Pension in Poland for foreigners: amounts, conditions and how to get it

Working in Poland and thinking about the future? You’re doing the right thing. The pension issue concerns everyone – both Poles and foreigners. How long do you need to work, what pension will you get, and most importantly – is there even a pension in Poland for foreigners? Let’s examine it in detail, without rose-colored glasses.

Polish pension system

The Polish pension system rests on three pillars. Understanding how it works is key to your future pension.

First pillar – mandatory

ZUS – the main pension fund. Everyone working officially contributes 19.52% of gross salary there (split with the employer). This money goes to payments for current retirees, and you get points recorded for the future.

Second pillar – OFE (practically dead)

Open Pension Funds. Part of contributions used to go there, now the system is effectively frozen. The money is there, but new contributions don’t come in.

Third pillar – voluntary

PPK, PPE, IKE, IKZE – lots of abbreviations for voluntary savings. The state encourages with tax benefits, but people don’t really trust it and participation is weak.

What pension in Poland you’ll have depends on participation in all three pillars. But the base comes from the first, mandatory one.

Minimum pension – amount and conditions

Now about the numbers. Minimum pension in Poland in 2025 is 1780.96 PLN gross. Net after deducting taxes and healthcare – about 1620 PLN.

Conditions for minimum pension

To get the guaranteed minimum, you need:

• Women: 60 years + 20 years of work history
• Men: 65 years + 25 years of work history

Don’t have the required work history? You’ll still get a pension, but it may be less than the minimum. Yes, this is possible.

What makes up the minimum pension

The base is calculated from your contributions. If it doesn’t reach the minimum – the state tops up the difference. But this isn’t a gift – if they later find unaccounted work history or income, they’ll take back the supplement.

Indexation

Good news – pensions are indexed every year. In March 2025 they raised them by 12.5%. Bad news – inflation is often higher.

Special rules for foreign citizens

Pension in Poland for foreigners – a complex topic. Everything depends on your status and country of origin.

EU citizens

You have it easiest. Work, pay ZUS – you’ll get a pension. Work history from other EU countries adds up. You can receive Polish pension even after returning home.

Citizens of countries with agreements

Poland has social security agreements with some countries. Ukraine – yes, Belarus – yes, Russia – complicated. The agreement allows:

• Combining work history in both countries
• Receiving pension at place of residence
• Transferring pension rights

Other countries

Without an agreement it’s harder. Polish work history counts only as Polish. But if you worked the required years in Poland – you’ll get a pension. Your home country work history just won’t count.

Important detail – residency

To receive Polish pension it’s advisable to be a Polish resident at retirement. Otherwise there may be problems with payment, especially minimum pension.

Can you get pension without contribution period

The million-dollar question – pension in Poland without work history. Technically – yes, but it’s not at all what you expect.

Social pension

If you haven’t worked at all or work history is insufficient:

• Age – standard retirement
• Income below certain threshold
• Permanent residence in Poland
• Citizenship or permanent residence permit

Amount? About 1200 PLN. You can survive, but living is difficult.

Partial pension

Have work history but less than required? You’ll get pension proportional to contributions. Worked 10 years instead of 20? Pension will be about half the minimum.

Alternatives

Missing work history? You can:

• Work the missing years
• Buy work history (in some cases)
• Count periods of study, military service, maternity leave
• Use work history from other countries (if there’s an agreement)

How pension is calculated

The formula isn’t simple, but the principle is clear – the more you paid, the more you’ll get.

New system (after 1999)

Pension = Accumulated capital / Expected life span

Capital is all your contributions with indexation. Life span is taken statistically at the moment of retirement.

Old system (before 1999)

If you worked before 1999, part of the pension is calculated by old rules – percentage of average salary for the best years. This is usually more favorable.

Sample calculation

Worked 30 years with average salary 5000 PLN gross:

• Annual contributions: ~11,700 PLN
• For 30 years: ~351,000 PLN
• With indexation: ~500,000 PLN
• Divide by 20 years (average duration): ~2,100 PLN/month

This is very rough, the real calculation is more complex.

Application procedure

Pension won’t come automatically – you need to apply. The process isn’t complicated, but there’s lots of paperwork.

When to apply

3-4 months before reaching retirement age. You can do it earlier – ZUS will review and queue it.

Documents

Basic package:

• Pension application form
• Identity document
• Employment records, contracts
• Salary certificates (for old work history)
• Military record (if you served)
• Diplomas (if education counts)

For foreigners additionally:

• Residence card or other legal stay document
• Work history certificate from home country (with apostille)
• Translations of all documents

Where to apply

At any ZUS office. You can:

• Come in person with documents
• Send by mail
• Online (if you have trusted profile)
• Through authorized representative

Processing times

By law – 30 days. In practice – 2-3 months. If documents from abroad – up to six months.

Additional benefits for retirees

Besides the basic pension there are various supplements and benefits.

13th and 14th pension

Yes, Poland has “bonus” pensions:

• 13th – paid in April
• 14th – in November
• Amount – like minimum pension
• Everyone gets them, regardless of basic pension amount

Supplements and compensations

• Energy – for electricity bills
• Housing – for low-income
• Medicine – partial compensation
• Funeral benefit – about 4000 PLN

Discounts

• Transport discounts (37-50%)
• Free medicines from the list
• Cultural event discounts
• TV license exemption (75+)

Important questions and answers

Can I receive Polish pension while living in Ukraine?

If there’s an agreement between countries – yes. You need to arrange pension transfer through ZUS. They’ll pay in hryvnia through the Ukrainian pension fund.

What happens to my pension if I leave Poland?

Depends on the country. In EU – you’ll continue receiving. To countries with agreements – they’ll transfer. To others – payments may be suspended.

Does work history in the USSR count?

In some cases yes, if you have documents and there’s an agreement between countries. But the procedure is complicated, you need certificates from archives.

Can I receive two pensions – Polish and Ukrainian?

Theoretically yes, if you’re entitled to both. But the amount may be reduced due to social security systems coordination.

Is it worth participating in PPK for future pension?

If you plan to stay in Poland – definitely yes. It’s an additional 4% to pension (2% yours + 2% from employer). You can withdraw early when leaving.