Case: a pensioner in Poland - how to get OK-5 from PFU and apostille for Polish ZUS without returning to Ukraine

Hundreds of thousands of elderly Ukrainians who have left the country due to the war are now faced with the need to apply for or recalculate their social security and pension benefits in their countries of residence. The largest influx of applications is being recorded in the Republic of Poland, where the local Social Insurance Institution (ZUS) is actively integrating Ukrainian pensioners into its legal system based on bilateral agreements between the two countries.

However, in order for the Polish side to recognize Ukrainian work experience, citizens must provide official financial and legal documentation. The key document in such situations is the individual record of the insured person—the OK-5 certificate.

In this case study, we will examine the real-life story of our client, who was able to confirm her work history for the Polish ZUS without leaving Warsaw, thanks to our company’s remote support.

Client story: A bureaucratic deadlock in Warsaw

Ms. Maria, a 63-year-old Ukrainian woman who has been living in Poland for over two years, contacted our company, Enwolt. She was eligible for a local pension supplement because she had officially worked in Poland for a certain period, and her total work experience under bilateral agreements allowed her to qualify for a significant improvement in her social benefits.

The Polish Social Insurance Institution (ZUS) issued a clear requirement: to provide the original OK-5 certificate from the Pension Fund of Ukraine (PFU) showing salary and insurance history starting from 2000. Furthermore, the document had to be properly legalized—bearing an Apostille stamp.

Problems faced by the pensioner:

• Lack of digital tools. Ms. Maria did not have an activated “Diya.Signature” or a valid electronic signature (ES) to order the certificate herself through the PFU’s e-services portal.
• Logistical and physical difficulties. Traveling to Ukraine (long hours in line at the border, stress, health concerns) for a personal visit to the PFU Service Center and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was impossible for her.
• Deadlines. ZUS set a strict deadline for submitting the documents—if she missed it, the case would be closed, and she would have to start the process over from the beginning.

Enwolt’s solution: Step by step to a successful outcome

Our firm’s attorneys took on a turnkey solution to the problem. Since our office is located in the heart of Kyiv, we are able to interact promptly with all central government agencies.

Step 1: Legal Basis (Legal Representation)

To represent Ms. Maria’s interests before government agencies, we remotely coordinated the process of drafting a legal services agreement. The client signed the document and then sent a scanned copy to initiate the service.

Step 2: Official Request for an OK-5 Certificate from the Pension Fund of Ukraine

With legal authority, Enwolt’s attorney contacted the local office of the Pension Fund of Ukraine directly. Since the paper document issued by the PFU with a “handwritten” signature and the seal of the department head is the only format subsequently accepted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for apostille certification, simply downloading a PDF file from the internet was not an option here. We received the document, which contained the client’s full insurance record dating back to 2000, in the shortest possible time.

Step 3: Affixing the “Apostille” Stamp

On its own, the PFU certificate has no legal validity abroad without international certification. As the next step, our specialists submitted the completed OK-5 form to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine for the apostille procedure. A few days later, we received a fully legalized document that complies with all international standards of the Hague Convention and is officially recognized in Poland.

Step 4: Translation and delivery to Poland

Since ZUS accepts documents exclusively in the official language, we provided a certified translation of the certificate and apostille into Polish. The complete set of documents was sent directly to Ms. Maria in Warsaw via a reliable courier service.

Why is remote document retrieval the only right solution?

Ms. Maria’s story is a typical situation for hundreds of thousands of Ukrainian displaced persons. Attempts to resolve this issue on their own from abroad often result in rejections.

1. First, electronic certificates with QR codes from “Dii” often raise questions among conservative European officials, who specifically require paper originals with wet seals and an apostille.
2. Second, the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs does not accept printed electronic extracts for apostille—only an official document issued directly by a PFU branch is required.

Remote assistance from a specialized company saves you money on flights and accommodation and, most importantly, preserves the health and peace of mind of the elderly.

Need help with work history for ZUS or other foreign authorities?

If you or your relatives find yourselves in a similar situation, don’t waste precious time on bureaucratic red tape. Enwolt Law Firm will help you navigate this process quickly and with guaranteed results.

Our success is based on the professional combination of our two key services, the detailed terms of which you can review on our website:

• Official retrieval of information regarding insurance and pension work history — learn more on the OK-5 and OK-7 reference page.
• Urgent apostille certification for any government certificates, diplomas, and extracts—you can find out the cost and turnaround times on the main page for document apostilles. 

We handle the entire process: from communicating with the Pension Fund to delivering the completed apostilled document package directly to your home anywhere in Europe!