How can self-employed individuals secure their old-age pension?

How can self-employed individuals secure their old-age pension?

According to current legislation, the accumulation of service record for pension entitlement is contingent upon the payment of mandatory insurance contributions to the Social Protection Fund (SPF).

In accordance with the pension legislation of the Republic of Belarus, a gradual increase in the required insurance record for paying mandatory insurance contributions to the fund's budget is being implemented until 2025 (2022 – 18.5 years, 2023 – 19 years, 2024 – 19.5 years, 2025 – 20 years).

Employed individuals are relatively protected regarding their pension future. Under the law, employers are responsible for calculating, withholding, and remitting mandatory insurance contributions for employed individuals to the fund's budget.

Individuals who independently engage in activities not classified as entrepreneurial (the full list is contained in Article 1 of the Civil Code of the Republic of Belarus) and are not notaries or lawyers (hereinafter referred to as self-employed individuals) are granted the right to voluntarily participate in securing their pension future.

To secure their pension future, a self-employed individual must:

    • register with the Social Protection Fund bodies of the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection (hereinafter referred to as the Fund bodies) at their place of residence (submit an application and present an identity document and a copy of the receipt for payment of the unified tax (or other document confirming the engagement in non-entrepreneurial activity));
    • annually pay mandatory insurance contributions no later than March 1st of the year following the reporting year (for 2022 – no later than March 1, 2023);
    • annually, no later than March 31st of the year following the reporting year, submit a document of personalised accounting to the Fund body.

After a self-employed individual is registered with the Fund bodies, they are issued a state social insurance certificate, and an individual personal account (IPA) is opened. This account accumulates information used for subsequent pension entitlement.

More detailed information can be obtained from the district departments (sectors) of the Fund at your place of residence or via social networks (official account name (group, page, channel) – “ФСЗН: официально, просто и доступно”):