS will be transmitted abroad. This application, even if it initially contains information about work in Belarus, will not be processed in Belarus if the applicant does not wish to contact the Belarusian institution. It is important to indicate the PESEL number in this application, as it serves as the identifier for the benefit, allowing ZUS to register the case and subsequently fulfill all additional obligations such as taxes and medical insurance registration.
How can I contact ZUS?You can contact us via hotline or through trusted profiles (Profil Zaufany). We recommend creating a trusted profile on the ZUS platform, as it allows direct electronic communication with ZUS. Just go to the ZUS website, enter your ID, and create it. You can also communicate through an electronic visit. This is an electronic form of communication with ZUS in the form of a video conference with an employee. You can schedule such a visit or discussion with a ZUS branch employee in Łódź who handles individual cases and personal applications. On the institution’s website www.zus.pl, all these services for clients are presented, and under the “benefits” tab, all information regarding benefits under the Belarusian-Polish social security agreement is available.
I would like to ask ZUS representatives what coefficient will be used to calculate my pension here in Poland if, when applying, I receive a certificate of employment from Belarus?I have already contacted the local ZUS branch but have not yet received an answer. I was only told to contact them a month before turning 60 to submit an application at my place of residence in Belarus. After working three years here as a part-time cleaner, I will earn 50 zlotys, and I will not be able to live on this money.
The woman who asked this question said she worked part-time for three years and, according to her preliminary calculations, her pension will be 50 zlotys. Therefore, it can be assumed that, since she works part-time, she is employed under a labor contract and probably earns a relatively low salary, and therefore pays small contributions. Her short insurance period means her Polish pension, based on low contributions, may also be relatively low. This is a reformed pension, meaning it may be a low pension.
For this woman to receive the minimum Polish pension, which is currently about 1900 zlotys, it will be necessary to prove that she meets the conditions required for this increase to the minimum. First, she must consent to cooperation between ZUS and the Belarusian institution. Then, the total employment period must be determined — not just three years in Poland, but 20 years of combined Polish and Belarusian insurance periods. The amount of the Belarusian pension must also be determined. We need to check whether the Polish pension corresponds to the actual amount of the Belarusian pension. Then, the two pensions are summed, and the difference between the minimum pension in Poland and the difference between the two actual pensions — Polish and Belarusian — is determined. Only then can it be established whether she is eligible for the minimum pension.
It turns out that the applicant can receive a pension, but the way it is calculated depends on several factors, and it will become clear when she submits the application.
I am sorry that my unregistered pension has been lost for almost two years. I have been paying pension contributions for 35 years and have earned nothing. I would like to receive at least the minimum subsistence. Who can help me in my situation?
You are probably talking about 35 years of contributions in total, including Belarus. Most of your contributions were probably paid in Belarus. Therefore, your entire professional life is summed. The Belarusian-Polish agreement provides that each country pays and finances benefits for its own periods. This is the essence of any social security agreement. Whether it is an agreement with Belarus, EU agreements, or an agreement with Ukraine, the principle is the same. Each country pays for its own periods. The existence of rules for summing periods for determining pension entitlement does not mean that the other country pays for periods in another country. In this way, you can obtain the Belarusian pension and an allowance up to the minimum Polish pension, according to the principle of summing periods. However, certificates of employment periods should be submitted through the Belarusian pension fund (FSSN) and through ZUS to receive the pension in Poland. Pensions will be proportionally determined by both institutions.
What if, for some reason, the Belarusian side does not respond to a pension request from Poland?
ZUS can request justification from the Belarusian side. Considering the lack of response to the application, we can send reminders at various levels: first at the branch level, then from the central office of ZUS, and even from the head of ZUS. If there are any actions indicating intentional or unlawful behavior by the Belarusian side, the issue can be escalated to the relevant authorities, i.e., submitted to the ministry and the cause determined in each case. However, it is important to note that ZUS has not observed any intentional concealment of information by the Belarusian side so far.
If I am under international protection in Poland, does ZUS (Social Insurance Institution) send requests to Belarus in my situation? I would not like the Belarusian side to know my place of residence in Poland.
You must confirm in writing your willingness for your data to be transferred to Belarus. We always follow the applicant’s wishes. A person under international protection can also apply to ZUS, but if they do not want to disclose their data or apply for Belarusian benefits, we do not conduct any business with the Belarusian side. We do not disclose any data. We do not say that the person lives in Poland; we simply do not take any action toward Belarus. However, as a rule, in any similar situation, for those under protection or not wishing to interact with FSSN, ZUS must comply with the applicant’s request.
I receive a pension in Belarus. I will turn 60 in 2026. I have been working in Poland for four years. Can I claim the minimum Polish pension if I have 35 years of work experience in Belarus? How many years do I need to work in Poland to transfer the pension and receive it under Polish law?
Each country pays for its own insurance periods. This means we cannot act on the principle: I worked in Belarus for 35 years, I move to Poland, and Poland will pay a pension for those periods in Belarus. We can pay a Polish pension only for the Polish insurance period or increase it to the minimum if the total Polish and Belarusian insurance periods amount to 20 or 25 years, depending on whether it is a woman or a man. However, responsibility for financing the pension for the Belarusian insurance period lies with the Belarusian government. The conclusion is that the designers of the agreement never anticipated that so many people would be under international protection. This is related to the safety of those who do not want to provide this information to Belarus, but then they lose the possibility of transferring their pension from Belarus.
In connection with the announced cancellation of the 800+ benefit for people working under a contract for a specific task (umowa o dzieło), we would like to know whether it is possible to retain this benefit for such persons. We have been continuously working under a contract for a specific task in Poland for five years. Hiring us under a standard employment contract is not in the employer’s interest.
The contract for a specific task (umowa o dzieło) is a contract that is not considered employment in Poland, and therefore contributions to social insurance are not made. However, there is another contract: the contract of mandate (umowa zlecenia). This contract is covered by mandatory social insurance. A person performing work under a contract of mandate (or the client) pays contributions to the social insurance system and can receive the 800+ benefit because the person works and is insured under the Polish social insurance system. If the applicants meet other legal conditions, such as caring for a child or living with the child, they are entitled to the 800+ benefit. Active parents are required to have an appropriate level of professional activity, which is the basis for calculating contributions. For the 800+ benefit, i.e., the child support benefit, ZUS has no right to pressure the employer to change the form of employment. Unfortunately, this is beyond the competence of ZUS. However, ZUS, as the authority responsible for implementing the provisions of mandatory social insurance, must check whether payers fulfill their obligations correctly and whether these labor relations are not designed to avoid mandatory insurance or are dealing with fictitious insurance contracts.
Does the Belarusian-Polish agreement regulate the transfer of military pensions?
No. These military pensions from Belarus are not covered by the bilateral agreement. This means that former military personnel now living in Poland cannot apply to transfer their pension to Poland. The Belarusian side excluded them from the scope of the agreement.
If I am currently working in Poland but already receive an old-age pension in Belarus, can I transfer the Belarusian pension to Poland upon reaching 60 and receive it together with the Polish pension? Can I claim the minimum Polish pension if the sum of the two pensions is lower? What documents are required from Belarus?
The insurance period in Belarus is 20 years. As mentioned, for receiving this new pension in Poland, no minimum insurance period in Poland is required. However, to start the process of determining the Polish pension, certain contributions must be made to the Social Insurance Institution (ZUS). When receiving the minimum pension, foreign insurance periods can also be considered. For men, a total of 25 years, and for women, 20 years, is required. This means that if, after summing, this condition is not met, we cannot assign the minimum pension, but we also do not assume responsibility for financing this Belarusian insurance period as a pension.
Can a Belarusian citizen independently submit documents for the transfer of a pension from Belarus to the relevant ZUS office to confirm the work experience in Belarus? Is interaction through ZUS with the relevant Belarusian office required in this case?
As a rule, this is the principle of international social security procedures. The rule, established either in EU regulations on coordination of systems or in bilateral social security agreements, is that the basis for considering foreign insurance periods when determining the benefit amount in another country can only be the receipt of the relevant certificate provided by the agreement on these insurance periods.
Generally, the basis for ZUS to recognize the Belarusian insurance period is a certificate from the Belarusian Pension Fund (FSSN) on insurance periods.
Only a certificate issued within the framework of an international procedure is recognized. The procedure is as follows: you submit an application to ZUS. To this application, you must attach the documents required by the Belarusian institution. These include, first of all, the employment record, qualification confirmation, e.g., higher education certificates, confirmation of childcare periods, certificates of maternity leave, etc. Military service periods may also be included, depending on the period spent in Belarus. Original documents must be attached. If applying for a disability pension, medical documents are required; if applying for a child benefit, birth certificates, marriage certificates, and so on. Typical documents. When ZUS receives these documents, it makes copies, certifies them, and sends these certified copies to the Belarusian institution (FSSN).
The applicant’s consent to exchange this information with FSSN is required. ZUS sends copies to FSSN. FSSN uses a special form — either the traditional BY3 or the specific PL3. It conducts its own assessment of these documents and sums up these periods of employment. FSSN provides the total number of months, years, and days it recognized as insurance periods. Then ZUS receives this form. This procedure exists in all bilateral agreements, including EU regulations. In this way, institutions confirm information to each other. For example, when we need your work history for aggregation purposes to increase your Polish pension to the minimum, we rely on this form from the foreign pension institution.
Does a period of higher education in Poland count towards the insurance period?
In general, when it comes to insurance and non-insurance periods, they play an important role in determining pensions and benefits. With the current pension system, there is no requirement for this period, and therefore the period of education in the Polish system is considered a non-insurance period. It does not affect the calculation of the benefit. For example, when determining the minimum pension, the same period of study does not influence the right to this minimum pension. However, if applying for a disability pension, the period of education is included in the employment history considered for the disability pension. Since it is a non-insurance period, it is included in one-third of the insurance period as regulated by the national pension law. In general, when Polish regulations refer to employment history, we speak of insurance periods.
Poland has additional 13th and 14th pensions. How can one apply for them? And what is their amount?
No applications are required — both the 13th and 14th pensions are assigned automatically to everyone receiving a Polish pension. The 13th pension equals the minimum; the 14th pension also equals the minimum, but for people with higher benefits, it may be reduced.
How long does ZUS process applications from Belarusians?
The standard decision period is 30 days. But this period is counted not from the date of application submission, but from the date of clarifying all circumstances necessary for calculation. If ZUS conducts international proceedings with Belarus, the period may be extended — sometimes up to a year. ZUS is obliged to regularly inform the applicant about the progress and indicate expected timelines.
Is there a chance that Polish legislation will change due to more than 15,000 Belarusians already under international protection in Poland?
This question is under the competence of the ministry. ZUS has submitted its position and possible solutions to the ministry, but further steps depend on legal analysis. According to current legislation, foreign work periods can be recognized without document exchange only for repatriates. If the country is a party to a bilateral agreement (like Belarus), ZUS is obliged to use only official institutional certificates.
People did not apply for a pension in Belarus because they were in prison at the time of reaching retirement age. Now they are in Poland. What should they do?
Belarusian citizens living in Poland can apply for the Belarusian pension through ZUS. There is no need to send documents to Belarus themselves. ZUS forwards the application to the Belarusian side, and the person indicates where the payment should be transferred — to a Polish or Belarusian bank account.
Why can’t ZUS first assign a Polish pension and then wait for the response from Belarus?
This is exactly what ZUS does. If there are at least some contributions in the account, ZUS assigns the Polish pension immediately — this is an advance payment. The final decision on eligibility for the top-up to the minimum pension is made only after completing the information exchange with Belarus and receiving official confirmation of the insurance period.
From what date is the pension assigned? Only after the Belarusian pension decision? Or from the date of submission in Poland?
If a person submitted the application through ZUS, the Belarusian pension authority must start the payment to the Polish account from the next month after the payments in Belarus stop. The top-up to the minimum Polish pension is calculated from the date the Polish pension is assigned. The top-up can be paid retrospectively if the total insurance period is at least 20 years, the person resides permanently in Poland, and total income is low.
Once again, we thank all Belarusians who participated in the meeting and sent questions to ZUS representatives. Your active participation made the meeting productive and informative. The meeting was initiated by the Deputy Head of the United Transitional Cabinet of Belarus, Pavel Latushko, and organized by the People’s Anti-Crisis Administration together with the Ministry of Family, Labour, and Social Policy of Poland and the Social Insurance Institution (ZUS).
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This material was prepared by the NAU team based on ZUS specialists’ answers. However, in case of any questions, it is important to clarify all details of your personal situation directly with the Social Insurance Institution of Poland: www.zus.pl, and also to refer to information published on Polish government websites.
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